Happy Valentine Day!

In honor of Valentines Day I have decided to share a new recipe with you. In addition to your normal V-Day traditions, whether they are going out to eat, visiting where you first met...surprise your honey with this special treat.

Chocolate Flan

Ingredients

1 qrt Heavy Cream
1 can Sweet Condensed Milk
3 Wheels Mexican Chocolate
14 ea Eggs

Method of Preparation

1. In a sauce pot heat 1/2 of the cream with the mexican chocolate until melted.
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the other half of cream, sweet condensed milk and eggs.
3. Once chocolate is melted, whisk into the cream and egg mixture in a slow steady stream.
4. Strain through a strainer and into a baking dish.
5. Cover with foil and place into a water bath.
6. Bake at 350 degrees fro approx 1 1/2 hrs until firm or toothpick runs clean.

Happy Holidays! Christmas is right around the corner and Chef Marco would like to share another holiday recipe for you and your family to enjoy!

Croissant Bread Pudding with Jack Daniels Caramel Sauce

Ingredients: Bread Pudding

½ dozen croissants
1 quart heavy cream
½ cup craisins
1 cup sugar
½ cup honey
1 TB vanilla extract
8 whole eggs

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, honey, vanilla and heavy cream.
2. In a 13x9 baking dish, tear the croissants and layer over the bottom.
3. Top the croissants with the craisins.
4. Pour the cream and egg mixture over the croissants and allow to soak through.
5. Cover with foil and bake in a water bath at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.
6. Remove foil and place back in oven to allow the top to brown, about 15 more minutes.

Ingredients: Jack Daniels Caramel Sauce

4 oz Butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 oz Jack Daniels
3 oz Heavy Cream

1. In a sauce pan, melt 4 oz butter.
2. Add 1 cup of brown sugar and allow to cook into a paste.
3. Add 2 oz of Jack Daniels and Flambé. (watch your eyebrows)
4. When flames die down, add 3 oz heavy cream and stir until smooth.
5. Serve as topping for the bread pudding.

Thanksgiving Recipe

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Here’s a great holiday recipe perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner.Enjoy!

Cranberry Chutney

Ingredients
3 ea Yellow Onion (julienne)
3 cups Dried Cranberries
2 cups Orange Juice
1 TBSP Orange zest
3/4 cups Sugar
4 TBSP Salad Oild (for onions)
1 cup Water

Method of Preparation
1. In a saute pan over medium heat, heat oil and add onion.
2. Stirring periodically, cook onions until dark brown and sweet. Reserve once done.
3. In a medium sauce pot over medium heat add cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, sugar and water. Stir to combine.
4. Reduce until jam consistency is reached.
5. Stir in the caramelized onions.
6. Let cool and serve.



Buen Provecho,

Chef MZ

Chef Zapien will conduct cooking demo/tasting

Chef Marco Zapien, Executive Chef and co-owner of Zapien’s Taqueria and Salsa Grill in Pico Rivera, CA, will be at the West Covina Library Saturday at 2:00 p.m. conducting a demo and tasting.

Zapien will demonstrate and sample roasted tomato salsa, cilantro Caesar salad, chili verde and bread pudding.

The Salsa Grill was voted best Mexican Restaurant on LA's Hot List for four consecutive years, including 2011.
This event is free of charge to participants.

The West Covina Library is located at 1601 W. Covina Parkway, West Covina, CA 91790.

For more information about Zapien's Taqueria and Salsa Grill visit www.thesalsagrill.com.

Zapien's Salsa Grill participates at Chefs for Scholarships

Chef Marco Zapien represented Zapien’s Salsa Grill & Taqueria at the 2011 Chefs for Scholarships at Golden West College in Huntington Beach Sunday from 4-7.

Chef Zapien’s booth had patrons salivating over a nacho bar featuring his own cheese sauce with beans, chili verde, diced tomatoes, green onions and sour cream as toppings.

The Salsa Grill won the “Lucky Vendor” award.

Zapien, his restaurant and catering company, Black Tie & Blue Jeans Catering, are active in carious community programs, including Chefs for Scholarships with proceeds benefiting student scholarships.

Sunday’s event also played a special tribute to Veterans.

For more information please visit http://www.goldenwestcollege.edu/patrons/chefs.html.

Thank You for Making The Salsa Grill No.1

I just wanted to take the time to thank everyone for making The Salsa Grill L.A. Hotlists’ Best Mexican Restaurant for the fourth year in a row. This has been a great run and we want to celebrate with you for making us number one, as well as celebrating our 17th anniversary. Both are great milestones in our business and we would like to take the time to thank all of you for your support. We would not have been able to do this without you, our loyal guests. So to show our appreciation, this week, May 3 thru May 5th, we will be offering 2 for 1 dinners from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m., as well as beer and margaritas for only $2.50. We will be raffling off great prizes as well. Please come in and join us for this great celebration. From our family to yours, thank you again for your continued loyal support. See you at “The Grill.”

Buen Provecho,

Marco C. Zapien

Salsa Grill is No. 1 for Fourth Straight Year

It was a close race the past few years, but this year Zapien’s Salsa Grill & Taqueria seemed to pull ahead.

Surprising no one, The Salsa Grill won the “best Mexican” category for the fourth straight year.

The voting for this year’s competition started just after the New Year and closed last week. Since the first couple weeks The Salsa Grill was in first place.

In the past the competition was My Fox L.A.’s Hotlist, but this year it was just L.A.’s Hotlist.

Fans cast votes for their favorite restaurants and businesses in other categories. Early in the competition The Salsa Grill held the lead and had comments from voters such as, “This is by far the best Mexican restaurant in the LA area,” and “the best service and quality is why we keep coming back.”

In 2008 and 2009 The Salsa Grill earned a segment on Fox for winning the competition.

“It’s really cool to win this award for four straight years and to see all the comments voters leave,” said Marco Zapien, Executive Chef and restaurant co-owner.