Chile Rellenos!

So, Sarah had sent me a vegetarian chile relleno recipe the other night, and I finally got to try it out tonight.  I basically followed the recipe verbatim, except that I decided not to seed the jalapeño peppers in order to spice things up a bit.  And wow.  These were amazing.  Definitely an A+.

Holy smokes Batman.

I won't spoil the surprise, but what a race.

Jalapeño Black Bean Tacos and Beirut at the Moody Theater

In short, last night was a great night. I finally crafted a taco recipe I really enjoy, and I got to see Beirut in concert with the lovely fiancée.

Despite their simplicity, tacos have always thwarted me. I find my creations turn out so dry that you need to douse them in copious amounts of salsa to avoid dry mouth, literally drowning out the original flavor of the taco. This has especially been the case since I have gone gluten-free as I find myself needing two corn tortillas per taco just to keep all the ingredients intact. For this reason, I have been on a quest to build a better taco. Last night, I think I finally nailed down a decent recipe while making dinner. It involves combining the sensibilities of refried black beans, fried onions, tomatoes, and jalapeño peppers. Combine these ingredients with shredded cheddar cheese, a few slices of avocado, two heated corn tortillas, and a douse of sour cream, and you've got yourself a helluva taco - moist and delicious, spicy yet not overwhelming. So without further adieu, here is the recipe for the filler.

John's Jalapeño Black Bean Taco Filler

Ingredients:
1 16 ounce can of refried black beans
1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped
1 large jalapeño pepper, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup of medium hot salsa
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt

Steps:
1. Begin by heating the olive oil in a medium to large non-stick skillet at low to medium heat.
2. Gently fry the onions in the oil for 4-5 minutes, adding the jalapeño pepper in around the 2-3 minute mark.
3. Add the refried beans and salsa to the onion-pepper mixture, stirring until the mixture fully warms.
4. Salt to taste.

After dinner, Sarah and I headed downtown to check out Beirut at the Moody Theater. I have been wanting to see Beirut ever since I heard their debut album during my first year of graduate school. Beirut is the brainchild of Santa Fe native and multi-instrumentalist Zachary Condon, and with Beirut, Condon seamlessly combines elements of Eastern European and Balkan folk music with Western pop music and Mariachi. Yesterday was also my first trip to the Moody Theater, and when I entered the theater, I was taken aback with the theater's striking contrast of enormity and intimacy. I had previously heard the theater has capacity for 2,700 people yet there is no bad seat in the house. Now I cannot disagree with that statement as Sarah and I could see and hear everything perfectly in one of the top rows of the balcony. That was another thing - the acoustics in the place were absolutely pristine. Beirut and their opener, Long Island-based Twin Sister, sounded flawless and gorgeous in the theater.

As for the concert itself, Twin Sister opened with some fun and gentle indie pop. I especially enjoyed the whispy vocals, fun hairstyle, and awkward hipster dancing of Andrea Estella, the group's lead singer. She was backed by a collection of dreamy and funky pop sequences. Then, before you knew it, Condon and Beirut had taken to the stage, and the crowd went wild. My first upon seeing Beirut was honestly: "Wow, it's the old high school marching band." The band had on hand a huge collection of brass instruments - from the french horn and trombone to a variety of trumpets. Then Beirut began to play, and I was sucked quickly into the fray. Condon and his band began with a few Mariachi-inspired numbers from their latest, March of the Zapotec/Holland. Following, Beirut played some selections from their first two albums (including "Cliquot" and my personal favorite, "Postcards from Italy") and a few rather poppy new songs. In reflection, it is incredible to hear a pop song heavily reliant on an accordion. Throughout, Condon was the definition of confident and sexy, switching between instruments flawlessly, truly leading the band from song to song. Beirut finished their initial set with the Flying Club Cup's dreamy closer "After the Curtain", and the crowd begged for more. Sure enough, Condon came back and hopped on the keyboard. Beirut then played through a few more poppy renditions and closed with the anthem-matic "Gulag Orkestar". Good stuff. Anyways, Sarah and I left with huge smiles on our faces, and I recommend you check Beirut out if they swing out to a town by you. Highly worth your time.