Back to Washington, starting with Oaxaquena

 

This was the beginning of my discovery that I don't really like Mexican food. I like American Mexican. Cuz this taco truck shocked me with the most disgusting burrito of my life. Since we did not understand each other, I'm not sure if I got exactly what I ordered. According to the menu, I could have gotten beef tongue. But aside from the meat, it was full of french fries (!) and had no discernable flavor.

I did my best to communicate with the dude, I guess my main issue was how to pronounce Oaxaquena. He told us and explaned that "quena" makes it feminine, telling me, "my wife = quena" which was easier for me because in Germany everything has a gender, including the gas pedal for your car. That was pretty much the only good thing to come out of the experience, although J's tacos were not bad, he said. Oh but SOOOOO EXPENSIVE. My gosh it was the start of true culture shock to see his tiny taco plate was 16 bucks. My nasty burrito, the same.

Later we went back to the best Am.Mex we've had and I ordered "Tour de Mexico" which included a strip of carne asade which had an awesome flavor but was unchewable and uncuttable with a knife despite being paper thin. Then there was the cheese filled everything, and nothing interesting there. J ate most of those cheesy things and I have to say, it was the first time in my life I have not brought my leftovers home in a box. I just let them go. 

Also that awesome restaurant had some really authentic Mole, my favorite, and it was actually to much for me. J said he was sitting in a cloud of cinnamon and chocolate.

Another time we got AmMex Mole and J tried it (his first time) and said, "That tastes like Sauerbraten." omg he's right. My favorite German food tastes like my favorite AmMex food. Cuz they use the same seaonings, even chocolate! OK I'm consistent. (Strangely, I don't like chocolate as a snack. I very rarely reach for a bit of chocolate - I'd rather eat something salty as a snack.)

So I guess I've been mistaken for forever about my obsession for Mexican food. However, one of my childhood friends, Patsy Herrera, was Mexican and her mom would send her over with a basket of homemade tortillas and I'll never forget how good they were. They transcended all other tortillas.

Another day, another salty-aired beach. This is West Seattle. If you can confirm the plant is Fennel, I'd be obliged. I saw it at a California supermarket called Win Co for sale by the stalk, called "Dill." It cannot be dill, because we both ate some and it's pure black licorice. We saw it growing on California's coastline, and pretty much everywhere in Seattle. 

The oyster shells reminded me how I never got to eat a single oyster this trip, due to the heat dome. My parents told me not to trust shellfish. *sigh* 

J told me it wasn't fair of me to say Washingtonians are lucky to not have to weed their gardens in Summer, because of the flourishing of the blackberry. *snap*  They were so yummy. Here at home we have blackberries everywhere, but no fruit to speak of, it's a big joke of nature. I remember this particular blackberry was surrounded by yellowish white dead grass.

J complained jokingly, "All this white dead wood, I could never live in Seattle."

The ferry below is the Issaquah, I think (where Baasha lived). Did you know they mention Issaquah, WA on Star Trek Discovery? I lost it: )