[Sun]

Originally Posted by Sachita

there was this little cuban market in miami that sold dried bonita and salted cod. Bonita is common in South Florida. I use to find the most interesting things at this little market.

Here we have a small Mexican meat market and they get their meat from local mexican farmers. They are wonderful farmers btw that let cows eat grass because they know that is what the animal really needs, its lower and cost and a better product. I make a killer osso bucco or a few weeks ago got ox tails that fell off the bone. I love the way they cut and spice chicken for BBQ.

damn I'm hungry now but too sore and tired to cook. I just wilted some baby greens and threw it on top of left over yellow rice and black beans with some olives and little evoo. I'm still hungry. I wish I had an avocado.

I could eat avocados, mangos, pineapple all day if I could find them in good condition. This time if year is rough. I should probably live on a tropical island.

Sounds like you have a great Mexican market nearby. It is nice when beef is raised correctly, chickens too. I have had to battle it our with Chefs who use production factory chicken and expect me to produce a quality product with this. Once I experienced the farm raised local foods in the SF bay area and the cultural food revolution in Berkeley there was no turning back.

At least I see a movement backwards toward sustainable natural foods though this is taking longer than I anticipated. I am spoiled on coastal fish supplies that allow me to have access to plenty of fresh catch so that if I need a fish steak, fillet or bones for stock I can get them. In restaurant work I will save shrimp and lobster shells for stock. They can easily be ground up, packed up and frozen to make stock at a later date or if I have a lot on hand I make stock right away.

I love Tamarind broth and have been making Tamarind soup with frozen pulp, garlic, one small red thai chili, bok choy, Japanese eggplant and from there I choose a protein, it can be chicken, beef, shrimp. No protein works as well. The sweet sour saltiness of the soup broth is something that I have come to love.