Enchiladas Verdes

     "What's for dinner?" After asking or being asked about a zillion times I often start looking off the grid for unique restaurants. Does every family struggle to agree on dinner? Its like the million dollar question that no one can answer and actually appease the other party. On one of these days, I stumbled upon Taqueria Restaurant Simon in Mauldin, SC. I ordered enchiladas verdes and Jamaican Rose tea. 

 

The first bite was phenomenal, the second just amazing! This was hands down the best enchilada plate that I have ever had in the Greenville, SC area. The chicken marinated just right. Homemade corn tortillas that were just as delicious being eaten alone. A perfect tomatillo salsa that was a little spicy but not overpowering. I could only think of what the barbacoa tacos would taste like (which are my favorite) but they had already sold out- one more reason to return. I'm just thinking what great chefs and wonderful flavors have been overlooked and never experienced due to fear of trying something unknown or being inhibited by some unrealized prejudice. I certainly hope that the people in and around Mauldin will come and try the flavors of Mexico. I know where I will be next Taco Tuesday.  

Lemon Italian Creme Cake

    What better thing to do while in quarantine than to make your favorite cake, right? For me that's lemon italian creme cake, but not just any lemon italian creme cake. If you are ever in the Greenville, SC area, then you must head over to the Five Forks area of Woodruff Road to Napoli where you will find a hidden gem of a italian and greek fare. They have some of the best homemade sangria and chicken souvlaki, but most importantly they make an italian lemon creme cake that is divine. My family knows that I love it so much that last year for my birthday I ended up with two cakes. Well- maybe it was due to lack of communication because after eating one piece the taste buds and the sweet tooth are overloaded. Of course, I had to try to replicate it at home because I have some great ideas of how to even improve the mastered recipe to be a little more tangy and maybe even turn it into key lime for an ultimate activation of taste buds. I spent a tiny fortune at the store to purchase ingredients and scanned the internet for combinations of the so-called "best" recipes.

 

In the end, it looked nice... the layers were way to dense. I could have used just regular white cake mix and had better cake results. Following the recipes, the cream was very bland and unsweet. I added extra powdered sugar and lemon zest but it was no where near the tangy zing that I wished for. Overall, it was edible but I think I will just go visit Napoli next time I have a craving. If you have a recipe to share, then please do.