The Tasting Spoon

For #LaredoEarthDay we were challenged to make something using our garden herbs. One of my favorites is this easy-to-make, perfect drink of a chill day lounging on the porch. We used key limes from our tree in the front yard and mint from our backyard herb garden. Smirnoff Ice 3 Key limes Handful of mint Sugar + salt Ice With a lime, gently squeeze and rub rim of glass. Place glass rim onto a plate of sugar or salt (we mixed both). Fill glass with ice, throw sugar and/or salt on top, squeeze 1 or 2 limes on top of ice. Crack open Smirnoff Ice and pour into glass. Takes leaves of mint and slap between palms, stir into drink, add reusable straw, and enjoy!

  We made this coconut curry recipe from ingredients we had lying around the house since we haven't been able to go shopping. If you don't have any yellow curry powder with you at the moment, you can look up curry powder recipes and see if you have the ingredients to make one yourself. It's an excellent spice to keep around for nights when you want a taste of something different. We served ours with our own version of naan bread, which was just elongated homemade tortillas. This recipe will make quite a bit so it's perfect for a family of 4 or more. It also requires lots of tasting, so be sure to sample the curry liquid as you go and season with whatever you feel it needs. Chicken ingredients 2 large chicken breasts 1 can coconut milk 1 cup whipping cream 1 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup plain yogurt 2 tsp butter olive oil as needed  1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 white onion, diced 2 small tomatoes, diced  2 stalks celery, diced 2 carrots, diced 1/2 cup yellow cur...

Yun Cuisine is a new authentic Asian restaurant in north Laredo. The best part about this menu is that Chef Zhou ("Joe") stresses the importance of using natural ingredients, meaning antibiotic-free and hormone-free meat, cage-free eggs, and organic non-GMO vegetables--all bought fresh and prepared in-house. Food just tastes better when you have the best ingredients and that's the kind of quality Yun Cuisine provides. Chicken Dumplings We ordered chicken dumplings to start and the chicken was so moist and juicy inside while the outside wrap maintained a stickiness. It never fell apart and held its shape well through bites and dips into the paired traditional southern China dumpling sauce. Dumplings held shape Sukiyaki Udon with mixed seafood This udon noodle soup in a clear broth was light and filling with a clean flavor. The shrimp and all vegetables were cooked evenly. It sang of freshness and was the perfect companion to a chilly day. Kimchi ra...

"Pho" is often mispronounced. People tend to say Fo instead of Fuh . Out of nowhere, Pho places started popping up around Laredo and have become increasingly popular, quite like the ramen trend--although, that one never quite made it to town. We went out to Pho Oi (located off Monarch Dr. behind HEB Plus) and noticed that they only had one waitress on staff. This can usually be a sign of bad service but maybe because we went around 8 p.m. it wasn't a hindrance of any kind. Our waitress was extremely kind and attentive, even going so far as to carry conversation with us and this is something that will really stick on future visits there. Dim Sum  In Laredo Dim Sum is often had fried as opposed to steamed, though steamed is traditional. The dish was brought to our table promptly and came with five steamed pork dumplings with a side of shredded lettuce and carrots. The dumpling had a soft yet chewy bite and was steamed to perfection. Sauce was a tangy ponzu ...

El Popo's menu is quite simple having only four menu items and the prices simply can't be beat at $2.50 per burger. Side dishes are limited to chips and serrano peppers while drinks include Mexican sodas. We went to the McPherson location which is hidden behind La Carreta at the end of a cul-de-sac. Fake exposed brick, white walls, steel tables and wide windows gave a fresh vibe to our 5 p.m. evening meal. Pictures on the wall showed the restaurant's beginnings in black and white photographs and after ordering one of each burger on the menu it's easy to see why they've been around for so long. Simplicity is key to their establishment and though their location seems to be sitting in a "nook and cranny" spot, they had a steady crowd flowing in and out throughout our meal. Ternera; Wines Ternera (Top Left) The ternera was severely lacking in meat quantity. It was more bread than anything else and we were pretty disappointed as this was the ...

Red grapes Springtime is here and that means it's time to plant your gardens! (If you haven't already). Here's some tips on gardening in the Laredo heat and an update on a few plants from our newly planted garden. All plants were purchased at HEB and planted within one week [with the exception of the grapevine which has already been established for some time].    Starting from Seed When starting from seed, a good time to start planting those indoors is at the beginning of January. After the seeds have sprouted and you have young plants, it's smart to take them outside for small amounts of time to get them used to the weather (approximately 5 hours a day). Late February is ideal for planting outdoors to get a head start on spring. Halfway through our spring season the heat gets harsh on plants so it's best to get them established earlier rather than later.   Herbs Sweet Basil If planting herbs in spring, it's good to keep them in a shaded a...

                                             The food truck trend is a beloved concept embraced around the country. It seems like all major cities in Texas: San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas, have had this trend going on for quite some time and with great success. Laredo on the other hand, has always been a late bloomer when it comes to trends. While we do have food trucks, the only type that we've seen around are taco trucks. Nothing innovative or creative has really struck a chord in Laredo's growing food truck community. Because people in Laredo love their tacos and it is a big seller, tacos is a way of playing it safe. Walking down 6th street in Austin you will find a variety of food trucks ranging from comfort foods all the way to ethnic food. These food trucks...

On the menu tonight:  Sashimi Platter Aguachile Yakisoba Special Vegas Roll (Fresh) Nissi Baked Roll Sushi is an art form that ought not to be taken lightly. Bright colors, bold flavors, and complex simplicity are at the foundation of an optimal sushi roll. That being said, here in Laredo most rolls on any given sushi menu favor cream cheese and avocado. Mind you, there isn't anything wrong with either of these ingredients but the lack of variety in our sushi menus leads us to believe that they're nothing but glamorized California rolls. The sushi restaurant is such a popular and profitable business and in Laredo the "Mexi-sushi" versions unfortunately end up popping up in places they hardly belong with sky-high prices for cuts of fish that aren't executed properly. Posh is by no means an example of this but during previous visits there, they too have fallen victim to a cut-along-the-grain sashimi plate. For now though, we're not taking into account...

Appetizers:  On these hot summer days, we all want something cool and refreshing. What better than having oysters on the half-shell as our first appetizer? Goes best with a cold Mexican beer--dressed. We asked the waiter what type of oysters they were and he replied "Gulf Coast". As we all know, Gulf Coast oysters are big and plump, but are less flavorful then the East Coast variety which means that salt and lemon need to be added to give it that briney flavor it lacks. As the oysters arrived, they were fresh, cold, and clean of any shell debris. To my surprise, the adductor muscle was detached from the shell which eliminates needing to scrape your spoon furiously against the rocky surface. Served with lemons and horseradish. Crab Cakes As the crab cakes arrived to our table, the sight of two lonely cakes with not much presentation took us aback. The crab cakes had a good sear, not over-seasoned, and definitely left you wanting more. It's lump crab meat which is...