Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/319437
ByAngelHuracha Correspondent Biddingfarewelltoa long semester and a sum- mer of starving student days ahead of us, some- times it's time to believe in the magic of the burrito. After a struggling week of finals, making dinner was not an option. An easy burrito joint would help me recuperate all the brain cells I lost during study ses- sions. Thus where El Pa- tron Taqueria came to play. Located on 1354 East Ave, I went in with low ex- pectations, as I often do for any Mexican food place in town. This was little more than edible. During my searches in town, I have found in my opinion, that burritos in Chico are often more of the same. Most are fairly cheap but never truly delicious enough to satisfy your ap- petite. Often, dare I say, they can be disappointing. Some have managed to escape my harsh criticism. El Rey's Mexican Grill's chorizo breakfast burrito or Bulldog Taqueria's Cal- ifornia burrito are two stand-out burritos in town. Now I can add El Pa- tron's adobado steak bur- rito to the short but immac- ulate list of good burritos. The location is like the others, though a bit smaller and feels a bit more snugged. It is still a bright and friendly place to be. They served up a le- gitimately delicious bur- rito, and from scouting the menu, perhaps a few unique different items from it's sib- lings. This burrito was notice- ably bigger than most I've seen. As it should be for the price ($7.58). It was built well, and the ingredients were well distributed. The meat was marinated just right and it was moist. The rice was not overcooked and the beans were not overwhelming. If my mother taught me anything is that salsa is very important. Good news for them, the salsa infused the flavor of the burrito. If i'm not mistaken, it has a bit of heat and rich flavor of tomatillo and green tomato. Now I'm not screaming bloody victory. My search in a continuous effort to find a decent no-frills, go-to place for everyday Mexican food still marches on. I took my right-hand man with me on this ad- venture. His choice of the chicken burrito fell flat and he left sadly disappointed. But I was grateful and lucky that my choice was a winner. The more I explore the area, the more I realize that there's a lot more Mexi- can food places to try then it first appeared. But often too many disappoint and I don't bother to give fur- ther chances at redemp- tion. Perhaps I should try to be less judgmental on this genre of food. El Patron's adobado steak burrito makes short list of good burritos STARVING STUDENT ANGELHURACHAPHOTO El Patron Taqueria in the Safeway shopping center on East Avenue at Mariposa Avenue. Where: 1354East Ave., Chico Open: 10:30a.m.-9p.m. Monday-Friday; 9a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday; 9a.m.-8p.m. Sunday Phone: 343-9779 ELPATRONTACQUERIA By Carla Hall Special to Digital First Media There's a pupusas joint near my home in Washing- ton, D.C., that gets packed as dinnertime approaches. Their hot griddled corn- meal cakes come with a lit- tle plastic container of this slaw, which balances the hearty meat-and-cheese fillings. This super simple slaw is just as good on any other cornmeal creation, from ta- cos to arepas to Beef and Pepper Enchiladas to Black Bean Empanadas. TangyHotCabbage Slaw Serves 8. INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup white vinegar 1teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 8cups very thinly sliced cabbage 1/2 cup very thinly sliced red onion 1/2 cup shredded carrot 1jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded and minced 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano DIRECTIONS: In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, salt, sugar, and pepper until the sugar dis- solves. Add the cabbage, onion, car- rot, jalapeño, and oregano and toss well. You can cover the slaw and refrigerate it overnight, but it's best fresh. Recipe courtesy Carla Hall, "Carla'sComfortFoods,"2014, Atria Books/Simon & Schus- ter). SALADS Hot cabbage slaw pairs well with cornmeal flavors RECIPE COURTESY CARLA HALL This slaw is spicier than regular slaw, with the addition of a jalapeño chile. By Stephanie Witt Sedgwick The Washinton Post For the Jewish holidays, my Nana stewed beef with lots of onions and mush- rooms. Her preferred spices were simply salt and pepper. I've taken the best of Nana's dish and lightened it by us- ing turkey tenderloins in- stead of brisket or short ribs. A variety of mushrooms lends sophistication, and white wine adds a little acid. The more varieties of mushroom you can find, the better this dish will turn out. The one mushroom to avoid is the shiitake, which has an unmistakably Asian flavor. If you can't find turkey tenderloins, you can cut up a boneless turkey breast or substitute boneless, skinless chicken breast. This recipe can easily be doubled, but you'll have to transfer the browned tur- key pieces and the mush- room-onion mixture to a large roasting pan for the final braising. Cornstarch may be used instead of potato starch. With cornstarch, you'll need to add the cornstarch slurry to the dish and then bring the cooking broth to a boil. TURKEY TENDERLOINS WITH MUSHROOMS AND ONIONS 6 servings INGREDIENTS: 11/2 pounds turkey tender- loins, cut into 2-to-3-inch pieces (see headnote) Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3to 4tablespoons peanut oil or olive oil 8ounces yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 2cups) 2tablespoons minced garlic 11/2 pounds assorted mushrooms, such as button, beech, oyster, king trumpet and/or king oyster, large mushrooms (see headnote; do not use shiitakes) 1/2 cup dry white wine 21/4 cups homemade or no- salt-added chicken broth 11/2 tablespoons potato starch (see headnote) DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Lay out the turkey pieces in a single layer on a large sheet of aluminum foil or a large platter. Season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper, being gen- erous with the latter. Heat 2tablespoons of the oil in a large, nonstick shal- low braising pan or skillet over medium-high heat. (If you don't have a pan large enough to hold all of the mushrooms, you can cook the turkey and the mushroom-onion mixture in batches and transfer to a roasting pan to finish the dish.) Working in batches, add some of the turkey pieces to the pan, being careful not to crowd them. Cook the pieces for 5to 6 minutes, turning to brown them on every available side. Transfer to a plate. Once all of the turkey pieces have been browned, add 1tablespoon of the re- maining oil to the pan. Add the sliced onions and 1/8 teaspoon of salt; reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stir- ring occasionally, for 5to 6 minutes, until the onions so en. Stir in the garlic; cook for 1minute. Prep the mushrooms by cutting the large ones into 1/2-inch-long strips; cut the small round ones in half and the larger round mushrooms into quarters; separate the beech mushrooms into small clusters. Increase the heat to medium-high; add the mushrooms, and season lightly with pepper. (If they don't all fit in the pan, cook them in batches, using the additional tablespoon of oil for the second batch, or add gradually.) The mushrooms will reduce in volume significantly as they cook. Cook for about 8minutes, stirring a few times, until they are lightly browned. Stir in the wine; cook for 3minutes, until it has all but evaporated. Add 2cups of the broth, then return the browned turkey pieces to the pan. Stir to blend the components. Once the broth comes to a boil, cover the pan and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 15minutes, then trans- fer to the stove top over low heat. (At this point, the dish can be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to a day in advance.) Combine the potato starch with the remaining 1/4 cup of the broth in a small bowl, stirring until the starch dissolves. Add to the pan and quickly stir to evenly distribute the mixture. The dish will slowly thicken. Do not let the broth come to a boil (unless you are sub- stituting cornstarch for the potato starch). Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve in shallow bowls, with the mushroom-onion mixture spooned over the turkey. Tenderloins cook in a blend of onions, garlic, mushrooms WEEKNIGHTS JAHI CHIKWENDIU — THE WASHINGTON POST Mushrooms and chicken broth are the base of Quick-Braised Turkey Tenderloins With Mushrooms and Onions. By the Associated Press Experts advise having a plan when visiting the farm- ers markets. Here's a few tips: • Go first thing: The closer you choose your food to picking time, the fresher it will be. There are fewer shoppers and easier parking at that time of the morning. • Bring small bills. • Don't haggle over prices. At the end of that day's mar- ket, however, farmers may lower prices on what re- mains. • Shop on weekdays if you don't like crowds. • Slow down and enjoy the experience. • Go to a market outside your neighborhood. FARMERS MARKETS Ha ve a plan when visiting farmers markets STOVEJUNCTION The TheNorthState'spremiersupplierofstoves 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com Over 25 years of experience Tues-Sat9am-5pm• ClosedSun&Mon Now Carrying! GreenMountainGrills & Accessories Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties Take 15% off your entire bill dine in only Open Tues-Sat www. palominoroom .com 723 Main St. 527.5470 FOOD » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, May 28, 2014 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B4