Dulce de Leche-filled scones (front) and other pastries (beef and coconut/cheese) from Yiya's...
While not exactly subsisting on prison fare, we here at DailyCocaine have definitely been hacking away at the food budget until the piggy bank's ass has started to look, as someone used to say about the spring weather in Washington, DC, scrumptious. I started my day with these adorable little dulce de leche-filled scones from Yiya's, the new Cuban bakery on NE 79th St. Perfect size, and just sweet enough. A buck each.
I've heard it said that Cuban bread is a cry for help, but somehow Yiya's turns out a loaf that is soft on the inside, and just a little crunchy on the outside ($1.25). Cuban bread is made to be toasted or pressed, and toasted with a little peanut butter and sliced banana, it gave me a mellow morning protein lift.
Eggs are high on the list of cheapo fare, so I made a tortilla española for a light lunch. I used the Jose Andres method where you use potato chips instead of frying the potatoes. It doesn't really work that well, unless you are using pretty freshly fried potato chips (and then what's the point?) or super-premium chips. The leftover Lay's I had just gave the dish a faint hint of potato. I threw in some roasted red peppers, some sauteed red onions, a lot of pimenton dulce, and some fresh parsley. Sliced a few plum tomatoes, and ate it standing up outside on the patio, staring off into space, all zen-like.
Dinner was light, and easy. Just boiled some spaghetti (Anna), heated up some fried garlic in olive oil, dumped the spaghetti into the pan, swirled it around a bit, then onto the plate. A little fresh chopped parsley, some lemon zest shavings (microplane, people), and then I happened to have some leftover bottarga (from a food show) which I also shaved on top. Bottarga is the salted, dried roe of a mullet (or tuna), and is extremely subtle yet intense at the same time. The lemon really brings out the flavor. In fact, a few squeezes of lemon juice at the end won't hurt. And since it was free, it tasted even better. 'Cause cheap is good, but free is great. Even if you're not on the government's dime.
Dinner was light, and easy. Just boiled some spaghetti (Anna), heated up some fried garlic in olive oil, dumped the spaghetti into the pan, swirled it around a bit, then onto the plate. A little fresh chopped parsley, some lemon zest shavings (microplane, people), and then I happened to have some leftover bottarga (from a food show) which I also shaved on top. Bottarga is the salted, dried roe of a mullet (or tuna), and is extremely subtle yet intense at the same time. The lemon really brings out the flavor. In fact, a few squeezes of lemon juice at the end won't hurt. And since it was free, it tasted even better. 'Cause cheap is good, but free is great. Even if you're not on the government's dime.
Didn't actually use the cheese in this dish, or the fresh garlic...
Best $1.65 you'll ever spend...
Bottarga is pressed, then packed in wax...In Italy, it is often called the poor man's caviar...
