As Sister #3 mentioned earlier, tortillas are made both from corn and white flour, depending upon whether corn or wheat is the most prevalent crop in the region.  I have never attempted to make my own tortillas and watched eagerly for tips at The Little Mexican Cooking School, in case I got adventurous back home.  Sister #3 who is more at home with Mexican cooking even owns her own tortilla press.  But she does find the process far more complicated than it looks.  Kind of like watching a figure skater and wondering how they make something so difficult, appear so effortless.

Wherever we dine on Isla Mujeres, stacks of these are delivered to the table to accompany almost every dish.  A trip to the tortilla maker equates to a visit to the baker in Europe or (I am ashamed to say) the bakery department of the grocery store in North America. On this day at The Little Mexican Cooking School,  in Puerto Moreles we made corn tortillas and the ingredients are simple: 4 cups of corn flour and 2 1/2 cups of water.  But, as uncomplicated as the ingredients are, the procedure is an art form.  Mix the corn flour and water, little by little and knead to form a “masa”.  If it’s too dry add a little more water, if too wet, add a little more flour.  Then pinch off a piece of masa and roll it into a golf ball sized sphere.

Set the ball onto the tortilla press between 2 pieces of plastic. Press the masa, flip and press again for uniform thickness.  Transfer to a hot, dry skillet.  Cook for about 30 seconds on one side, gently turn and cook for about 60 seconds on the 2nd side, turn back to the 1st side for another 30 seconds.  Remove and keep warm.

Chef Christrobal demonstrated this and two other ways to form the tortilla.

By hand, where the masa is constantly passed back and forth between the palms and flipped and pressed with each motion.  The hand motion was fluid and mesmerizing and we could all see that Chef Christrobal had been proficient at the process for a very long time.

The third way was between two pieces of plastic on a hard surface where the masa was constantly pressed and pounded (gently) into shape.  Chef Christrobal also sent us home with these tips:

Making tortillas is not difficult, but the right portion of wet and dry is key.  The standard ratio is: 2 cups of corn flour to about 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups of water.  The tortilla dough can be worked with your hands without suffering.  It needs to be moist enough to stick together in a ball, but not so moist as to stick to the press like glue.

When making tortillas, the masa can dry out quickly.  Keep it covered with a damp cloth while you are working.

The use of a heavy gauge pan or griddle is important.  You are cooking at a high heat on a dry surface, and a lighter weight utensil can warp.  If you don’t have a comal, a heavy electric frying pan or cast iron skillet both work well.

Brown spots on your tortillas are good-an indication that they are handmade.

Put your tortilla in a breathable container, wrapped in a kitchen towel to keep warm and tender.  Corn tortillas can also be made 2 hours in advance, wrapped and reheated.  Reheat them in a 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes or in a microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Kath’s quote: “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.”-Julia Child

Love-that is all.

One of the most fascinating things that we learned at The Little Mexican Cooking School in Puerto Moreles was how essential chocolate was and is to Mexican history and culture.  In the gorgeous setting where the classes were conducted, we could not have felt further away from picking up a chocolate bar at the till of a convenience store.  Rain had fallen that morning and the garden around us was rich with aromas and sounds.  This was our setting while we learned about chocolate under the tutelage of Chef Christrobal.

The cacao tree flourishes in the south east of Mexico.  For thousands of years the Olmecas and then the Mayans have collected the little seeds from the ripe cacao pod.  The seeds were then fermented, sun-dried and then mixed into a drink that they called bitter-water.  Sometimes they would sweeten and flavour it with vanilla, honey or chili.

When the Aztecs ruled the empire, the cacao seeds were used as currency becoming more valuable than gold itself.  Only the richest of the rich could actually consume the food-they were literally “eating and peeing” their money away.  After the Spaniards arrived on Mexican soil and then returned to Europe, chocolate which is closer to the treat that we know today, was created.  We were reminded that chocolate along with the vanilla bean were the two greatest presents from Mexico to the world.

Chef Christrobal showed us how to roast the cacao seeds on a flat grill called a “comal”.  He constantly moved the seeds around until we started to notice a chocolate aroma.

Next, he demonstrated how to peel the roasted seed and then place them over a “metate”.  With muscle, he started to mash the seeds gradually adding sugar and then eventually the roasted cinnamon and vanilla.

The result of the process and all of Chef Christobal’s efforts:

The procedure was fascinating, the result delicious and Chef Christobal was not too hard on the eyes.  Artesanal chocolate making is one of the many reasons to check out The Little Mexican Cooking School.

Kath’s quote: “The Spanish ladies of the New World are madly addicted to chocolate, to such a point that, not content to drink it several times each day, they even have it served to them in church.”-Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin

Love-that is all.

This is the second installment of our time at The Little Mexican Cooking School in Puerto Moreles.  Sista #3 here again……

Most people in North America do not realize that when they talk about “Chinese Food” they are actually referring to an Americanized rendition that has very little in common with the food found in the various culinary regions of China.  Mexican food is similar.  A trip to Taco Bell does not compare to a meal of tik’n xic (grilled fish) or cochinita pibil (pork slow roasted in banana leaf and marinated in sour orange). These delectable dishes are native to the Yucatan Peninsula, where my family and I travel each winter.

Chef Christobal, our instructor that day at The Little Mexican Cooking School, hails from Oaxaca (pronounced – wa-HA-ca). Our class started with a review of the foods of Mexico and how they got there.  Prior to the arrival of Spanish the food in Mexico included; squash, corn, beans, turkey, fish, insects, cactus and various fruits, veggies and chilies.

The ingredients for dishes like the colorful Pico de Gallo (translation: beak of the roster) of tomato, cilantro, onion where nowhere to be found before the arrival of Columbus. The Spaniards brought things you would expect; livestock, wheat and vegetables that grew well in their homeland.  The Spanish had also spent some time in Asia, so also had with them things like rice, spices and citrus fruit. The perfect storm for the birth of a very tasty, cuisine.

Mexico has a diverse geography including 6,000 miles of coastline, the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, deserts, rain forests and of course islands! So it makes sense that the food of different regions would be based on the agriculture of that area.  Chef Christobal explained that this is why you find wheat tortillas in the north and corn tortillas in the south. Many of the chilies are the same species that have different characteristics dependent on the climate where they grow.

Like we tend to do with many aspects of culture, we have over simplified the food of Mexico.  Here’s an example.  Think of mole and you are likely to envision mole poblano, a sauce with many ingredients including chocolate that is native to the Puebla region. But travel to Oaxaca and you will find a variety of seven other moles. You see mole is simply the Aztec word for sauce.  The same concept applies to salsa, the Spanish word for sauce.  So you can see why people are confused when they read “papita salsa” on a menu and a green pumpkin seed sauce tops their dish.

Mexicans have much national pride and their food is one way they express it.  If you pay attention you will see the red, white and green of their flag in many of their dishes.  They are a resourceful people, good stewards of the land and animals and gracious hosts.

There is much to learn about all the cuisines of Mexico. I haven’t even mentioned food Meccas like Cabos, Tabasco, Baja, Guadalajara, or Mexico City.

Kath’s quote: “Mucho para cocinar, y no hay mucho tiempo para cocinar. – So much to cook, so little time.”-Sista #3

Love-that is all.

This is the long-promised recounting of our culinary adventure while vacationing on Isla Mujeres.  Puerto Moreles is a ferry trip and then a taxi ride away and even though it is hard to budge us from our precious Isla once we arrive, the promise of a new adventure involving food and beverages, was hard to resist.  This first installment is written by Sister #3.

When you think of enjoying a nice cold one in Mexico it is likely a cold Corona or a salty lime margarita come to mind?.  Mexico is a hot country and it is important to stay hydrated, and liquor, while refreshing, is not the answer.  If you are looking for a delicious alcohol free beverage while south of the boarder, there is a plethora to choose from.  

I never drink pop at home but I must confess I’m a bit addicted to Mexican soda.  Sure you can find the standard cola, lemon-lime and orange flavours but you will also be treated to some very unique taste sensations.  Jurritos is a popular brand and I am pleased to say they are now readily available for purchase at Latin markets around our fair city. Mango, guava, pineapple, watermelon are all fruit flavours that I can’t believe no one in North America is producing in soda.  They also make tamarind, which is a lovely sour taste, and one called Jamaica, which I have not tried, made from hibiscus stamen. I have eaten hibiscus and would say it is a bit perfumy for my taste.  My very favorite flavor is Manzana, which means apple, and it is harder to find. Lift, a coca-cola made version, is everywhere in Mexico but I love Sidral Mundet, which, like the Jurritos, comes in a glass bottle with a pop top. 

On our last visit to Mexico, my sister Kathryne and a friend and I took a day trip to experience The Little Mexican Cooking School in Puerto Morelos.  Besides learning about the food of Mexico we had the opportunity to try some of their homemade “soft’ drinks. 

We started our morning with a chocolate making demo and then this delectable hand made chocolate was used as the base of our first beverage. By adding water and ice our cinnamon, vanilla, sugar, and cacao seeds, AKA artesian chocolate, we had a light and refreshing, and might I add, caffeinated beverage.

Our next break featured a frosty jar of melon agua fresca, which translates to fresh water.  To make agua fresca fruit is pureed and then strained through cheese cloth.  Water, lime juice are added and voila!  Another kind of fresh water was our treat at the next break.  Horchata is made by adding water to ground rice, cinnamon, sugar and a little lime zest. The mixture is strained and the flavourful rice milk is the result. 

We ended our day with a cold corona, followed by a glass of sangria and a shot of really good tequila with our main meal. OK old habits are hard to break, but it was great to have the chance to enjoy other traditional Mexican beverages that day.

Kath’s quote: “The correct order of beverages is starting with the most temperate and ending with the most heady.” –Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Love-that is all.

Can you tell that I am in blogging catch up mode?  There were so many things that I wanted to have written about before the summer came along and here I am, still getting caught up on food and travel adventures from April!

D has a diverse range of music tastes.  I would say considerably more far- reaching than mine.  The truth is, that I find it hard to concentrate when music is playing and often choose to have the house silent when I am working.  When I am in the kitchen, I often have the TV news on or maybe Ellen, which I really enjoy.  In the car, I listen to a single station and typically hear the same favourite songs quite frequently.  D is constantly attempting to broaden my horizons and this spring he purchased two tickets to see his favourite band- Airborne Toxic Event in Minneapolis and asked me if I would like to tag along.  With the promise of some shopping and good eating, I was happy to do so.  Little did he know, that I would love the band as much as I did and now find myself absolutely hooked on their ballads.

With so many dining choices, all within walking distance of our downtown hotel, it was very hard to make a decision.  We decided not to venture to Murray’s , even though there is something about the place, that draws me back again and again.  Could it be the turquoise tiles on the façade?  I love the authentic, retro décor and as I recall, the food was excellent too.

The night of our arrival we happened upon a downstairs restaurant known as Hell’s Kitchen.  The promise of “damn good food” was just too tempting to walk away from.  Although we were offered up some tasty dishes, they were very heavy-handed with the salt shaker.  In fact, most places that we dined in Minneapolis we found the same thing.  I love salt and know that its addition enhances almost every food you eat, but this kind of salty was when your mouth gets sore from eating.  I have only encountered this once before and that was the day that I decided to skip lunch and only consume sunflower seeds on the beach instead.

We started off with State Fair Cheese Curds.  D and I had attended the State Fair when we were first dating which was so long ago that Kenny Loggins was the headliner that evening.  Our remembered supper of cheese curds has stayed with us until this time and we longed to try them again.  The inside was hot and creamy and the coating crispy and crunchy (just way too salty).

As soon as I saw that they had Walleye on the menu, I did not have to take any more time to decide.  Walleye (Canadians call it pickerel) is my favourite fish, bar none.  When tossed into a mixture of Parmesan coating, the flesh came out perfectly cooked (just a slightly bit too salty-ok, I’ll stop now). D opted for a Ham and Pear Crisp Sandwich.  We shared nibbles with each other and enjoyed the upbeat servers and the funky décor.

D photo bombing my picture.

Before the concert the next evening, we found a spot a bit closer to the venue at First Avenue.  The Rock Bottom Brewery Restaurant was just our cuppa tea.  We started this evening with a beer flight so that we could inch ourselves up the beer palette ladder to one day equate J1’s (who is currently studying for his brew masters credentials).

The fish tacos were recommended from the appetizer menu by our server.

It was happy hour and all appetizers were on special, so we just had to oblige and also ordered an oey goey cheesy shrimp dish, that we dunk lovely baguette pieces into.

Unfortunately by this time, I was done in with food consumption.  I ordered a salad for dinner but my valiant husband managed to force (for the purpose of research, doncha know) the meatloaf extravaganza!

So much fun in such a short space of time.  Thank heavens the Twin Cities are just seven hours away.  A quick couple of days getaway, is always such a lovely break.

Kath’s quote: “Don’t smoke too much, drink too much, eat too much or work too much. We’re all on the road to the grave — but there’s no need to be in the passing lane.”-Robert Orben

Love-that is all.