Micha's Mexican Restaurant

South Tucson's Micha's restaurant is another favorite of mine. Micha's has been owned and run by the Mariscal family since 1976 at its location on 2908 South Fourth Avenue.


There is something reassuring about returning to a restaurant and always seeing the same friendly staff. The restaurant has a wonderful, casual atmosphere, consistently great service and a great mariachi band on Friday evenings. They do close early on Mondays, at 3 p.m.

I enjoyed a chicken chimichanga with rice and beans while my husband had the chile rellenos. I also like their chicken fajitas, but you can't go wrong with anything on the menu.

Here is a sampling of the menu and prices:

Chief Sixto Molina's Low-Carb Favorite
(bowl of Lettuce, Tomatoes, Green Onions, Sliced Avocado, and Cheese with Machaca, Carne Asada or Chicken) $8.65

Chimichanga, Rice and Beans (choice of carne asada, machaca or chicken) $9.95

Chile Relleno, Rice and Beans $8.95

Chicken or Beef Fajitas $10.50

Hours
Monday 6:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Tuesday - Thursday 6:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
Friday - Saturday 6:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Sunday 7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Phone (520) 623-5307

Homemade Corn Tortillas

Ahhh, homemade corn tortillas. They are easier to make than you might think and will be well worth the effort for the freshness and flavor they will add to your Mexican dishes. Corn tortillas
are also much healthier than their flour counterparts, as they have less fat.

All that's needed for corn tortillas is masa harina, or corn flour, salt and water. The amounts are very forgiving, as you can always add more flour or water if the dough is too dry or too wet. Mix and knead it by hand, then begin to form it into balls. If the dough is too dry, you will see cracks. Just add more water.

Then you can begin forming the tortillas with a tortilla press. These can be found at any grocery that specializes in Mexican goods, such as Food City in Tucson, or can be ordered online.

Use two sheets of wax paper, one on each side of the dough, to keep it from sticking to the press. When closing the press, do not press too hard or the dough will stick to the wax paper.




Carefully remove the tortilla from the wax paper. Place it on the griddle on very high heat, 475-500 degrees. It will take 30 seconds to a minute on each side to cook through. Keep the tortillas warm inside a clean towel.

Taqueria Pico De Gallo

South Tucson's Taqueria Pico de Gallo is, by far, my favorite casual Mexican eatery in town. This taqueria, owned and run by the Delgado family, has been serving Tucsonans from all parts of town at its South-Side location at 2618 South 6th Avenue for over 18 years.

Pico specializes in Sonoran-style food with fresh ingredients and warm tortillas made to order. Their shrimp tacos are incredible, and I am not the only one to think so. They won the 2002 "Best Shrimp Tacos" award from Gourmet Magazine. And Food Network's Alton Brown made a stop at the taqueria for his show Feasting on Asphalt.

The service is fast and friendly, and the food is consistently wonderful. Most plates are under $5, unless you order seafood.

Here is a sampling of some of their menu offerings:

Shrimp Taco Combo Plate (three tacos with rice and beans) $6.50

Tacos (Cabeza, Barbacoa, Guacamole, Birria, Chicken or Beans) $1.25

Burros (Carne Asada, Cabeza, Barbacoa, Guacamole, Birria or Chicken) $5

Tortas (Carne Asada, Cabeza, Barbacoa, Guacamole, Birria, Chicken or Beans) $5

Large Horchata $2.50

Flan $3

¡Flautas!

Let's kick it off with one of my family's new favorites, New Mexican style chicken flautas. These would be wonderful for a party as a main dish or as an appetizer. The recipe is a simpler version of one from the September issue of Bon Appetit magazine. That version, with a chipotle dipping sauce, is served at the Boxcar Cantina in Greenwich, Connecticut. http://www.boxcarcantina.com/

Chicken Flautas

Makes 12.

4 fresh Anaheim chiles
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 garlic gloves, pressed, divided
2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
2 15-oz. cans pinto beans, drained, liquid reserved
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons New Mexico chile powder
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
3 large chicken breasts with skin and bones (1 1/2 to 2 lbs.)
12 6-to-7 inch-diameter corn tortillas
12 6x1/4x1/4-inch strips extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 8 oz.)
vegetable oil (for deep frying)
guacamole
salsa
sour cream

Char Anaheim chiles over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Transfer chiles to plastic or paper bag; seal and let stand 15 minutes to cool. Peel and seed blackened chiles. Cut chiles into 1/4-inch-thick strips.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add 3 pressed garlic gloves and oregano; stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add drained pinto beans and 1/4 cup reserved bean liquid. Using potato masher, crush beans until coarsely mashed, adding more liquid by tablespoonfuls if too dry. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Cover and chill.

Puree remaining 1 cup chopped cilantro, 3 pressed garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons New Mexico chile powder, 3 tablespoons New Mexico chile powder, 3 tablespoons lime juice, and 1 teaspoon salt in food processor. Transfer pureed marinade in resealable plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal bag and turn over to coat well. Let marinate at room temperature 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Transfer chicken with some marinade still clinging to rimmed baking sheet. Roast marinated chicken until cooked through, about 35 minutes. Cool. Cut chicken into 1/4-inch strips, discarding bones. Cover and chill.

Stack 4 tortillas and heat in microwave 30 seconds to soften. Spoon generous 2 tablespoons pinto bean mixture down center of each tortilla. Top with 2 to 3 chicken strips. Place 1 cheese strip atop chicken, then top with 3 to 4 chile strips. Tightly roll tortillas around filling, securing with toothpicks. Repeat with remaining tortillas, pinto beans, chicken, cheese and chile strips.

Add enough oil to heavy large pot to reach depth of 1 inch. Attach deep-fry thermometer to pot and heat over medium heat to 360-370 degrees. Working with 4 flautas at a time, fry until tortillas are crisp and golden brown, turning often, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Place flautas on plates and serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream for dipping.

Culinary Explorations

Hello and welcome to my blog, which explores the diversity of Latin and Latin-inspired culinary dishes.

Since moving to Tucson in 2004, I've come to appreciate the unique and varied cuisine of the Southwest. Tucson has its share of tasty Mexican and Central American food, from great sit-down restuarants and taquerias to quick, delicious fare from roadside vendors.

However, eating out on a daily or even weekly basis, as I and my husband did before the birth of our son in late 2005, takes its toll on the budget. It was then, when I quit my job to stay home with my son and finish college--and the resulting drop in income--that we began cooking.

We began making weekly menus and soon spicy Mexican and Latin-inspired dishes became staples. Eventually we stumbled across some favorite recipes and continue to search for new things to try.

My blog hopes to share with you some of those recipes, so check back for weekly updates.