Venzuelan and Vietnamese

With fixing up the apartment and slowly moving things over, we've had a lot of takeout lately. We always manage to get tied up somehow or another doing something and before you know it, it is too late to cook. We don't have the usual options of pizza (Dear is not a fan of cheese) and fast food (I hate McDonald's, Wendy's, BK, White Castle) so we've had to seek alternatives.

One night we tried Mama's Empanadas.* There is one by Queens Center (closest to us), as well as one in Manhattan and another somewhere else in Queens. It was around 9 at night and we decided to go there on a whim (I suddenly remembered the review I read in the NY Times months ago and I had been meaning to try it but we never had the chance to be in the neighborhood) so the 40 varieties was totally overwhelming to me. The cashier's impatient, nonchalant attitude did not help either. But in the end, the $9.50 meal for two was worth it and I would totally go back (if not to try all the flavors). So I got the following while Dear waited in a No Parking zone (parking is very scarce in that area): ground beef (in both the flour and corn versions), chicken (in both the flour and corn), pork, Cubano (ham, cheese, & pork), and a dessert one with maduro (ripe plaintains -- yummy!!) and cheese. The corn ones were the best (very crunchy outside and reminded me of an arepa) and I loved the dessert one. Service was pretty quick for fresh-out-of-the-fryolator-goodness and the price is right: each empanada was either $1 or $1.50 (we didn't get the fancy lobster or seafood ones, which cost more). After a short drive back to our apartment, the empanadas were still crisp and not at all soggy. Unlike the ones that I first had in Venezuela, these were also not overly greasy (some varieties also have a baked version for those more health conscious), though they were quite a bit smaller.
*an empanada is a portable snack made of pastry and filled with all sorts of cooked meats and even sweet fillings (most people are familiar with it through Argentina, but I learned of it through Venezuela; I am not sure where the owners of Mama's are from); similar to a large dumpling in Asian cooking or a small calzone in Italian cuisine; comparisons may also be made to the Jamaican patty or a turnover

When we sat down to tuck in, I was worried that we would have no idea which empanada was which (would I be surprised with eating a dessert one before a savory one?) but each little patty was in its own appropriately labeled paper packet and the guy was able to distinguish which was which by matching up the pattern of holes in the side with a diagram on the wall. Nifty!! (I first saw this in Venezuela -- guess the "technology" was able to make it here as well.) Next time I'd like to give their meals and batidas a try.

Along with all the trips to the Home Depot we've also revisited Pho Bang in Flushing. Ever since the one near Chatham Square in Ctown closed, we've not had proper Vietnamese food. I was actually getting a bit tired of it but with the months-long hiatus, the wonderfully complex flavors of the bowls of Pho were renewed for me. I love how they package their takeout so that you could experience it as best you can from home -- they separate out the meat, noodles, mint, basil, lemons, and bean sprouts so that they don't get soggy or overcooked. One of the nights Dear also ordered the spring rolls and when I opened the bag of herbs that they provided -- whew, was it refreshing! But my favorite so far has been the beef stew with French bread, perfect for a cold day. Even though the bread was not as crusty as I would like (probably because it was steaming inside the plastic bag it was put in -- this, they did not package well), it was still very good for sopping up the thick, lemongrassy stew. The bread was very soft and airy on the inside and had a buttery taste to it, so it was no surprise that the bread was finished before the stew. Not that the stew was not worth noting, because it certainly is with its big tender chunks of beef, carrot, and tendon (parts of the gelatinous tendon melts into the stew as it cooks to thicken it). I was stuffed (probably b/c of the bread) when I still had half a bowl left so I brought the leftovers for lunch the next day. Paired with half a French baguette from Au Bon Pain, it was perfect! The warm bread was crusty and flaky on the outside, soft on the inside. I could have just eaten the bread soaked in the stew and had the meat as a side dish, it was that good! Shoo wee!