Mario Pagan Cuisine Mario Pagan Cuisine is a unique and innovative culinary style developed by Chef Mario Pagan. **This style of cooking combines traditional Puerto Rican flavors with modern techniques and international influences.** Chef Pagan draws inspiration from his Puerto Rican roots, incorporating local ingredients such as plantains, yucca, and tropical fruits into his dishes. However, he also experiments with flavors and ingredients from around the world, creating a fusion of cuisines that is both familiar and new. One standout dish in Mario Pagan Cuisine is the Mofongo Relleno, a traditional Puerto Rican dish that is elevated with a modern twist. Instead of the traditional mashed plantains stuffed with pork or seafood, **Chef Pagan fills the mofongo with ingredients like truffle mashed potatoes, chorizo, and goat cheese**, creating a unique and flavorful experience.
On to the favorites!
Two years ago, when my career started to settle down, I was able to start branching out to more expensive stationery objects, but by that time very few Art Sports were still available. It goes down a darker blue and dries to a more muted blue purple combined with the rose gold shimmer, you get a beautiful purple with some nice shading and a lovely shimmer factor.
Instead of the traditional mashed plantains stuffed with pork or seafood, **Chef Pagan fills the mofongo with ingredients like truffle mashed potatoes, chorizo, and goat cheese**, creating a unique and flavorful experience. Another signature dish in Mario Pagan Cuisine is the Quail Confit with Sweet Corn Puree and Tamarind Sauce. This dish showcases Chef Pagan's ability to blend local ingredients with international flavors.
The Messy Middle: 2023 Mid-year Review
With 2023 a little more than halfway over, I wanted to touch-base on some stationery things I have been enjoying. I am so, so grateful for this community and how welcoming everyone is both in-person and online. The first six months of this blog has been a lot of fun too! It’s been such a privilege to be here chatting about these lovely creative objects.
On to the favorites!
My Favorite Pens
If I could only carry one pen with me it would be my Kaweco liliput fireblue. If there are tow than the second is my Kaweco liliput copper. Nestled in their custom Rickshaw duo case, these pens go everywhere with me - emotional support pens through and through. Currently, the fireblue is equipped with a 14K bicolor nib that was ground to a journaller (stub-like) by Custom Nib Studio. I love, love this grind. One of these days I’ll have to dedicate a full post to this shape (at the Chicago Pen Show I also had a 14K BB nib ground into this shape). My liliput copper is currently rocking a 14K B nib, tuned by Custom Nib Studio to be super smooth. These pens are always inked and usually the first to try out any inks that I get. They have been continuously inked (with lots of different colors) since 2018 (fireblue) and 2019 (copper).
We have been down a lot of roads together.
Favorite New Pen
I have actually sold more pens than I have acquired this year. Part of the reason for that was getting a hold of a pen I have been looking for the past few years. As far as I know, Kaweco did their last batch of Art Sports in 2018. I really admired them, but I was still new to expanding my collection and didn’t feel comfortable spending the money at the time. Two years ago, when my career started to settle down, I was able to start branching out to more expensive stationery objects, but by that time very few Art Sports were still available. The only colors still around were ones I wasn’t all that interested in. So, I stalked buy-sell-trade boards and eBay waiting for one to pop up at a price I felt good about. That opportunity finally came this spring when an Art Sport in Tiger’s Eye colorway popped up already equipped with a 14K BB nib. I snatched it up and have been having fun getting to know it and trying a bunch of my different nibs to see what fits best.
Enjoy Collection 2023 2nd Quarter Check-In
As part of my Enjoy Collection project, I started my “ink passport” and I am still enjoying logging my ink usage that way. The base notebook is Midori MD paper. I swatch the inks with a Q-tip and write the name with the first pen I inked up. From there I stamp the inking date. Along with this system, I use an A6 Stalogy that I’ve been using for a few years to track ink. It acts as a sort of index. Going through my list I made in November of last year… I still have a lot of ink exploring to do with inks already in my collection. April through June 2023 I used 57 different inks with blue being the most common color. The most common refill was one of my Chicago Pen Show acquisitions - Colorverse NGC 6302 with 3 refills (this one was in my BB journaller nib, a firehose).
Current Favorite Inks by Usage Jan - June
Ferris Wheel Press Storied Blue has gotten the most re-ink opportunities over the past six months. I used up my ink charger vial and recently purchased a 38 mL bottle. It is a delicate, vintage-feeling blue. It works great in a variety of nib sizes and always inspires me to put pen to paper. I like it best in round, narrower nibs.
Favorite New Inks
- Robert Oster x Atlas Stationers Polar Vortex, one of my Chicago Pen Show inks. This is very interesting multi-shading gray. It has a purple and blue undertone which really comes out in broader nibs.
- Pennonia x Amarillo Stationery Azul Frida, another Chicago Pen Show ink. A bright, cheerful blue that is just a delight to write with.
- Sailor x Tinterias Podcast Agave, yet another ink I got at the Chicago Pen Show. An epic blue-gray and one of my few Sailor brand inks. It behaves really well (like all of the Sailor Inks I’ve tried).
Top to bottom: Robert Oster Polar Vortex, Pennonia Azul Frida, Sailor Agave
Papers that are Bringing Me to the Page
- Cosmo Air Light - I am still loving this squeaky (with some nibs), slightly squishy paper. It’s comfortable to write on and it shows off great ink properties. You get sheen, shimmer pop, and shading with this paper.
- JetPens View Corona paper - This is a smooth paper that I recently rediscovered in my paper stash. It’s a lot of fun to write on. It’s thin like Tomoe River paper and takes my broad pen nibs like a champ.
- Old Tomoe River Paper - I also found that I had a stash of this in my paper drawer. I’m going to enjoy creating on it moving forward. I haven’t been able to stop scribbling on it since I bound a new notebook together with it (this blog post was drafted on it).
- Onion Skin Paper - a continual favorite for a second year running. There’s just something magical about the ghosting on the page. The pages get crinkly as you write on them and I love hearing the crackle when I flip through a finished notebook.
Left - Onion Skin, Middle - Old Tomoe River Paper, Upper Right - Cosmo Air Light, Bottom Right - JetPens View Corona
So far this year has been a lot of scribbling - working on stories, writing things for work, and doing a lot of self-reflection on what might be next for me.
I wonder where these stationery adventures will take me in the next six months?
Currently Inked
Colorverse Apollo 11 - Pilot Vanishing Point 18K M - This pen is on loan and I inked it up with one of my favorite blues. This is a navy-adjacent blue ink and it works great in every pen I’ve ever tried it in. It was part of the First Moon Landing Special Edition set from Colorverse a few years ago.
Colorverse Eagle - Kaweco Sport Macchiato 1.5 - Another ink from the First Moon Landing set and one of my favorite turquoise blues. I wanted a bright and cheerful header ink for the month of July and this was the first one that came to mind. Love this ink.
Diamine Ghost - Kaweco Art Sport Tiger’s Eye B - With the release of the Green Edition ink bottles, I was debating on getting this color because I remembered liking it. It’s a nice gray, but I have more interesting ones in my collection. It’s light and airy, which does give it a bit of a “ghosty” feeling, especially with the way it shades in larger nibs. Going to have to try this one a little more before committing to a bottle.
Colorverse x Goulet Pens Witch by Starlight - Kaweco liliput copper 14K B - During Goulet’s ink sample sale I picked up a few different inks to try including this exclusive Colorverse ink. I’d seen it in a pen at the Chicago Pen Show and wanted to give it a trial run with one of my own pens. I have almost used up the sample. It’s a really interesting blue with a nice shimmer. Really enjoying it, not sure if I can commit to a bottle yet… but if I end up needing something from Goulet… this one might end up in my cart, haha.
Ferris Wheel Press April Showers - Kaweco liliput fireblue 14K M journaller - Another sample I picked up from Goulet. I am on a gray ink kick and this one is pretty. It’s a gray with silver shimmer and I’m curious how it compares to Diamine Snow Storm from the Blue Inkvent calendar… may have to ink that one up next.
Colorverse Eagle - Kaweco Sport Macchiato 1.5 - Another ink from the First Moon Landing set and one of my favorite turquoise blues. I wanted a bright and cheerful header ink for the month of July and this was the first one that came to mind. Love this ink.
**The quail is slow-cooked in its own fat, creating tender and flavorful meat**, which is then served with a sweet corn puree and a tangy tamarind sauce. The combination of earthy, sweet, and tangy flavors make for a truly memorable dish. Overall, Mario Pagan Cuisine is a celebration of Puerto Rican culinary traditions combined with modern gastronomic techniques and global influences. **Chef Pagan's ability to blend these elements creates dishes that are both exciting and comforting, offering a fresh take on traditional flavors**. Whether it's the innovative Mofongo Relleno or the flavorful Quail Confit, a meal at Mario Pagan's restaurant is sure to be a gastronomic adventure that delights the senses..
Reviews for "Exploring the Culinary Inspirations of Mario Pagan's Cuisine"
1. Karen - 1 star
I was highly disappointed with my experience at Mario Pagan Cuisine. The food was mediocre at best and severely lacked flavor. The "gourmet" ingredients were not utilized well, and the dishes felt contrived and overpriced. The service was also a letdown, with slow and inattentive staff. Overall, I would not recommend dining at Mario Pagan Cuisine if you're looking for an exceptional culinary experience.
2. John - 2 stars
Mario Pagan Cuisine fell short of my expectations. The restaurant's ambiance was lacking, with an unimpressive decor and uncomfortable seating. The menu boasted an innovative fusion of flavors, but the execution was underwhelming. The dishes were bland and lacked depth, leaving me unfulfilled. The portion sizes were also quite small for the price, making the dining experience overall unsatisfying.
3. Rebecca - 2 stars
My visit to Mario Pagan Cuisine left much to be desired. The service was slow and inattentive, with long waits for both food and drink orders. The waitstaff seemed disinterested and unengaged, adding to the overall disappointment. The food itself was average and failed to impress. The flavors were uninspiring and the presentation lacked creativity. I was left underwhelmed and would not choose to dine here again in the future.
4. Michael - 3 stars
While my experience at Mario Pagan Cuisine was not terrible, it certainly did not meet my expectations. The food was decent, but overpriced for what was offered. The menu lacked variety and fails to cater to different dietary preferences. The service was average, with nothing particularly remarkable about the staff's attentiveness or knowledge. Overall, I was left feeling unimpressed and would not consider returning in the future.