Well, technically it’s Day 3, but unfortunately I’ve been pulling near all-nighters at work, so writing has been challenging to say the least! But we did eat last night, I just fell asleep before I could write! Apologies.

We went to our favorite Latino market in White Center called Carniceria El Paisano for provisions. We purchased a half pound of puerco en adobo (pork in a spicy marinade) for $1.98, a can of black refried beans for $.99, a big bag of corn tortillas for $1.69, and a bottle of hot sauce for $.89.

Then we headed over to a Vietnamese market for veggies. They had a 6-foot table with loaded with baggies of fruits and vegetables in their last days – all for $1.00! A big bag of limes, one filled with tomatoes (perfect for a huge batch of sauce), nectarines, etc. You’d never see that at a Safeway! Granted, the food would need to be cooked, frozen or eaten within probably a day, but still quite the savings.

We purchased four Key limes for $.18, an onion for $.39, a half pound of nopalitos (cactus) for roughly $.75, a beautiful head of lettuce for $.79, and a big bunch of gorgeous cilantro for $.39. Grand total for dinner: $8.05. Since we had the Turkey Dal leftovers for lunch, and yogurt and bananas for breakfast, we actually saved a bit of our food dollars today.

Here’s how we prepared our Mexican meal: Barnaby grilled the nopalitos and puerco en adobo, and since they are both so thin they cooked up in a flash. I had the easy job of heating up the refried beans and chopping up the onions. We made street-style tacos filled with the pork, onions, cilantro, fresh lime juice and a squeeze of hot sauce. Tasty!

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Unless you live close to the border, or in a community with a sizable Mexican population, you may think of tacos as being hard shells filled with ground beef, cheese, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, etc.. At least that’s the typical American version of a taco. But I’m talking good, authentic tacos. Specifically, fish tacos. No cheese, no sour cream.

If you’re craving Mexican food some night then try these out. They are actually easier to prepare than the Americanized ones, and are fresh and delicious. Here’s what you need:

Soft corn tortillas, steamed (hand-made ones are best)
Fish, grilled and cut into strips or chunks (any kind, but red snapper is common in Mexico)
White onion, diced
Fresh cilantro (leaves only)
Salsa verde (green salsa)
Lots of lime wedges

You can also use shrimp, pork (carnitas), steak (carne asada) or grilled vegetables for a vegetarian option.

Place ingredients in little bowls for a build-your-own dinner. Pile a little of each in your warm tortilla and top off with a healthy squeeze of lime juice. Wash down with a nice cold cerveza, toss your head back and yell, “Viva Mexico!” Arrriiiiibaaaaa!

Or, just enjoy quietly with your family.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area Bandini, of The Great Taco Hunt, has thoughtfully documented the best taco joints. Muchas gracias!

I’d love to know what you think. Click the Comments link below and share your thoughts.

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