Lisa Johnson

Tambo 22 Restaurant

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Salmon, Chancaca Y Rocoto

Tambo 22 opened in March 2020. Staying open through the pandemic shows a tremendous amount of grit and no doubt a lot of community support.

When my friends and I went out to eat last month, we were talking about where we should eat next. One of their colleagues had mentioned Tambo 22, which is a Peruvian-inspired restaurant in Chelsea, and she was intrigued. So was her husband, who also happens to be a chef. He wanted to try the cuisine too and wanted to come with us.

We ended up being a group of seven and went to dinner there last night. If you look to the left of the restaurant sign in the picture of the exterior below, you can see the almost full moon, which I always enjoy seeing.

The restaurant is very small and there is on street parking, but it’s very limited. The restaurant’s days and hours are limited too. Wednesday through Sunday, 5pm – close. The close is different hours on different days.

Now this is just a random thing that’s personal to me. I hate driving over bridges. Coming from Quincy, I had to drive over the Tobin Bridge to get to Chelsea. It’s very tall and very long. Because of the restaurant’s hours, I also had to drive at night. I drove soooo slowy and was a nervous wreck. The same way returning home. I’m amazed that I used to drive over it almost everyday many years ago when I worked in Salem.

Anyway, I must say that as soon as I arrived, I felt very comfortable. The service is good and there is a nice ambiance. A bit loud, because it was filled with people. Everyone was enjoying themselves and there was a nice vibe with the holiday spirit in full effect.

Tambo 22 exterior and sign

By now, you’re probably wondering why I haven’t gotten to the food yet. Well, it was a mixed bag with our group.

I loved my meal, although I found the the portion to be small. I finished the whole thing and didn’t have any leftovers. That’s quite unusual for me.

With slight edits, the menu describes my meal as “Salmon, Chancaca Y Rocoto: Skin on Salmon Filet, Raw Sugar Cane Rocoto Glaze, Yuca Frita, with Pickled Cabbage.” The glaze was sweet and a little spicy. The salmon was nice and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The cabbage was great and I loved the yuca too. I just wanted a bigger helping, so I could bring some home. Others had larger portions, but thought the food was just okay. Well, every restaurant isn’t for everybody.

I was the only one who wanted dessert, so I took it to go. I cannot pass up churros! Especially with dulce de leche.
churros with dulce de leche

When I got home, they were still a bit warm, but I warmed them up even more. The portion size was good and I only ate half. The taste was enjoyable, but I didn’t love them. Will I happily eat the rest of them today, though? Absolutely, yes!

Overall, it was a nice experience and I had a lot of fun. Will I drive over the Tobin Bridge at night to go here again? No. But that’s just me.

SKUBB Storage Solutions

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SKUBB under bed storage

When I look back at what I did this month, one of the biggest themes will be organizing. I got rid of a lot of old storage items that no longer worked well for me. Then found new ways to organize. From adding a clothing rack with shelves, to adding bins and other containers to my fridge.

For the longest time, I’d been storing my off-season clothing in a very large suitcase that I had stopped using. The way that I stored it in my last apartment, the suitcase was out of the way and I hardly ever had to deal with it.

Where I live now, it was in the way everyday and constantly annoying me. Then I realized that the wheels of the suitcase were literally disintegrating, leaving trails of black plastic whenever I moved it. That was the final straw. Time for a change!

I needed to figure out a different way to store these items, but wasn’t sure what I needed. Within a couple of weeks of realizing this, I saw a YouTube video showing under bed storage using SKUBB storage cases from IKEA. I ordered two of them right away. What a joy to throw away that old suitcase!

Storing off-season clothing is so easy now. With all the changes I’ve made recently, I’ve actually freed up a lot of space. This makes my Virgo brain very happy!

Thanksgiving Dinner!

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Thanksgiving Dinner

This was my Thanksgiving dinner. Not perfectly plated, but it was perfectly delicious! I’m so full and tired.

Thanksgiving dinner was a combined effort. My mom made the turkey and the oyster and cornbread stuffing. We cooked the macaroni and cheese together. I made the collard greens. My aunt made the candied sweet potatoes and mushroom stuffing. Then my aunt and I made the gravy together. The cranberry sauce was the traditional canned variety from Ocean Spray, which you can tell by the lines! LOL.

Thank you to those of you who read my posts faithfully and also to those of you who drop by now and again. You’re very much appreciated! Happy Thanksgiving!

Dinner Tonight + Book Goals

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dinner tonight

This was my dinner tonight! It was very good, but spicier than intended.

I sauteed Vidalia onions and orange peppers in olive oil, then seasoned with garlic powder, lemon pepper and balsamic vinegar.

When I cut up the onions and peppers, I kept the scraps and boiled them in water to make a vegetable broth. The basmati rice was cooked in the broth, along with a bit of of butter and a chicken bullion cube.

Imitation crab pieces were added to the onions and peppers right before removing from the heat. I buy the fake crab every few months, but don’t think that I’ll continue. I did a quick search and found an article stating that they are extremely processed.

Which I knew, but I didn’t realize exactly how much less healthy they are compared to real crab. Again, this should have been more obvious to me. The calories are about the same, but there is way less protein and nutrients than real crab, but more carbs. I think I’ll buy canned crab from now on instead. Although, I guess I should look at that label too!

+ + +

Now to books! Since this year is wrapping up, I have some more book goals. I need to start and finish a book, so I can return it to the library. It’s called, “The Comedy of Error: Why Evolution Made Us Laugh,” by Jonathan Silvertown.

I’d like to read five more books before the year ends. The number is rather random and pulled from the air, but it feels doable and a decent amount. I’m not yet sure what the other four books will be, but I have a few in mind.

One book that I’m really interested in reading is a novel called, “Before the Coffee Gets Cold,” by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. I heard a lot about this book from several YouTubers and was reminded of it again today. Apparently it’s part of a series of four books. There seem to be a mix of reviews, but I’m definitely feeling a pull to read it.

This book seems to have everything that I love. Coffee, cafes, time travel and short stories. The story is about a small cafe in Tokyo where people can time travel. But they have to return before the coffee gets cold.

This reminds me of a Korean drama on Netflix called Nine Time Travels. Nine magical incense sticks allow the main character to travel back exactly 20 years to the day. But he returns when the stick stops burning.