Chef Aaron Sanchez calls pozole, a hearty Mexican soup, 'table-slapping good'. (Photo by Michael Harlan Turnbull/Courtesy of Atria)

Aarón Sánchez, chef, restaurateur, author, Food Network star and human heat-seeking missile, knows his pozole.

He can go on about the qualities of the long-simmering stew, how it finds its richness in pork and hominy, chiles and Mexican oregano, the kind that grew wild in his family’s ranch in northern Mexico. Pozole is soul food.

“It’s our Vietnamese pho. It’s coddled and taken care of. If there’s one word to describe it, it’s ‘nourishment,’” Sánchez, co-star of the Food Network’s Heat Seekers and Chopped, says by phone.

But it’s also party food, best served community-style, alongside small dishes filled with cool, crunchy and vibrant toppings. The steaming hot soup, swimming with pork chunks and hominy puffs, is topped with contrasting garnishes like crisp radish slices, raw, diced onion, fried corn tortilla strips, a pinch of dried oregano and a squeeze of lime.

“I have a lot of fun with it. I put pickled red onions in mine,” says Sánchez, 36, who comes to South Florida later this month for several appearances during the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. “I love the briny-ness of the onions with the richness of the pozole.”
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This week, we asked you to tell us your favorite local place for a burrito. Your response may have resulted in a chain restaurant winning, but we also found a salute to a few local favorites.

Chipotle, which has six locations within Palm Beach County, was the winner, with 29.8 percent of the vote. However, if you’re going by vote per location, you could argue that Lake Worth’s Tacos Al Carbon deserves as much recognition.

The little taco shop near the corner of Military Trail and 10th Avenue North Lake Worth Road pulled in 11.8 percent of the vote and a lot of vocal support in our comments.

Rounding out the top five were the chain Moe’s Southwest Grill (9.4 percent), the regional chain Tijuana Flats (4.9 percent) and Taco Lady of Lake Worth (4.5 percent).

There were also several write-in candidates that made their way into the poll: Burrito Brothers, Jupiter; Rancho Chico, Jupiter/Tequesta; Baja Cafe, Boca Raton; Taco Vida, West Palm Beach; Guanabanas, Jupiter, and Guacamole’s, Jupiter.

Click here for the full results.

Peter Piper may have picked a peck of pickled peppers, but Pete Aiello prefers his in their glorious pre-pickled state.

The owner and general manager of Gilroy, Calif.’s Uesugi Farms likes his glossy green and red peppers stuffed, sliced into salads or basted with olive oil and tossed on a grill. And he should know.

We may think of California as the land of artichokes, avocados and strawberries, but the state also leads the nation in bell pepper production, with nearly 9 million cubic tons. That’s a lot of stuffed peppers — and this is peak season for farmers like Aiello, whose acreage stretches from Bakersfield to Brentwood.

Growing the “perfect pepper,” says Aiello, is a lot like raising a large family. It’s a matter of supplying plenty of “elbow grease and tender loving care” every single day. But the work starts paying off when the plant reaches full size, because you can harvest emerald green peppers from the same plant for the next five months — or let them linger on the shrub until the sun turns them a sweet, rosy red.
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Paris in Town bakery in Palm Beach Gardens now offers several Ciao Bella gelato varieties. (Courtesy Paris in Town)

THE SIZZLE

PARIS IN TOWN, the delightful French bakery café that anchors the southeast corner of U.S. 1 and PGA Boulevard, has added a cool, creamy – and Italian – touch to its homey menu of pastry, petit dejéuner and lunch items: Ciao Bella gelato.

"We were attracted to the fact that it has a dense volume of excellent, natural ingredients, making it really rich in flavor – all while using skim milk instead of cream!" says Diane Himmich, who owns the popular café with her husband, Beni.

Her favorite is the hazelnut-flavored gelato. Other flavors include: white pistachio, Tahitian vanilla, Vairhona chocolate, espresso, caramel toffee and peaches and cream. She also serves mango and blood orange sorbets.

The gelatos and sorbets are available for dine-in and to go, at $4.25 for a 4-ounce scoop, $6.25 for two scoops. Also, for $2.65, patrons can add a scoop of vanilla to one of the café’s homemade sweet crepes, tarts or espresso drinks.

Paris in Town, at 11460 U.S. 1 in North Palm Beach, is open every day from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and closes at 4 p.m. on Sundays. For more info, call (561) 626-6017 or visit www.ParisInTownCafe. com.

LIMONCELLO ITALIAN GRILL IN NORTH PALM BEACH is hosting a series of Opera Nights in the festive style made popular at Trattoria Delfino in Jupiter.

The series debuts this Sunday night and continues with evening shows on Aug. 15 and Sept. 12. The Opera Night dinner-and-show package is $69 per person and runs from 6:30 to 10 p.m.

Limoncello’s is open nightly from 5 to 10 p.m. at 11603 U.S. 1 in North Palm Beach. Reservations are accepted at (561) 622-7200. The website is limoncello restaurant.com.

HOP ON OVER TO MOE’S SOUTHWEST GRILL on July 21 to celebrate its 10-year anniversary. In honor of the occasion, guests will receive a free helping of the casual restaurant’s celebrated queso dip. Devoted fans of Moe’s welcoming atmosphere and quirky menu item names can enjoy a 6-ounce cup all day, no purchase necessary.

This special offer is available at all Moe’s locations including those in Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach and Wellington.

Visit www.moes.com to find the location nearest you.

MORTON’S THE STEAKHOUSE has updated several of its menus with new tempting items, like a Chilean sea bass glazed with pineapple-pepper salsa and, in the restaurant’s private boardrooms, a blue cheese tenderloin crostini. Added to the popular "Power Hour" bar menu: smoked salmon pizza and crab cake BLTs. And there are new steaks: a bone-in filet and a double-cut filet.

The new menu is available at Morton’s two Palm Beach County locations, at 777 S. Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach (561-835-9664) and at 5050 Town Center Circle in Boca Raton (561-392-7724). More info at www.mortons.com.

OPENINGS

STEVI B’S PIZZA, 1224 Northlake Blvd., Lake Park, is now open. This is the first of 10 upcoming South Florida locations for Stevi B’s, a national "premium" pizza buffet franchise based in Atlanta.

With an open-kitchen design, granite countertops and decorative stonework throughout its 4,000-square-foot space, the Lake Park restaurant offers a range of specialty pizzas (from Loaded Baked Potato to Chicken Fajita to Mac and Cheese), a salad bar, pasta dishes and dessert items. (There’s also an arcade for the kids.)

The buffet (including drink) is $5.99 for adults and $3.59 for children under 10. Stevi B’s is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Call (561) 845-7997.

The Taco Lady in Lake Worth epitomizes the local Mexican dive -- a hole in the wall with fantastic food. (Bill Ingram / Palm Beach Post)

Much like everyone gets a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, we feel the need to chow down on Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo.

And while diners can head out to a fancy place to be waited on hand and foot, I say, why?

Why go fancy? When you can go to a place where food is king. A place where the people who make the food are the people who serve it up to you and the same people who ask you how it was afterwards.

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By J.M. HIRSCH

Consider Burritos as a mainstay of your weeknight repertoire. Not only are they speedy to assemble, they also are incredibly versatile. Stuff them with greens, or not. Meat, or not.

My basic assembly starts with a flour tortilla, which can be had in whole wheat, white, even low-carb varieties.

For the filling, I like to use a can of refried beans (available in traditional, spicy, vegetarian and fat-free varieties) as my base. I then add rice (the heat-and-eat variety), a bit of salsa and whatever else moves me.

Leftover cooked chicken is a great option. If not, deli sliced chicken breast is an easy alternative. For vegetarians, roasted vegetables, fresh baby spinach or steamed green beans are fine choices.

A bit of shredded cheese (low-fat, if you like) completes the package. The cook can just heat the stove, set out the ingredients and let people assemble their own burritos.

Chicken, Cheese and Brown Rice Burritos

Servings: 4

15-ounce can low-fat refried beans

81/2-ounce package heat-and-serve brown rice

11/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, divided

3/4 cup salsa, divided

4 large flour tortillas

8 deli slices chicken breast

Sour cream, for serving (optional)

1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced

1 large tomato, cut into wedges

Heat the oven to 400°. Lightly spritz a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix together the refried beans, rice, 1 cup of the cheese and 1/4 cup of the salsa.

Arrange the tortillas flat on the counter. Arrange 2 slices of chicken over each tortilla. Spread a quarter of the bean and cheese mixture in an even layer over each. Roll up each tortilla, tucking in the ends as you go.

Place the burritos on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the burritos, then bake, uncovered, for another 8 to 10 minutes.

To serve, top each burrito with a bit of the remaining salsa and a dollop of sour cream, if using.

Accompany with slices of avocado and tomato.

Per serving: 798 calories; 245 calories from fat; 27 g fat (11 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 51 mg cholesterol; 104 g carbohydrate; 33 g protein; 16 g fiber; 1,523 mg sodium

I know a girl going off to college in a few weeks. She asked for good recipes for college: no obscure ingredients, either quick to make, or long cooking (like in a slow cooker). Dinners that freeze well would work. I gave her several, and it got me thinking, LOTS of kids need good recipes for college.

Got one to share? Please add it below in the comments. Then we can all share the knowledge with our college-bound kids. Here are the recipes I gave her:

Slow Cooker Lasagna
Cooker: Medium round or oval

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (Pam)
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, crushed(or 1/2 t. garlic powder NOT garlic salt)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (16-ounce) box Mrs. T’s® potato and cheddar pierogies (freezer section)

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground meat and cook until well browned on all sides. Remove to medium bowl with slotted spoon. Add onion and garlic to drippings remaining in skillet; cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add crushed tomatoes, basil, salt and ground meat mixture. Heat to a boil over high heat; simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors.

Grease 5-quart slow-cooker*. Stir ricotta, egg and 1/2 cup mozzarella together in medium bowl. Spoon 1/3 of tomato mixture into slow-cooker. Top with half of frozen pierogies. Spread one half of ricotta mixture over pierogies. Repeat with half of tomato mixture, remaining pierogies and remaining ricotta mixture. Top with remaining tomato mixture and remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cover slow-cooker and cook on HIGH 2 to 2 1/2 hours or on LOW 4 hours. (Do not stir.) Serves 6.

*Oven Version: Prepare mixture as above. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 3-quart casserole. Bake 45 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly.

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Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
(Serves 4)
Cooker: Medium round or oval
Setting and Cook Time: LOW for 6 to 7 hours
Ingredients:
• 1 lb. lean ground beef (you could use ground chicken pork or turkey)
• 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 large bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 large rib celery, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar, or more if needed
• 2 Tbsp. firmly packed light or dark brown sugar, or more if needed
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder, or to taste
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• dash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• dash of cayenne pepper
• hamburger buns or other soft sandwich rolls for serving
Directions:
1. In a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef with the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic, stirring to break up the meat.
2. When the meat is cooked through, transfer the meat and vegetables to the slow cooker.
3. Add the remaining Sloppy Joe ingredients and stir to combine well.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.
5. Taste and add more vinegar or sugar, if desired.
6. Serve the meat mixture spooned on to the buns.

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Mexican Stew
(on stovetop, in a big saucepan or stewpot)

1 bag of frozen chopped onions (or 2 bags, if you really like onions)
2 cloves garlic, chopped, (or some garlic paste, or even garlic powder, a spice)
About 1.5-pound package ground chicken, turkey, pork or beef (or even firm
tofu, crumbled)
1 can black beans, preferably low sodium, drained (if you don’t like beans, use hominy, a form of corn, in the canned vegetable aisle)
1 can diced tomatoes, preferably low sodium (I use Rotel tomatoes with
peppers, mild) with liquid
1 jar salsa (i use Zapata green chile salsa from Publix, on the chip
aisle, or the Greenwise area)
2 C. corn, frozen or canned
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder

Optional: 1 C. pre-chopped celery, red onion, or even shredded carrots or cubed zucchini
Optional: 2 C. V-8 or chicken or beef broth (I prefer low-sodium)
See end of directions for ideas on toppings/garnishes

Brown the meat, then the onions (you want them golden brown), add the garlic, spices and the contents of
the cans/jar, liquid of your choice + corn. Simmer 20 minutes and serve.

You can serve this over rice, if desired. If you don’t like beans, leave them out. If you like things hot, use hot/spicy Ro-Tel tomatoes (and/or hot beans and hot salsa) if you like it hot. It freezes well.

To serve, top with a little grated cheese, and/or guacamole or chunks of avocado, and/or sour cream, and/or chopped fresh cilantro or parsley. Or go minimalist, as this stew is delicious alone.

If you’re in the mood for Mexican food, my best advice these days would be to head to Palm Beach Gardens.

In recent weeks, two Mexican eateries have set up shop in the city, each offering an interesting approach to the south-of-the-border cuisine. First up: Cabo Flats Cantina & Tequila Bar (11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave. in Downtown at the Gardens, 561-624-0024, caboflats.com ). Situated in the space formerly belonging to Rosa Mexicano, this is a concept far removed that eatery’s upscale, regional-minded take on all things Mexican. Instead, Cabo Flats is Mexican-meets-rock ’n’ roll — a kind of juke joint in a Tex-Mex (or California-Mex) vein that also happens to serve very good but fairly basic (and reasonably priced) Mexican fare. Read the full story

By MIKE SUTTER

When he woke up Wednesday morning, I doubt that food writer and historian John T. Edge meant to offend the entire city of San Antonio.

Except that he did.

Right there in the second paragraph in a story on Page 2 of the New York Times food section, Edge said this: “When it comes to breakfast tacos, however, Austin trumps all other American cities.”

Click here for more on this story from our sister site, Austin360.

I'm Greek Today proprietor Chris Papas opened his new restaurant in Royal Palm Beach. (Bruce R. Bennett / The Post)

The Greek restaurant boom continues.

The latest addition to the ever-growing list of local Greek eateries is I’m Greek Today (11051 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach; 561-333-4233; imgreektoday.com), a family-run restaurant situated in the space formerly belonging to Naylah.

“The timing was right,” explained owner Chris Papas of his new venture. The former Canadian restaurateur is referring to the fact that Greek food is getting plenty popular locally — think Ouzo Blue in Lake Worth and Palm Beach Gardens, Taverna Opa in CityPlace, Mr. Gyros in Palm Beach Gardens — but there still wasn’t a Greek restaurant of note in the western communities. Plus, Papas was able to move into a space that was already fairly well-suited for his concept.

“We’ve done a cosmetic makeover. It’s a similar space with the elimination of a wall here and there,” he said of the transition from Naylah to I’m Greek Today.

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