La Casita Mexicana: Learning about Jalisco from Jaime and Ramiro

La Casita Mexicana brings unprecedented flair to Bell, a city in South Los Angeles.

Other exotic menu offerings include a squash blossom quesadilla accompanied by a bowl of cream of pumpkin soup, with more luscious squash blossoms.

Thin, crispy smoked pork chops are fork tender, marinated in ancho chiles, giving the meat a spicy kick. Cream of chicharrones soup with chipotle is another dish Jaime and Ramiro discovered in Puebla. For the creamy orange soup, they use very thin chicharrones (fried pork skin) with no fat. The recipe was devised at Arroyo, a famous restaurant in Mexico City.

House-made lemonade offers a fun flourish: chia seeds. They’re not just for spreading on sheep-shaped pottery anymore.

Jaime and Ramiro occasionally incorporate their heritage in dishes in more overt fashion. Chile en nogada is a roasted poblano pepper stuffed with ground meat, dried fruits, walnuts, and candied cactus, topped with pecan cream sauce and pomegranate seeds. According to Jaime, “Sweet and spicy, this dish was first cooked in 1821, when the Mexican flag was established; it has the three colors of the Mexican flag: red, white and green.”

Tortillas also come in red, white and green: guajillo chile, white corn, and nopal (cactus paddle) tortillas. According to Ramiro, “The guajillo adds flavor and color, but it’s not spicy.”

Even rice and beans get careful consideration at La Casita Mexicana.

Jaime and Ramiro provided insights into Mexican ingredients like epazote and herba santa.

Desserts include fresh guava drizzled with eggnog.

Jericalla is a firm custard quite common on the streets of Jalisco.

When it’s available, pounce on La Casita Mexicana’s avocado ice cream.

To end the meal, café de olla is coffee served with cinnamon-dusted brown sugar crystals.

As for the future, Jaime and Ramiro are currently working on a line of moles for home use. They’ll begin by selling the sauces at La Casita Mexicana, which Ramiro refers to as “the trampoline.” If sales go well, they’ll offer the moles in stores. According to Jaime, “To make moles takes hours and hours.” He thinks home cooks will appreciate the shortcut. They’re also scouting a second location, and if possible, plan to open in early 2006.

Jaime and Ramiro view La Casita Mexicana as a constant source of pleasure and have made a lifetime commitment to the restaurant. They acknowledge that the cost of producing such authentic food is “really high,” but they won’t compromise their heritage to maximize profit. According to Jaime, “There are people who eat to fill their stomach, and there are people who eat to fill their soul.” La Casita Mexicana is filling souls.