Meal Ticket – Handmade, Wholesome, Ready to Eat Food

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Stumble in the door after a long day of holiday shopping, family outings or just plain old hard work and the last thing you want to do is spend an hour making a mess in the kitchen. In a perfect world, dinner would always be pre-planned and pre-prepped, and cooking and eating it would cure the day’s stress – not cause it. Luckily, Julie Marts and Chef Carl have our backs with Meal Ticket and their ready to eat prepared foods which are meticulously organized for the entire week.

Meal Ticket specializes in creating handmade, wholesome, healthy prepared foods.  The food is available for pick up at the Friday Market at The Shoppes at Palmilla between 9am and 1pm (some fresh and some frozen).  Santa Carmela Market (Cerro Colorado) also carries a limited selection of their food in the freezer section.  Note:  the frozen food is always on rotation.

Chef Carl is well versed in the kitchen and is in charge of the production of foods.  He has 30 years experience as a professional chef – 10 yrs as Executive Chef at Hotel Twin Dolphin and 15 years owner/operator of Restaurant  Baan Thai in the historic district of San Jose del Cabo. Julie handles public relations, sales and oversees the development of new products.

Small batch, hand crafted meals that are good enough to serve company has always been important in selecting items for their menu.  They only use the best ingredients, locally grown when possible and in season, with the goal of low sodium/sugar in comparison to most prepared foods. There are never any additives, colors, artificial flavors or preservatives used in any dish. They use handmade stocks for their dishes and soups – never commercially prepared. Meals can be held in the freezer for up to 3 months so it is easy to plan ahead and know that you don’t have to cook on busy days. Many meals serve 2-3 portions but the lasagne & chicken pot pie are family size.  Handmade pickles and relishes are also on offer along with vegetarian, gluten free & vegan options.  This is great value as each serving ranges in price from $3 – 12 usd.

Meal Ticket offers a great solution for families whose different diets consist of vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters.  When you are together for holidays or family vacations, it can be complicated and time consuming to take care of the various needs. With Meal Ticket, each family member can enjoy eating their choice of delicious, interesting, home-cooked meals.

Contact Julie at cabojules@gmail.com with orders before Thursday at 5pm for pick up at the Palmilla Farmers Market on Fridays.  If you are not that organized, you can stop by and see what is available even if you have not pre-ordered in advance.

The longer I live here, the more impressed I am by how many talented people are working and thriving; and, believe me, they are working hard.  I am very excited to write about what Julie and Chef Carl are doing together.  He has a very impressive background and one that is close to my heart.  When Twin Dolphins closed, it was very sad for me – not just the food, but also the history, the old waiters and staff.  Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines, so I was also sad when Baan Thai closed.  But, I think Meal Ticket is really on to something – and I really believe there is a market here.

Meal Ticket is perfect for couples, busy families and families on vacation who don’t want to cook or dine out every night.  If washing up plates is too much work, they can arrange to cater your special meal in your home.  They do parties, cocktails or just a dinner. (Note: these services are not available at the same price point. Contact Julie directly for catering or large order delivery cabojules@gmail.com)

Throw a fabulous dinner party  – impress family and friends with your culinary skills – Julie and Chef Carl won’t tell.

Menu for Week of December 11

Menu for Week of December 18

P.S:  Julie will be at the Palmilla Tiendas on Thursday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) this week from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm along with a few other vendors.

pumpkin soup

pumpkin soup

chicken-tikka-masala

chicken-tikka-masala

chicken pot pie

chicken pot pie

Note:  Meal Ticket halts its services May to November.

Christmas Cactus and Blue Fish Restaurant

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My Christmas Cactus

Christmas Cactus

Christmas Cactus

As promised, this is a photo of my beautiful Christmas Cactus decorated for the holidays in all its glory.  My friend, Vic, stopped by yesterday and he had not seen it since he cut me a small piece many years ago.  He was astounded by the size but did not like that I had trussed it up.  Vic is 92 years young so he gets to say whatever he pleases – I took his comments to heart but I think deep down, my cactus likes getting dressed up for Christmas.

Blue Fish – Small and Unassuming al Fresco Dining

Despite its location and casual ambiance, the quality of the food at Blue Fish may surprise you.  It’s all about fresh local seafood prepared by Chef Poncho il de Fonzo at his small outdoor restaurant elusively situated in the back corner of the Plaza Peninsula in San Jose’. The no-frills ambiance of this little gem lets the fresh, extremely reasonably-priced food speak for itself.

Chef Poncho has over 30 years experience, he is a third generation resident from the old fishing community of Playita just east of the estuary in San José del Cabo and he has always had an excellent relationship with the local fisherman. Coming from a family with a long history of fishing, he instinctively understands what to look for in fresh seafood and how to prepare it.

At Blue Fish, you can have a quick bite or a leisurely lunch in a laid back atmosphere.  It serves grown up drinks like margaritas, mojitos, beer, wine and a special drink of the day. The food is reasonably priced, beautifully presented and most importantly fresh. Don’t be surprised to bump into some of our local celebrity chefs and restaurant owners throwing down ceviche, tacos and a few beers on their days off.  The menu consists of catch of the day, tostadas, tacos, quesadillas, ceviche, sashimi and seafood salads – all accompanied by spicy salsas.

If all goes according to plan, Poncho tells me Blue Fish will also be opening in the Palmilla Tiendas even as soon as this week serving the same freshly prepared seafood.  He has promised that he will do his best to bring in fresh lobster from Magdalena Bay and La Paz.  He can accommodate special orders, take away orders and delivery to boats if ordered one day in advance.

Mixed Sashimi

Mixed Sashimi

Shrimp Salad

Shrimp Salad

Buen Provecho

It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

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I have been decorating my Christmas cactus for 5 years.  I bring it inside every year with the help of our gardeners who deserve a Christmas bonus for their herculean effort. It miraculously survived Hurricane Odile even though it was outside on my patio when the doors and windows exploded.  It has grown enormously every year and is almost touching my 9 foot high ceiling.  It was given to me by my neighbors, Vic and Elizabeth, when it was just a little nubby thing.  This is a photo before I decorate – next week I will post a photo of it decorated in all its glory.

Cactus 5

Christmas Cactus

Rosemary Wreath

Say hello to the rosemary wreath!  This is so simple and yet a beautiful way to serve olives with tomato and mozzarella (with a few pickles thrown in).  This idea comes from Julia Usher, a food writer and stylist. See more on her blog Dreaming of a Green Christmas.

Rosemary Wreath

CHOCOLATE CAKE  – ONE BOWL – Click to see step by step photos

If you are a chocolate lover, you will be in heaven when you taste this cake by an Australian chef, Donna Hay. This recipe serves 10 people easily because it is so rich.  Put something green like a sprig of rosemary on the plate to give it that Christmas feeling.

Ingredients

  • 125g butter, chopped  (or 4.4 oz)
  • 375g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (or 13.25 oz) – In Cabo, the Turin Dark Chocolate works best
  • 1 cup (175g) brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (35g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 cup (120g) almond meal (ground almonds)
  • 5 eggs

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 170°C (325°F).
  2. Place the butter and chocolate in a bowl and either microwave in short bursts until melted or melt in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
  3. Add the sugar, flour, milk and almond meal and mix to combine.
  4. Add the eggs and mix well.
  5. Pour mixture into a greased 22cm round spring form tin lined with non-stick baking paper.
  6. Cover the tin with aluminum foil and bake for approximately 40 minutes.
  7. Uncover and cool in the tin.
  8. Serve with cream and berries.
  9. Best served cold – refrigerated.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

 

Buen Provecho and Feliz Navidad