Fish/Pescado | Dos Gildas

Aguachile to Celebrate Summer

June 10, 2012 By Gilda Valdez Carbonaro Leave a Comment

No hay fecha que no se cumpla, plazo que no se venza, ni deuda que no se pague. This is an old Spanish saying which roughly translates as: time marches on, and the day we thought far on the horizon appears suddenly and irrevocably. I've thought about this saying at different points in my life when eagerly awaited moments finally arrived. Yesterday was one of those moments and, if truth be told, it repeats itself punctually every year. School ends and another fresh crop of students graduates and heads off into the world. My colleagues and I celebrate with mixed feelings as we watch our former students embark on new journeys. They are wayward leaves thrown into the turbulent and haphazard river of life, hopefully well-prepared to bear the triumphs as well as the disappointments that will surely come their way. We teachers have done our job, given them the tools, taught them … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appetizers/Aperitivos, Fish/Pescado, Gilda V. Carbonaro Tagged With: aguachile, ceviche, summer

TAH-kos or talk-OHS?

July 16, 2011 By Gilda (Dini) Karasik 6 Comments

I feel funny pronouncing Spanish words with an American accent. I rather prefer to honor the "ñ" and revere the "ll." The Saint pokes fun when I ask him how many torr-TEE-yahs he wants with his dinner or when I order TAH-kos at a Mexican restaurant. I attribute this mostly to the fact that he is the son of a proud mother from Argentina where tortillas are Spanish and made with eggs and tacos don’t exist. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Entrées/Platos Fuertes, Fish/Pescado, Gilda (Dini) Karasik, Musings, Tacos Tagged With: bicultural, fish tacos, language, marinade, pronunciation

Tacho’s Ceviche

May 1, 2011 By Gilda Valdez Carbonaro 10 Comments

The summer of 1969 my best friend, Susan, and I decided to take a vacation to what was at that time a remote part of Mexico: Isla Mujeres, off the Yucatan peninsula. We had already experienced life away from home that year as college students in Houston. Working as waitresses to help defray our college expenses, we had heard about the island from other students who worked with us. So, on a shoestring budget, we embarked on our trip. Starting out in our hometown, Laredo, we set off on trains and buses, stopping in Monterrey, Mexico City and Merida. We finally made it to Puerto Juarez where we took a ferry to Isla Mujeres. We were two 19-year-olds, mesmerized as we arrived by the sight of white, powdery sand, crystalline water and the smell of the sea. We played like children along the water's edge with a kaleidoscope of fish that surrounded us. Walking along the beach one day, an old … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appetizers/Aperitivos, Fish/Pescado, Gilda V. Carbonaro, Musings Tagged With: ceviche, lost innocence, mexico

Taking Tacos to a New Level

February 21, 2011 By Gilda Valdez Carbonaro 2 Comments

The idea of a taco, even a shrimp taco may not conjure up Mexican haute cuisine, but recently, at the Hacienda de Guadalupe in San Miguel de Allende, my husband and I were treated to a regal plate of shrimp tacos. The evening had started out a bit disappointingly. We had expected to meet a friend at the busy, noisy and well-known hang-out next door to the Hacienda de Guadalupe. Getting an earful of the clamor within, we instinctively ran for the door, away from the noise. But we were hungry and didn't want to walk far to look for a quiet place to eat. Just one doorway away, at the Hacienda de Guadalupe, we found ourselves lured into this combination boutique hotel/restaurant, an eclectic but somehow congruent mix of twenty-fifth century modern and seventeenth century colonial design. The ambiance, in fact, is very peaceful and inviting. On the menu, we ordered the shrimp tacos. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appetizers/Aperitivos, Fish/Pescado, Gilda V. Carbonaro, Tacos Tagged With: pico de gallo, shrimp, tacos, tostadas de camarón

A Home Cook Called Spicy Spice?

January 14, 2011 By Gilda (Dini) Karasik Leave a Comment

If I were a pop singer, I'd call myself Spicy Spice and emulate my would-be home girl (la señorita Gaga) by wearing chile couture from head to toe. Instead, I spend time in the kitchen devising ways to turn up the heat on simple dishes. This is my very easy recipe for cod with sautéed jalapenos that can be eaten as a tapa, served with a side of black beans or even nestled in fresh corn tortillas. Bacalao con Jalapeños Salteados Ingredients: 3 tb olive oil 2 cloves garlic, chopped (not minced) 1 lb of fresh cod 1 cup bread crumbs 2 eggs 1 or 2 jalapeños salt ground pepper 1/2 lime 2 ripe tomatoes 1/2 fresh avocado Preparation: Cut the cod fillets into 3 inch pieces. Whisk two eggs in a bowl and place 1 cup of bread crumbs into a separate, shallow bowl. Slice the jalapenos into thin circles, leaving in the seeds. In a non-stick pan, heat half of the olive … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fish/Pescado, Gilda (Dini) Karasik Tagged With: cod, jalapeños, spicy, tapas