The heat has been relentless this summer. More relentless even than the snowpocalypse we experienced just a few months back. Being a veteran of the war against August, I have stockpiled various weapons with which to combat the heat. Air conditioning is my first line of defense, and I use it without remorse. Exercise seems to increase my threshold of heat tolerance, so I employ some cardio as well. Other devices found in my arsenal include Netflix movies, Cold Ones, and afternoon naps. But might I suggest another, less obvious weapon: Mexican cuisine.
Various cultures have used spicy foods to withstand the heat for centuries. Here's the idea: foods containing hot spices (such as peppers) cause you to sweat, naturally reducing your body's temperature. And the pain you feel when eating spicy foods produces a rush of endorphins, making the heat outside more bearable. But even if you aren't gnawing on a habanero, Mexican food is a great way to survive the most brutal month of the year. I recommend the Baja Fish Burrito (traditional style) from Blue Coast Burrito. It will produce endorphins of all kinds, guaranteed.
I am reminded of a film by Robert Rodriguez, entitled Once Upon a Time in Mexico (a guilty pleasure, I'll admit). In the film, Johnny Depp plays an offbeat CIA agent named Sheldon Sands (quite possibly Depp's most underrated role). Sands has an affinity for puerco pibil, a traditional Mexican pork dish, and he orders a plate in every restaurant he walks into. In one scene, Sands is so impressed with his puerco pibil that he pays the check, walks back to the kitchen, and shoots the cook. A bit excessive, I agree. But his method proves effective for determining the quality of any food establishment. I have used this method myself, with great success. In the case of burrito joints, the fish taco will (in my opinion) tell you what to expect from every other item on the menu. Blue Coast nailed it with their fish taco, but they didn't stop there. Oh, no. Those geniuses dedicated an entire burrito to the fish taco recipe, creating a deeply satisfying culinary experience.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the ingredients, allow me to describe. The Baja Fish Burrito begins with a steamed tortilla of your choice (flour, spinach, chipotle or wheat). Ordered traditional style, the tortilla is then filled with generous portions of fried fish, cilantro, onions, cabbage, white sauce and salsa. The result is the equivalent of 4 or 5 fish tacos, all wrapped into one epic burrito. You best bring your appetite.
Blue Coast did not invent the fish burrito, but they no doubt perfected it. And I fully expect this recipe to catch on and spread like wildfire. I hope to soon be evaluating each burrito place I visit by the quality of its own fish burrito.
I promise not to shoot the cook.
G
