Name this food...

These are from San Jose Bakery. Can you name or describe them? I'm going to have more things I can't name later, but they're not up on the website yet because I've had a hard time sorting them.

I am pretty sure the one on the left, the yellowish thing is a papa rellano, mashed potato stuffed with ground meat and fried. The one on the right, the darker item is an alcapuria, a mixture of plaintain, and don't look, lard, and fried.

No?

Rob

The dark one on the right was the one I was really wondering on, but I didn't know the name of the one on the left. The one on the left was definitely potato stuffed with ground meat. The one on the right tasted like a less-sweet banana bread, so you're probably right. The middle one is a cornmeal based fritter with cheese, much like a corndog but with cheese instead of hot dog in the middle. Don't know what it might be called.

Man, the biggest problem I'm having and why there are still a lot of photos that aren't up, is figuring out what the Polish deli and bakery stuff is. I made the worst notes of any of my trips. I stopped even taking notes after the second day. Stupid.

Thanks for the help.

extramsg wrote:The dark one on the right was the one I was really wondering on, but I didn't know the name of the one on the left. The one on the left was definitely potato stuffed with ground meat. The one on the right tasted like a less-sweet banana bread, so you're probably right. The middle one is a cornmeal based fritter with cheese, much like a corndog but with cheese instead of hot dog in the middle. Don't know what it might be called.

Man, the biggest problem I'm having and why there are still a lot of photos that aren't up, is figuring out what the Polish deli and bakery stuff is. I made the worst notes of any of my trips. I stopped even taking notes after the second day. Stupid.

Thanks for the help.

When I looked at the picture, I did not realize there was a 3rd thing. I thought the one in the middle was just the other 1/2 of the papa rellano.

Are these from Chicago. Do you mean San Juan Bakery, not San Jose Bakery?

Rob

Vital Information wrote:I am pretty sure the one on the left, the yellowish thing is a papa rellano, mashed potato stuffed with ground meat and fried. The one on the right, the darker item is an alcapuria, a mixture of plaintain, and don't look, lard, and fried.

No?

Rob

I was speaking to a borinquen friend the other day, and she noted to me that the problem she had with most alcapurria in the the city is that they tend to use to much plantain and not enough yautia, which gives a more silken texture. She remembered fondly the whole family working on making these together.

I don't know about the yautia/plantain mix, but I do like the alcapurria at cafeteria do Pancho

Yeah, San Juan, on North out towards Taqueria Puebla.

extramsg wrote:Yeah, San Juan, on North out towards Taqueria Puebla.

And did you get the quesito? The little log of cheese love? San Juan makes a fantastic, ultra messy pork sammy, but to me, the one thing, the one must dish about the place is the quesito. I used to go to a meeting every two weeks where I drove past San Juan. I had to stop always, and after each visit for a quesito, I was convinced that it was the best baked good in Chicago.

For those who have never had a quesito, it is a marvel of flavors and textures. Deep inside is a cheese mix quite similar to melted cheesecake. The outide is a flaky pastry and the icing on the cake, so to speak, is a third layer, a clear icing that gives parts of the crust the same brittle-sugarness as creme brule.

Rob

I had just got done eating at Taqueria Puebla, two tacos and four enchiladas, beans, and rice. So I wasn't hungry. The pastries were overwhelming and I didn't know what to get. So I just ordered from the hot deli. That's all I got. They wouldn't let me take pics of the pastries either.

extramsg wrote:I had just got done eating at Taqueria Puebla, two tacos and four enchiladas, beans, and rice. So I wasn't hungry. The pastries were overwhelming and I didn't know what to get. So I just ordered from the hot deli. That's all I got. They wouldn't let me take pics of the pastries either.

You know, my one misgiving with Taqueria Puebla, is that I find it hard to get full there. One cemita just does not cut it, and two are just too similar. I like all their stuff, I just never seem to walk away from there sated.

Rob

I didn't have a cemita, but at $5, they should do an okay job.

btw, I just looked and it was San Jose Bakery, not San Juan.