Tag Archives: mexican food

Oct31

What A Week!

Posted on by
Standard
What A Week!

Tonight can’t be Halloween already. Of course in Mexico the celebration of Dia De Los Muertos culminates with a parade tonight and partying in cemeteries over the weekend. Here in Aguascalientes there is quite the display in El Centro along with music, dancing and food.

But I’m passing on the parade this year. I will be watching the Blue Jays-Dodgers game. And yes, I watched all 18 innings Monday night. And I sincerely hope the Blue Jays take it on home turf. It’s been quite a series.

I’m settling in for the winter. I first discovered Aguascalientes in 2019. I arrived in January for three weeks after spending a couple of months in Culiacan and San Ciro de Acosta. I intended to stay for 3 weeks but stayed for 3 months. I returned that fall determined to visit the museums I had missed the previous winter. But Covid came along and I wound up staying until September of 2020 when I was able to get back to Washington. I returned to Aguascalientes in the fall of 2021 and it has become my winter home.

My Spanish has been getting a workout here in Las Flores. I’m not pantomiming as much when I shop at the tiendita or at the tianguis. And conversations with neighbors are going well although I still feel they speak way too quickly. I understand more when they speak slowly.

Yesterday I met some of my Mexican friends at Country Break for lunch. This is a quaint little restaurant that plays country music in English, although it is part of a Mexican chain. Great hamburgers and fries. A very popular place with Mexicans.

Speaking of food, Ricardo is cooking for me again and I am absolutely delighted. Tomorrow he is bringing me prime rib of beef Mexican style and 3 types of tamales. Earlier in the week I enjoyed chiles rellenos, enchiladas suizas and lasagna. Yes, he makes a wicked lasagna!

I got together with another friend and we had breakfast at La Palapa de Charly, another favorite restaurant. Delicious omelets are served with chilaquiles and beans. And the turtles still greet you at the entrance.

I belong to a book club in Cashmere and I’m keeping up by reading books on Libby now that I’m back in Mexico. The current book is Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. I’m almost finished it and will email my comments to Joanne to share at the meeting next week.

I’ve also watched 2 interesting movies in Spanish this week. I pass on the subtitles. It’s a great way to improve my Spanish. Friends have recommended that I watch soap operas, but I prefer movies. Occasionally I opt for The Simpsons or Dora The Explorer. But movies are more my thing.

And that’s what I’m going to do right now. I’m going to watch a movie while I eat my lunch.

Have a great weekend!

Apr8

Capirotada: Mexican Bread Pudding

Posted on by
Standard
Capirotada: Mexican Bread Pudding

Although I had been in Mexico for several years, the first time I ever tasted this amazing dessert was when I arrived in Aguascalientes back in 2019. A friend had a loncheria and this was on the menu when I stopped in one day.

Capirotada is popular during Lent, especially during Holy Week. It consists of layers of toasted bolillo, soaked in piloncillo syrup, cinnamon, cloves and aged cheese. Raisins, nuts and coconut are sprinkled on top. And to make it even more decadent, lechera may be poured over it.

This dish actually dates back to ancient Rome, Spain and Medieval Europe and didn’t originate in Mexico. The ingredients differed but I am going to focus on the Mexican version in this post.

The name “caripotada” comes from the word “capirote.” These refer to tall hoods worn during religious celebrations.

Each of the ingredients has a religious significance, which I just recently found out. The bread signifies the body of Christ. The syrup represents the blood of Christ. The cinnamon sticks are the cross. The cloves are the nails. And the cheese is the shroud.

For me, the symbolism now gives new meaning to the tradition of eating capirotada during Lent. And on that note, I hope to find some when I’m out on my walk later on today.

Apr2

Ho Hum Humpday

Posted on by
Standard
Ho Hum Humpday

Don’t ask me why but I was wide awake at 6:30 this morning. This is NOT my norm. Consequently I found myself actually eating breakfast at 9:30 am, long before I usually do. My norm is lingering in bed with coffee for a couple of hours while watching a movie in Spanish and scrolling through newsfeeds and emails, throwing in a few games of Candy Crush.

I feel so disoriented. I hate when that happens. I think I’ll blame it on my protagonist. He was on my mind when I fell asleep last night. I’m doing the final edit of my third draft and I’m still trying to tweak that one part that just isn’t quite what I want it to be. YET.

It’s going to be another hot one. Yesterday the temperature soared to 89 degrees. My friends in Washington assure me that it’s warming up there too. In a little over a month I’ll be on my way back. And I don’t want to see snow.

The other day one of the members of our Conversation Club sent me a video of tranquil ocean waves. So calming and peaceful. He is currently somewhere in the Caribbean for a week, a professional musician and entertainer who is currently working on a cruise ship. One other member of our group, another musician, is on a flight to Barcelona today. He will be working on a cruise ship for 6 months.

Cruises. I have friends who love them. They’ve been all over Europe, Alaska, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean. Me? Nope, although I once did go on a cruise in the Puget Sound for a few hours. That’s more my speed. I’d rather vacation on the beach or in the mountains.

I’ve learned some really interesting trivia from my newsfeeds this week. Apparently Vincent Van Gogh didn’t cut off his entire ear. He only cut off the lobe. The Blue Lagoon in Malta attracts over 10,000 tourists every day, although it’s only 1.4 square miles. Steve Martin once received a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance. His instrument of choice was a banjo. And the East Wenatchee Macy’s store is not on the chopping block.

Do you know what alambre de puerco is? It has now become one of my favorite foods. When I put it on the translator it came up as pork on a wire. A wire? Shish Kabob comes to mind. Nope! Ricardo, the guy who cooks for me, sent me a pic. So I ordered it. And it’s amazing! Tender pieces of pork and delicious vegetables in a tantalizing sauce.

And now on to Alexa. Why can’t you trust atoms? Because they make up everything.

Yesterday was April Fool’s Day and today is Humpday. Double whammy this week. I guess that’s why the off-the-wall post today.

Feb28

Menudo and Me

Posted on by
Standard
Menudo and Me

Everyone always asks me what my favorite food is here in Mexico. There is so much to choose from that I really struggle with the answer to this question. Tacos al pastor, tacos barbacoas, enchiladas suizas, tamales, pozole, quesadillas, chile relleno, tortas ahogadas, aracherra, guacamole– and the list goes on and on.

Now, ask me what my least favorite food is. Hands down it’s menudo. But before I tell you what menudo is, I’m going to tell you about my introduction to this delightful?? delicacy.

Several years ago, Isaias and I were on one of our weekend jaunts to some small town or other in Jalisco. We always sought out places to eat where the locals hung out. That’s where we found the best as well as the most authentic food. Isaias used to call it typical food.

We were seated at a small table and Isaias glanced up at the menu on the chalkboard. “Menudo!” And he grinned from ear to ear. He ordered for us and we were soon served warm (nothing is ever served hot here) bowls of……bowls of…… I studied the contents carefully. Was that an eyeball staring up at me? And what were those other unidentifiable pieces of, perhaps meat? or not?

I gingerly dipped my spoon into the bowl after Isaias assured me it wasn’t an eyeball. I bravely sipped some of the broth and it tasted……weird, strange, not too spicy. But as for everything else floating around in that bowl…….while I did recognize the onion and cilantro, the rest of the ingredients were still a mystery.

Isaias was now squeezing the obligatory lime into his second bowl. Come on, Karen! You can do this. After all, Isaias loves you and isn’t trying to poison you. Besides, he’s already wolfed down his first bowl hungrily. I very tentatively put a piece of who knows what onto the spoon along with the broth.

I was momentarily distracted when an older Mexican woman brought us a plate of freshly made tortillas. I had noticed her sitting at a table across from us, along with her rather large basin of masa and a tortilla press.

Back to the menudo. The spoon with its mysterious content was now in my mouth. It was chewy and felt awkward. But somehow I managed to swallow that piece of whatever it was. I passed my bowl over to Isaias who was now halfway through his second bowl.

He looked up at me questioningly. And he looked even more surprised when I flagged over our server and ordered a quesadilla.

Are you curious? Do you want to know what menudo really is? I almost puked when I got home and googled it. Cow’s stomach. Tripe. And many of my students tell me that menudo is a popular item on the menu before they come to school.

No thanks. I’ll stick to yogurt and granola.

Feb6

It’s Thursday

Posted on by
Standard
It’s Thursday

I started off my day as usual sipping coffee in bed and watching a movie in Spanish. The movie this morning was about hoarders. It was a nice change from the usual kidnapping, stalking and murders. Gracias Lifetime channel.

I strolled through the tianguis on my way to breakfast. Fruit, vegetables, clothes, housewares, tools; you name it and it was there this morning. But the shoppers were far fewer in number than they were before Christmas. I was surprised, as Valentines Day is coming up and that is big here.

I arrived at Chili, one of my favorite breakfast places, and ordered my usual chilaquiles, huevos revueltos and frijoles. I chatted with people at neighboring tables, always eager to practice speaking Spanish. I noticed that others were bundled in sweatshirts and jackets, while I wore my usual short sleeve t-shirt. Early morning 70s are just fine with me.

My upcoming trip to visit my friend Angie in Pachuca is now in place. Yesterday I went to the bus station. Of course the website doesn’t resemble the schedules that actually exist, so it’s always fun when it comes down to actually buying the tickets. I’m not taking my preferred ETN, but I do get to bypass Mexico City so that is a plus.

I’m listening to an audiobook on Libby as I try to stay current with my book club in East Wenatchee. I like listening to audiobooks. It’s a nice change from staring at a computer screen. And I get to color and relax at the same time. But I do miss holding an actual book in my hands.

I have a student coming later today. I’m trying to get him to speak more in English rather than just write. We’ve discussed videos we’ve watched about airplanes, helicopters and cars. His special request for today is a video about tanks. We will be comparing the Bulldog with the Spartan.

I’ve been taking photos of my neighborhood, Las Flores. When I look back at old photos, not too much has changed around here in the last six years. I’ve always maintained that living here is like stepping back in time to an era of mom-and-pop restaurants and shops. And it’s nice to see families frequenting the parks together rather than large indoor shopping malls.

And now it’s time to do some editing.

Dec17

Posada

Posted on by
Standard
Posada

The word “posada” means “inn.” Posadas are generally held from December 16th-24th. Although posadas have become synonymous with parties, the roots are religious ones. They commemorate the journey to Bethlehem by Joseph and Mary. Back in the 16th century, Augustinian missionaries introduced these searches for shelter in order to teach the Nativity story and to replace other pagan rituals. In the end, the innkeeper lets the pilgrims in and there is a celebration.

I’ve lived in different places in Mexico and have seen different celebrations.

One of the most memorable was in San Ciro. There was a procession down the main street of this small town that included Mary riding on a donkey. The procession culminated at the Catholic church where children sang and danced before smashing open a pinata.

In Culiacan the school held a dinner party for the staff. The tradition of singing and looking for shelter before the birth of Jesus was a big part of the celebration. And of course we adults got to break open a pinata.

Here in Aguascalientes I’ve seen groups of people singing out on the streets going from door to door in search of shelter, just as Joseph and Mary did.

In Tlaquepaque I was invited to a house party the first year I was there. I need to clarify here that house parties rarely began before eleven at night and usually ended at around seven in the morning. That year I only lasted until five. In the years following I made sure I had a long siesta before the party.

The schools where I taught had posadas for the students. The pinatas were always the highlights. The seven points represent the seven deadly sins. When the pinatas are broken open, the candy that falls out represents the faith that good things follow when evil is conquered.

Aside from the candy that falls from the pinata, a celebration would not be complete without food. The traditional drink is ponche (a warm fruit punch often spiked with tequila.) Tamales ( filled corn husks) are the main course and bunuelos ( a fried pastry) are a typical dessert.

Oh oh! I have a new neighbor two doors down and she makes bunuelos!

Nov20

It’s Different Here

Posted on by
Standard
It’s Different Here

Looks like I got out just in time. I missed that bomb cyclone in Washington with hurricane force winds, downed trees and powerlines. Friends in East Wenatchee are reporting power outages and more than six inches of snow. I’m shivering just thinking about this.

Here in Aguascalientes the temperature has been far above the norm for this time of year. I’m back to taking walks early in the morning and then again later at night.

Now that my room is organized, I have more time for writing. In addition to the novel I’m working on, one of my online writers’ groups gave an interesting challenge — “Write the story of your life as a narrative rather than as a collection of stories for a book of memoirs.” Seeing as I’ve struggled with the latter, it’s tempting to take up the challenge.

Last weekend Gloria and I went out to Tres Centurias. When I first got here five years ago, I took way too many photos of the trains so this year I only took photos of the catrinas. They hadn’t been taken yet although Dia de los Muertos was November 2nd. Then we walked over to Malva and had a delicious lunch of cochinita pibil.

Yesterday I went to my favorite bakery where I was greeted enthusiastically by the owner, “Maestra!” Somehow that name has stuck. The first time I went there I told her I was a retired teacher. Of course the word “retired” was eliminated immediately.

I also went to another favorite store where I buy a few things I don’t find at my corner tienda. And once again the staff remembered me. This store has a variety of meat and cheese as well as crepes and hotcakes.

My Spanish is getting a workout. Raul is pretty much the only one I speak English to. Of course I still have to tell my neighbors “mas despacio, por favor.”

My Spanish must be improving. I watched a crime show on TV the other day and actually picked up on most of the subtle cues although I’d never seen this episode before. And I don’t use subtitles.

Happy Humpday!

Mar22

Food In The News

Posted on by
Standard
Food In The News

In my determination to avoid reading all the negativity in world news, I decided to turn to reading about something on the lighter side when checking out the headlines.

Anyone who knows me is well aware that I’m a chocoholic. So I read with interest an article about Cadbury and two new chocolate bars on the horizon. Boasting larger chunks than Dairy Milk, both Nutty Praline Crisp and Caramel Nut Crunch sound delightful.

Costco is now offering ice cream in the food court. Chocolate, vanilla and twist. No idea if that’s here in Mexico now as I won’t be going to Costco again until I’m back in East Wenatchee next month.

Wendy’s—your new Frosty flavor doesn’t appeal to me although I have heard others say they are excited about it. Orange Creamsicle. I was never fond of that back in my childhood and always opted for Fudgsicles instead. And I will stick to ordering my chocolate Frosty.

Oreos. You are selling churro oreos? Okay, I’ll try them. But the real McCoy is the churros here in Mexico, especially the ones filled with cajeta or chocolate.

For nut lovers, Planters has some new nut duos that sound interesting. Cashews with Espresso Hazelnuts is the one that appeals most to me. Peppercorn pistachios with Parmesan Cashews comes second. In third place is Buffalo Cashews with Ranch Almonds.

Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Raisin bread has long been a favorite. The new flavor is Lemon Blueberry Swirl. I’m undecided about that one.

Subway is changing their drinks from Coca Cola to Pepsi. I rarely patronize Subway but will now avoid it as I prefer Coke.

On that note, I’m going out to find some ribeye tacos and guacamole.

Provecho!

Feb29

February

Posted on by
Standard
February

February may be a short month but it’s been a busy one. And it’s a leap year which means that today is a leap day. And I have only one month left until I fly back up north.

I was tutoring Emiliano yesterday and he told me that his classroom at school is haunted. I had to double check the translator on that one to make sure I heard him right. He told me that at night the chairs and desks move around. He says the windows and lockers open up too. Apparently a few years ago a student fell down the stairs as well. An interesting legend.

Texas is burning up. The state has set a record for the largest wildfire. Gusting winds are in the forecast. I wonder if it will spread to any neighboring states.

On the plus side once again a partial government shutdown has been averted. That makes me happy. Air traffic controllers were set to walk off the job along with many other workers. But I also wonder how long it’s possible to put these last minute short term deals together before all hell breaks loose.

Most of my Zoom meetings are done now. While the programs and classes I’ve attended have been interesting, they have also consumed way too many weeknights this month. And then there’s the task of reorganizing my notes and putting them in files. I’m looking forward to having more free time now for writing.

I went our for breakfast with my friend Gloria yesterday to celebrate her birthday. We went to one of my favorite neighborhood cafes where they actually prepare chilaquiles that are not too picante. I find that as I’ve grown older my body doesn’t enjoy spicy foods the way it used to.

On the topic of foods, a new restaurant opened up close by. I had the most delicious ribeye tacos and the guacamole was also amazing. Can’t wait to go back and try other items on the menu.

Movie of the week I watched in Spanish was The Sixth Sense. It was a lot more challenging than the English version I saw many years ago. But it’s still a great movie.

Time to practice Spanish with Duolingo.

Saludos!

Nov9

Reborujado

Posted on by
Standard
Reborujado

This morning I took an Uber over to the Barrio de Salud where my friend Gloria lives. I first met Gloria three years ago. She is Mexican and had a small cafe where she sold Argentinian empanadas and it was only a 15 minute walk from where I lived. Last year she lived in Tulum and I never did get around to visiting her there. But Gloria is back in Aguascalientes and recently opened a small cafe called Reborujado.

First off, Gloria has an amazing professional coffee machine and makes lattes, cappuccinos and the best black coffee in Aguascalientes. For breakfast we feasted on tzatziki… a toasted bolillo with avocado and smothered in the best tzatziki I’ve eaten anywhere.

Gloria makes homemade pasta which I can hardly wait to try another time. Items such as molletes, avocado toast, empanadas, paninis, tortas as well as a variety of teas and smoothies are also available. I adore her empanadas and took some home with me to enjoy later.

If you live in Aguascalientes or are visiting here, I highly recommend that you visit Gloria at Reborujado. The address is La Luna 224 in Barrio de Salud. My feature photo is my friend Gloria and her daughter Romina.