How My Family & I eat Cassava Flour #NationalHealthEducationWeek

October 17-21 is National Health Education Week, and I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to Cassava Flour. I recently received a bundle of joy, just kidding. Otto's Naturals recently sent me their  Otto's Naturals - 100% Natural Cassava Flour - 5 lb Bag (1 Pack)  to try, it is the only cassava flour on the market that is Certified Paleo, Gluten-Free Certified, Kosher, and Non-GMO Project Certified.Otto's Cassava Flour is a single-ingredient flour made from 100% Non-GMO Yuca root, with no additional ingredients used except water.

image via shelookbook.com

Cassava Flour is made differently from culture to culture. In East-African culture, cassava flour is made into a dough called "Ubugali" and eaten with Isombe(cassava leaves) or a stew. The best Yuca comes from the most robust tree. Each Yuca has a purpose though, some are boiled and eaten and others are used to make Ubugali. In the making of Cassava flour, as told by my mother, the Yuca root is immersed in water for about 3-4 days, to allow it to begin fermenting. This fermentation adds to the final taste and smell of the Cassava after it is sun-dried and processed into a powder.

I recently organized a lovely dinner with my family to try Otto's Naturals Cassava Flour. Otto's Cassava Flour, unlike the one I'm used to, is baked instead of sun-dried and fermented, which takes away the taste and smell that I grew up knowing. I'll be honest, my family and I prefer our traditional Cassava Flour, with its unique taste and smell because that's one of the things that made it special and tasteful. Although we were all a little skeptical of this flour, we enjoyed the meal we shared together. FYI, there were no left overs!

Anyone interested in gluten-free baking can purchase online.

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Pollo Tropical - Houston, TX

Restaurant:
Pollo Tropical

Location: 
6522 Westheimer Road
Houston, TX 77057

Hours: 
M-Su 10:30a-12a

Ambiance: 
Imagine yourself walking into a beachfront restaurant at one of your favorite locations(or just imagine yourself in Miami, that'll do the trick). As you walk into this establishment, you make way to a refreshing, Caribbean inspired atmosphere that makes it seem as if you're really near a beach. Pollo Tropical brings the beach to the city, offering Caribbean & Latin foods, fast food restaurant style. The restaurant has been growing over the past year, and their expansions include the Houston market. With north & south Houston down, it was a matter of time until they opened a central location. I had the opportunity to eat at this restaurant before it was opened to the public, and oh what a treat. I truly hope that they won't lose their aesthetic like most do.


What I Ate:
I consulted one of the cashiers on what to order(we all know how I get overwhelmed with lots of choices). I knew I wanted plantains and Yuca(no, I'm not kidding, they have those), in addition, I went for the 1/2 Chicken with Yellow rice and a Mango juice with 2 shots(yes, they serve alcoholic drinks).

The food was fabulous, as I enjoyed my environment I kept wondering why no one had thought of it sooner. The idea of bringing the beach to the city, and serving Caribbean food in a "fast food" type of way. Any way, I enjoyed my experience, my food, and the ambiance of this place- And I truly hope they do well and last. Make sure you get out and try it, tonight is their Grand Opening(I might be there, again).