street food!

 In SF, it 's a hip trend that entails creme brulee, delicious tacos, girls on bikes selling baked goods and jams... people tweet their whereabouts, and most have a sign, clean hands and although technically illegal, sanitation isn't a big concern, even when ordering from a taco cart. 

 I had to ease into Nica street food. One, much of it is cooked over grill grates resting on what appears to be halved gasoline drums. B., I've seen raw chicken "aging?" in the sun... ah, the smells of Granada! So, I started simple" sliced green mango with salt, vinegar and chiles. not bad! I have learned to ask for solo un poquito sal. "poco" is way too much.
 Quesillo was my first official hot street food: tortilla, mozzarella, queso crema, onion, chiles, vinegar... delicious! Plus, you can eat it out of plastic baggie, which means it's authentic. I grabbed one with Matt and Walter after work on a weeknight. $10 cordobas (yes, mom, that's a ti83 polo he's wearing).

 Thought provoking: oranges sold on the street are all peeled down to the pith. I thought that maybe there was a delicious use for the zest, some Nicaraguan secret. Nope. It is just removed so the fruit can be eaten like an apple. The zest is trashed. Yum, bitter pith.
 I bought a Nacatamal (which is fun to say, but annoying after hearing women yelling it all day to push their product)... but the tepid temperature of a wrap containing pork and chicken freaked me out- so I gave it to Matt. Some people that sell specialty street food don't have signs, prices or yell about their products. Simply because, "la gente sabe" (the people know). I do not count in this generalization. But I am working on it.   

Also, Nicas LOVE "ote dogh." They are sold everywhere. I don't know if it is because of the national sport (baseball), or the fact that they are easily prepared/stored - but hot dogs are everywhere! i managed to eat one covered in cheese (it's in the bun n that photo- was suspiciously more like mayonnaise) for dinner after work at like, 11pm last week. Somehow satisfying, and my body worked through it rather miraculously.


Just got home from work and I am kind of craving repocheta. But I'll get to that in another post.