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Published on 9/9/2008

By Nora J. Raum

njraum@msn.com

Angel and Rayna Garcia are the owners of Carniceria Y Panaderia Mi Mexico I in Socastee and Carniceria & Panaderia Mi Mexico II in Conway.

These two Mexican markets carry many products, so shopping there is a new experience.

There are homemade sausages known as chorizo, both mild and hot; special cuts on meats and poultry, both Mexican and Centro-American; cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables; canned goods; Mexican beer; fried carnitas; all kinds of corn and flour tortillas; and Spanish music.

There is actually a fellow who bakes at the Conway store and delivers the finished products to the Socastee store. There is fresh homemade Mexican bread every day. There are ready-to-eat deli meats, packaged spices and fresh herbs. Want to make fresh guacamole? This is the place to find the avocados and tomatillos.

You also may find beans and sauces and already prepared Spanish foods, oils, special kitchenware and marinades for all kinds of cuts of meat, etc. I think that these markets have a very large selection of products to produce wonderful cuisine.

Carniceria & Panaderia Mi Mexico I is located at 3839 Socastee Blvd., #D, Myrtle Beach.

The phone number is 843-294-2225.

Carniceria & Panaderia Mi Mexico II is located at 2676 Church St., #A (across from Wal-Mart), in Conway.

The phone number is 843-365-0670.

La Hacienda

La Hacienda is owned by Eleazar Villalpando and his family. They have two restaurants, one in Socastee, which opened September 2007, and the other in Carolina Forest, which opened in December 2007.

I had the opportunity to speak with Eleazar and his daughter Johanna Fermo and to sample some of their dishes.

I began my meal by having two kinds of chili rellenos, one filled with chopped meat and the other with potato and chorizo. Although both were good, my favorite was the latter. The chorizo sausage had a wonderful flavor and the hotness of it blended well with the softness of the potato. This was comfort food.

Also, a traditional dish of comfort food is the soup Menudo, which they make from scratch and have mostly on the weekends. You should get to the restaurant early on Saturday to have it at its freshest. There might not be too much left on Sunday.

This is usually served with tripe, hominy and served with onions and cilantro and fresh lime.

It was a tough decision what to have for dinner, as there are so many good choices. I chose the Godorni, which is a deep-fried Cornish Hen served with Mexican rice, beans, tortillas, French fries and salad. It was excellent and not greasy but tender and crispy. I was so pleased with my choice.

Another time I will try the Steak Jalisco, which is a rib-eye steak cooked with onions and mushrooms and seasoned with paprika or the Mojarra Frita, which is a whole fried Queen Tilapia fish.

The appetizers include nachos plain or with beans, chicken or beef; a cheese, spinach or guacamole dip, a beef and cheese or shrimp and cheese dip; chile con queso; shrimp jammers; quesadilla, mozzarella sticks; and chicken wings.

There are enchiladas, tacos de la casa, tostadas, burritos, tacos, homemade salsas and chips, taquitos, fajitas, carnitas, chimichangas, etc.

Basically there are many meat dishes and various kinds of steaks, chicken and shrimp and fish fixed in all kinds of sauces to delight your culinary senses.

Two popular lunch items are the chorizo con huevos, which is Mexican sausage together with scrambled eggs, and the speedy Gonzales, which is one taco, one enchilada and choice of Spanish rice or beans.

Also available for lunch is the Quesadilla Deluxe, which is a flour tortilla filled with cheese and chicken topped with lettuce, tomato and sour cream and served with guacamole and Spanish rice. Many people who like their food hot get Red and Green Enchiladas filled with chicken and topped with either red or green salsa and cheese.

Another lunch favorite are the Chimichangas, which are flour-filled tortillas deep fried and filled with either beef or chicken and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and guacamole.

Also popular is the Diablo Shrimp, which is cooked with the hot salsa.

At Happy Hour, a 16-ounce Margarita is only $2.99. There is a full bar at this restaurant.

The food prices are all reasonable.

The Children's Menu is $4.99 per plate.

For dinner, one of the favorites is the Seafood Fajitas, which have shrimp, scallops, calamari and bell peppers. I was tempted to have the Tostadas de Ceviche, which is a choice of fish, shrimp or octopus chopped and served with pico de gallo.

Many people like the Tilapia dishes or the Filete de Pescado al Mojo de Ajo, which is a Red Snapper fillet marinated in special garlic and onions served with rice, salad and tortillas.

There are so many choices that it is not easy to decide. I recommend saving room for dessert, as there are Churros con Helado (Mexican pastry sticks served with ice cream, chocolate syrup and a cherry), Cheesecake chimichanga (cheesecake wrapped in a flour tortilla, deep-fried and served with ice cream, chocolate syrup and a cherry), Sopapillas con Helado, Flan (Mexican custard) and Fried Ice Cream.

Avocado Salsa

Linda Larsen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 avocados, peeled and chopped

1 jalapeño chili, seeded and minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat leaf parsley

2 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in small bowl, cover and chill 1-2 hours to blend flavors. Store in refrigerator up to 8 hours.

Icy Avocado Soup

Linda Larsen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

3 ripe avocados

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced

1 shallot, minced

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

Peel avocado, remove pit, and cut into chunks. Place in food processor or blender with lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper, jalapeno, and shallot; add 1 cup chicken broth and purée until smooth.

Pour soup into medium bowl and add remaining chicken broth and cream; stir with wire whisk until blended.

Cover by placing plastic wrap directly on the soup's surface; chill for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Garnish with avocado slices, some salted whipped cream and a sprinkle of fresh mint.

Serves 4.

Carnitas

David Lebovitz

Serves 8

4 to 5 pounds boneless pork should, cut into 5-inch chunks, trimmed of excess fat

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

2 tablespoons canola or

SEE Recipes, Page 3B

neutral vegetable oil

water

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon chile powder

1 teaspoon ancho chile powder

2 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly-sliced

Rub the pieces of pork shoulder all over with salt. Refrigerate for 1- to 3-days. (You can skip this step if you want. Just be sure to salt the pork before searing the meat in the next step.)

Heat the oil in a roasting pan set on the stovetop. Cook the pieces of pork shoulder in a single layer until very well-browned, turning them as little as possible so they get nice and dark before flipping them around. If your cooking vessel is too small to cook them in a single-layer, cook them in two batches.

Once all the pork is browned, remove them from the pot and blot away any excess fat with a paper towel, then pour in about a cup of water, scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged utensil to release all the tasty brown bits.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees (180C) degrees.

Add the pork back to the pan and add enough water so the pork pieces are 2/3rd's submerged in liquid. Add the cinnamon stick and stir in the chile powders, bay leaves, cumin and garlic.

Braise in the oven uncovered for 3? hours, turning the pork a few times during cooking, until much of the liquid is evaporated and the pork is falling apart. Remove the pan from the oven and lift the pork pieces out of the liquid and set them on a platter.

Once the pork pieces are cool enough to handle, shred them into bite-sized pieces, about 2-inches (7 cm), discarding any obvious big chunks of fat if you wish.

Return the pork pieces back to the roasting pan and cook in the oven, turning occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the pork is crispy and caramelized. It will depend on how much liquid the pork gave off, and how crackly you want them.

I like mine deeply, darkly, crispy brown on the outside.

Mexican Chorizo

2 pounds ground lean pork

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced or pressed

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix pork, garlic, vinegar, chili powder, oregano, paprika, salt, and cumin. Cover and chill for 30 minutes before using. You can shape the sausage into patties and pan-fry or broil them. Makes 2 pounds sausage; 6 to 8 servings

La Hacienda is located at 5711 Dick Pond Road (On Highway 707 in Socastee), Myrtle Beach. The phone number is 843-650-3588.

The other La Hacienda is located at 2132 Oak Heart Road (The Piggly Wiggly Shopping Center at Carolina Forest), Myrtle Beach. The phone number is 843-903-3399.

It is open Monday though Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Nora J. Raum may be reached for comment at njraum@msn.com