"Nopalitos... Nopalitos compuestos para el taco"

The summer season gives me the opportunity to get together with the family and friends.and to show off my culinary skills with the BBQ grill.... preparing delicacies with beef, chicken, freshly caught fish and ancestral recipes like, nopalitos (no-pahl-etos). A visit to  my favorite Mexican food market, often reminds me of the early days of my youth, back in Mexico city. I recall the hot afternoons filled with fun and games with my friends . When suddenly we would hear the yell and cries of, "Nopalitos compuestos para el taco". Don  Refugio, the nopalitos vendor, would arrive in our street. The ladies, including my mother would come out from their homes with their red clay platter to purchase at least a kilo of the tasty, yummy, nopalitos chopped with onions, tomatoes, chiles topped with panela cheese. The nopalitos were fully cooked and ready to eat with freshly made corn tortillas. Needless to say, the game came to a sudden end. My friends, my brother Daniel and I would quickly follow our mothers home to savor tacos de nopalitos.

This cactus, nopal is planted in a garden along with fruit trees and the lawn, not necessarily ideal
to produce off  young tender paddles. Why? too much water.

This small cactus, on the other hand is planted along a fence away from any garden. It seldom gets water
and its' growth of young, tender paddles is exactly the kind needed for a tasty dish

 
Now, here in el norte, nopalitos have become more than a salad. They're a cult exclusively in the Mexican community and fanciers of healthy eating. Just the other day, my daughter, Sara asked if I would  make an ensalada de nopalitos, cactus salad for her office pot-luck. Considering myself a premier culinarian of nopalitos, I reasoned her request as an opportunity to display my skills to a wider palate. Correspondingly I would  share this little known vegetable with a wider audience. Nopalitos  are a tasty vegetable from Mexico and southwest part of the US. It's good tasting like broccoli, string beans, soy beans or bell peppers. More precisely they remind me of okra with a Mexican flavor.

A visit to my local Mexican supermarket provided me with a venue to find all the ingredients needed. With the onset of health conscious consumers and adventurous palates you will surely find a variety of fresh vegetables, fruits and spices which not long ago were considered exotic.When purchasing nopales, choose leaves or paddles from 6 to 8 inches long, the optimum stage of maturity, taste and texture.

 These nopales above are a bit too large and mature for my taste. So I purchased a package of smaller size already cleaned and peeled, below. The only thing left to do was to wash them and grill them. A word of caution here... Most of the nopalitos in restaurants are boiled in water. This method of cooking not only washes many nutrients down the drain but also the the sensory examination is lost through boiling.  I highly recommend grilling, either on a barbecue or hibachi.

All the ingredients needed are nopalitos, onion tomatoes, chiles, cilanto, seasoned salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Once your cactus are grilled, cut it into small pieces. Dice your onion, tomatoes, cilantro and chiles- remove seeds and veins.You will be able to control the spiciness and  heat with spicy olive oil.

The nopaltios are grilled, vegetables are diced un-cooked. Note that the amount with the exception of jalapeños are about equal. Salt and black pepper to taste. On the left high grade virgin olive oil infused and seasoned with chile de arbol and on the right olio extra vergine di oliva. The concluding step is to toss all the ingredients together and enjoy the earthy, smoky, spicy,  texture in every mouth-full. A summer afternoon is a perfect time to concentrate on and enjoy the succulent aromas of this wonderful salad with family, friends and a cold beer. Enjoy!

Hmm... hmm good

Nopales belong to the genus opuntia ficus-indica group of plants. They have been a source of nourishment and medicinal purpose from ancient times in Mexico. Curanderos or healers, use them to help burn victims, slicing them in half and placing the fist size paddle leaf with the open face on the wound and securing it with a bandage. I've also seen sobadores, folk masseuses, use the slimy juice as a rubbing ointment to massage sports injuries or muscle pain. You can also find the juice in soft drinks, skin medications and vitamins made from this product. But the best and most popular use is in the culinary arts... I recall  Angel, my uncle, in Mexico city, puts them whole on the grill stuffed with a generous slice of cheese, making them like a nopal quesadilla, a true delicacy!.

In Pursuit of Rainbow Trout

Three weeks ago I received an early morning call from Jorge aka "el perico" A pleasant surprise. Because parrots and he are not known as an early birds. "What's the status of the fishing trip?", he demanded to know. "I haven't received any information, are you'll trying to leave me out?" I tried to assuage his pain informing him that every thing was going smoothly and he should be getting an e-mail soon. "Don't forget I want my own room!" he bellowed... ending the call. In truth his call was a timely reminder to get the information out.

 El Perico was in charge of  refreshments and making meal arrangements for the trip. He tried his best to supply the group with a variety of drinks and other thirst quenchers, but of course the group found his efforts lacking when, remorselessly, he brought a cooler full of premium drinks for himself. For the rest of the group, he had a cooler full of lower quality drinks. Needless to say the Satyr was less-than- happy with his blunder. He exclaimed, " I am not drinking that cheap beer". Javier added, " I've seen that water for $2.19 for 48 bottles at the hardware store. It became a moral imperative to stop at a Grocery store and replenish our coolers. At this point, it was the only decent thing to do. Perico's selection of restaurants for the evening meals was more prosperous. Each evening he selected an A rated establishment with different culinary specialty. The whole group was pleased with his taste and selections. In truth, I felt a lot better the group seemed to forget his earlier miscalculation.

Convict Lake proved to be a difficult  place too hook up trout this week, they were just not interested in ending in a pan with onion, butter and garlic.

We had reservations  in Bishop CA for a week of fishing, relaxation, good food and friendship. Everyone assembled on time at perico's home. Four hrs. later we were at 8,600 ft. altitude casting our lines for that elusive six pound rainbow trout. Javier elected this propitious moment to inform us that his son, Javi, aka, The Sacramento Stinger would not be joining us because of previous commitments. This was a  crushing blow to the much anticipated contest between the Yucaipa Satyr vs the Sacramento Stinger. I should mention, there would be many disappointed anglers in the lake this week. Of course perico has his own ideas as to why the stinger didn't show up. The Satyr was equally disappointed he was looking forward to trashing that young whipper-snapper. Javier valiantly, but foolishly said, "Ill step in and take my son's mantle, it's a matter of family honor". "No way!"  perico protested. No doubt a rouse to save Javier added embarrassment. "That would be plebeian", he added. That was the end of the contest. Later  perico confided his thoughts to me, as to why the Sacramento Stinger failed to show. "Yo creo tubo miedo,  I didn't want Javier to get taken to the out house by the Satyr".

Interlocken lake as usual provided us with excellent fish. It is a wonderful place to fish all along it's shore with plenty of shade and comfortable surroundings and utilities.

Limits for everyone in our group. Bob, the virtuoso angler, was in charge of charting the areas we would be targeting each morning. Armed with relief  maps, GPS locations wind current and moon charts  he selected, for our first day, Interlocking, a small water hole on route 166 some 12 miles up the mountains from Bishop. Upon our arrival we noticed some fifty people fishing the area. Bob jettison his four lb. line some forty yards and immediately hooked an excellent size rainbow. This pattern continued, with in fifteen minutes he reached his limit. This gave him the opportunity to share his skills with other fisherman and kids who had been there for hrs. with out catching anything. Soon he had a crowd around him seeking his advice and wisdom. An ephemeral time later everyone was bringing them in. His face could not hide his satisfaction when kids got their limits. Bob's philosophy is that fishing is an active sport. "You have to stand up to fish, always hold your pole in your hand. This will allow you to feel the fish nibbling your bait" His impression is that those people who just come to the lake to sit and put the pole on a holder are not true anglers. He calls them  "passive amateurs who just want to pass the day in the open air, soak-up the sun, reading  books". "There is nothing wrong with that", he added, "but they are not true fisherman".

Nicko getting a little shade

A with a smile or just a simper Perico displays his catch for the first day

On the lake Perico was eager to show  Satyr that the lessons he received from him paid great dividends. He prepared his own gear; made his own leaders and quickly was in the water. I know that he is a faux-religious man. But never-the-less I would hear a whispering  prayer each time he cast his line, followed by a "humph" sound . He swears he caught his limit on this trip, bu no one would certify his claim. There is something to say about adult learning it's slower, but more meaningful. Well done Perico

 Nicko our youngest angler was a most ardent supporter of the old timers he helped all them bring in the fish, helped those with poor eyesight hook their line through the hook. Untangle lines and still managed to catch his  limits each day. He proudly informed us that he will be starting at St. John Bosco  High School in a couple of weeks. "We hope you will continue joining us for a few more years". Bob said. Javier replied, "I'm sure he will, if we can invite other young anglers to come along. I saw him teaching other young newbies the art of lake fishing".

After the few days spent up in God Country we headed home. Nicko as always goes home with his prized catch. I proudly reminded the group that he consistently come in second place, "yes right after me", Bob said. "I'm sure he will surpass you soon", Javier added.

A happy young apprentice with a great catch for Mom.