Hecho en Mexico

There has been a burst of Interior Mexican food in Austin lately. Several restaurants have taken on the tasks of straying from the beloved Tex-Mex of the city, and focusing on the old and new flavors of interior Mexico. One such place that has mastered the technique and skills of the cuisine is Hecho en Mexico. My favorite thing about new restaurants, is those I find in strip malls that you'd never guess were fantastic. Hecho happens to fall under this category. My Mom and I are big fans of Restaurant.com where at some times you can get $25 gift certificates for $2 a piece. Check it out for your city, you'll be able to try places you normally wouldn't go to. We luckily had one for Hecho, and that's what we ventured to the suburbs and alas the strip mall. As soon as we walked in we were greeted with the smells of authentic cooking. You can tell that the kitchen and cooks had been working all day. The bar with a plethora of tequila was also a good sign that they knew what they were doing. We opened the menu and our waiter (from interior Mexico) let us know the specials and favorites. I decided on one of their Mole specials, Mancha Manteles (Mole is an art only perfected by few). I chose the pork which is sautéed with plantain, sweet potato, & pineapple in a peanut and chile Ancho; garnished with sesame seeds. I cannot tell you how much I appreciated the time and effort put into this mole. It was spicy, with the hint of sweetness and was incredible when paired with the plantains and pineapple. The pork was tender and well cooked. My Mom decided on Chiles Rellenos, one of her all time favorite dishes. The dish was a Poblano pepper stuffed with either picadillo (beef) or Queso Monterrey Jack cheese. It is topped with an entomatada sauce and garnished with sour cream. She decided on picadillo (she happens to make her own and wanted to compare). Hecho did not let her down! The pepper was flavorful and the beef excellent. A large dish that did not disappoint. We finished our travels into Mexico with the waiter's favorite dessert, Nieve de Mole (Ice cream with Mole). It was unreal! The sweet creamy ice cream was delicious, while a kick in the back of your throat was provided by the Mole. A strange mix of flavors that worked like two peas in a pod. Fantastic! If you're up for flavors that make you say Ah, check out Hecho in Mexico. It will let you escape into homemade excellence.

Hecho en Mexico
Twitter: @HECHOENMEXICOU

*All photos taken with a phone! Left my camera at home. Enjoy!

Here Piggy Piggy

My dear friend Mike made roasted squash the other night with dinner, and I had the pleasure of eating it. He inspired me as I wandered the produce aisles looking for my next meal. I decided on roasted acorn squash with brown sugar and butter, mustard crusted pork chop, steamed green greens, and sauteed apples with brown sugar and butter. This was all topped off with a bottle of vino on sale. Luckily my little neigborhood grocery (Fresh Plus) allowed me to get in and out quickly and inexpensively. My center cut pork chop was a mere $2.00! I nearly skipped home anticipating the sound of sizzle. I pre-heated the oven to 375, and got to work on slathering my chop with ground spicy mustard with horseradish. I steamed my green beans, sauteed my apples, and popped the squash in the oven for about 20 min. I must say, the best part of the dish were the apples. I used Gala, which I've always adored. They were perfectly tender with hint of tart. The rest was delsih, and I of course cleaned my plate. An easy meal for one, or two if you care to cook for someone you adore.