mOOners in Mexico

by Kris

This blog entry will make you run to the fridge or grab an Alka Seltzer....after downsizing the photos I'm not going to eat for a day or two. We wish we could share the wonderful smells and tastes of this incredible year but this is as close as it gets.

January in Jocotepec was prime berry - raspberry (frambuesa) and strawberry (fresa) - season and we knew the fields with the best segundos (seconds supposedly but in reality the ripe ones that won't make it to market in the US). French toast is elevated to a new level with these beauties.

The Fiesta of the Three Kings in nearby Cahititlán draws thousands of celebrants - six of us from Roca Azul by accident...and the food vendors line every (truly) street. Amazing. Our butts were dragging by afternoon and our choice of what to eat was determined by what vendor had a table. After our decent tacos de res (beef) we encountered this woman with the most appealing bowl of steamed fresh veggies and I had that "coulda-had-a V-8" moment...and she knows it!

Savoring the last bite of a favorite dish is que rico and muy triste at the same time. Rich and sad. This final delectable morsel of our amiga Guadalupe's Tortas Ahogadas Gema is beyond belief. My tastebuds will never be the same.

No better choice for a cool winter (spring like in Joco but chilly) dinner than the goodness of freshly hand-crafted tamales of chicken and pork.

January went out with a buzz at Gigi's birthday party with our Guadalajara "Girls" - Guadalupe y Concepción joining the festivities.

I have a molcajete, the lava rock bowl for making salsa and grinding spices etc...This molcajete is overflowing with camarones y pulpo y queso y cebollas shrimp and octopus and cheese and onions. Yes octopus. Not so big on the pulpo but the camarones were succulent and well, anything smothered in queso is fine by me.

In February we "moved" from Roca Azul and Joco to the beautiful Casa de Loop, the lake-view hillside home of Russ and Ruth Ann Loop, friends from the campground. Ken helped Russ with some yard work and other projects and I followed Ruth Ann around la cocina and watched her do amazing things with chickens. Ken and Russ share my appreciation. Ken is thinking "My God, I love this woman." Russ is thinking, "Ho hum another delicious meal.."

We were completely spoiled after a month of Ruth Ann's culinary talents and the kick-ass customized margaritas of Russ. Other social obligations forced us to leave the warmth of their hospitality and the comfort of their cocina. The shock of cooking again was lessoned by the ever-present and always inexpensive Mexican vendorias in every town. This lonche is a prime example of why fast food here is waaaay better than fast food NOB. For six pesos we shared this sandwich of many meats (I didn't ask...) and queso y chiles y cebollas. Even sharing we couldn't eat it all.

Springtime in Pátzcuaro, if not actually a song, is a melody of sights and sounds and, of course, tastes. Our good fortune in making friends hit another jackpot here with the amigos in the local RV park. RV people have a common bond of being adventurous and that extends to fooding. The Happy Hour is kicked up a notch in this group with the sharing of regional dishes and libations. My new specialty, (muchisimas gracias, Ana) is Sangrita, a delicious companion beverage for Tequila. It is refreshing and vivacious and colorful. I would tatoo the recipe on my arse if I had room. No comment.

Our new and muy especiál amiga, Paulita de Nova Scotia, created the most delicious cucumbers - even though she loves me dearly she said she'd have to kill me if she gave me the recipe. Looking at them you sense the refreshing scintillation of the dish.

Fine dining experiences are plentiful in Pátzcuaro...shown are a few highlights from the menu at Rick's. Geraldo de Nova Scotia was mid-bite and un-apologetic to the photographer. My dinner of pumpkin ravioli with squash blossom sauce (lower right) was perhaps the winner of best plate on the table. Geraldo doesn't look convinced or concerned about what he's missing...

The nearby fishing village of Zirahuén is on one of the prettiest and cleanest lakes in Mexico. Our comida was the "catch of the day" a very bright and fresh white-fish and a damn good chile relleno.

Every so often you get a bad meal even in Mexico --- our carne asada was sooo bad (how bad was it? shoe leather bad..) so we took the advice of our dinner mates who said, " in Mexico you can never go wrong with the carne ranchera." It makes sense - it's simmered in a sauce so it has more of a chance to be tender and tasty. Memorize this picture and be confident with your order. If it's too bad have another cervesa.

.....to be continued.

mOOners