This will be the very first time (in my entire life) that I will not be having a traditional Christmas dinner in Winnipeg on December 25.  Instead: we are co-hosting 35 for an early dinner this weekend for D’s side of the family and will be assembling with the 40+ members of my side on Christmas eve at Brother #3’s home.

But on Christmas day, we will have arrived on our precious Isla Mujeres-our home away from home.  It was not a difficult decision, to know where we wanted to have Christmas dinner as Fredy is a member of our Isla family.  I already know this far in advance that I will be ordering his famous pork chop.  But in the mean time, I have managed to find a recipe for his Cilantro Shrimp.  This comes from the cookbook entitled Cocina Islena-a fund raiser for PEACE Isla Mujeres.  If you are a Mexican food lover-you MUST have this recipe book.

Fredy’s Cilantro Shrimp

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

7 ox. white onion, finely chopped

2 T cilantro, finely chopped

lime, salt & pepper to taste

1 t worcherstershire sauce

4 sliced jalepeno chilies

1 t olive oil (important)

1 t garlic

7 oz. manchego cheese (like mozzarella)

In a baking dish, place a layer of cilantro, add a layer on onion, a layer of shrimp, then another layer of cilantro, another or onion and a last layer of shrimp.  Season with lime, salt and pepper to taste.  Add worchestershire sauce, olive oil & garlic.  Once seasoned, add grated cheese covering the entiure surface.  Bake for approxuimately 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  Remove from the oven and garnish with sliced chilies and serve immediately.  Serves 2.

Fredy does not have a website but click here for his Facebook page.

Kath’s quote: “Some writers say the leaves [cilantro] are used for seasoning, but this statement seems odd, as all the green parts of the plant exhale a very strong odor of the wood-bug, whence the Greek name of the plant.”-Vilmorin-Andrieux, ‘The Vegetable Garden’ (1885)

I have many friends on Isla Mujeres.  Some I have shared a dinner or lazed upon the beach with and others I have met “cyberly” and then eventually met in person.  Such is the case with this friend who is a US ex-pat now living full time in paradise.  I have asked her opinion of the best place to go for a romantic dinner for two on Isla ( I happen to know a couple who could use one).

“Greetings from Isla Mujeres!  After some chilly weather (for us) it is finally a beautiful beach day!  The Island is quickly getting decorated for Christmas & it looks festive.  We just put our tree up on Sunday with the kids.  Now the count down for Santa begins!!
 
Sunset Grill is a pretty spot but I have heard mixed reviews about the food & the beach seating (they charge extra to sit on the beach).  By the time you arrive Fenix, an Asian Fusion restaurant should be open.  That is on the beach at NaBalam looking towards Avalon.  The couple opening it up used to have a quite popular place in Nashville. 

Looking west towards Cancun from the vicinity of Casa Las Suenos

A couple other romantic options with a view would include Casa Las Suenos (used to be Altmar Lounge, on Punta Sur next to Casa O’s).  It is a beautiful setting, under a great big palapa looking out at Cancun.  They have reopened their restaurant which used to be excellent but have not done any marketing to let people know.  Another soon to be opened & should be opened by that time is Marina Paraiso.  They have a chef from France who will be doing lovely dinners on their deck under big old  trees with views of the water.  I have been there for a private dinner & they food was incredible.
 

The Caribbean Side

Da Luisa at Casa Ixchel on the Caribbean side has a great ocean view.  I have not had dinner there but I have had tapas & drinks.  The chef Giorgio from Italy does a great job.
 
Without the beach or a view….Sergio from Rooster Cafe starts his Special Chef Dinner Menus around December 15th on Wednesday, Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays.  Honestly, his culinary creations are some of the best I have ever had in my life.  He is truly the most talented Chef (accredited at La Cordon Bleu in Austin) on Isla.  I am still dreaming about his pork belly three ways, his shrimp in a grapefruit reduction sauce & his filet mignon in huitlacoche sauce.  WOW.  The decor of Rooster is a bit more modern & for them evenings, he has table clothes & it has a nice romantic feel.  You can also make reservations for his chef’s tasting menu, where he will bring 5 or 6 courses out for you.  This is by far my favorite place for a special occasion.
 

The bright lights of Hidalgo

Also without a beach or view, Lori Dumm previously of Mango Cafe just opened up Lola Valentina on Hidalgo with a Mexican business partner, Rodolfo.  The place is very pretty.  The food is Mexican Fusion.  The tables are quite big so there is not a real romantic feel at the table but the lighting & decor feels romantic.”

Kath’s quote: “Your words are my food, your breath my wine. You are everything to me.”-Sarah Bernhardt

I’ve not known until this morning, the translation of this restaurant’s name: “the witch or sorceress, a hag”.  We’ve met the owners of La Bruja and I can’t imagine that he named this neighbourhood destination after his wife, who he clearly adores.  He and D compared notes about how it was quite pleasant that the kids were grown and we had had more time to spend together-nudge, nudge, wink, wink.  Although he professed that all of their time was spent in keeping the restaurant  open. 

There were no other tourists sitting around us at the tables that spilled onto the sidewalk.  But as the locals came to visit, they stood in the kitchen, chatted and ate.  Perhaps this lack of business, was because it was Ash Wednesday.  Although we are quite aware of the church calendar back home, we had to be reminded by the goings on by the service occuring right next to the restaurant.  This proved to be very enjoyable for us, as the babies were getting fussy and so older siblings were given permission to escort the little ones outside to try to distract them, until the festivities were concluded.    We love the Mayan children with their big brown eyes and quiet smiles.

But to the food.  D ordered shrimp tacos

and I the pan fried fish. 

I apologise for the photo quality-this trip was the last straw before I purchased my new camera.

The fish, as is typical on Isla, tasted just caught-because it likely was.  I was a little disappointed by the frozen fries but perhaps I should have avoided indulging in fries by this point of our trip.  D said that the shrimp were perfectly cooked (still firm) and the fresh veggies and salsas a delectable combination of tastes.

All toll, I recall that we spent about $17.  including cervesas that evening.  We walked home through the various neighbourhoods on the colonias peaking into living rooms and seeing hammocks swinging in the light of TV sets.  A perfect night on Isla.

Kath’s quote: “I wonder, now and then, if the prevalence of divorce has any connection with the decline of home cooking?”-Martha McCulloch-Williams

We go on our annual sojourn to Isla with a list.  A packing list?  No-I am happy to say that I’ve made the trip so often, that I know that I can pack light and spend most days in a bathing suit, pareo and flip flops.  I also come home with more clothes than I take because our friend and expert dress-maker Hortenzia whips me up a summer wardrobe each time I visit her.

The list that I refer to is a food list-restaurants that have opened on Hildalgo since our last trip, a number of places whose dishes I dream about all winter long (Fredy’s pork chops, La Brisa’s Fruite de Mare Linguine, Tino’s ribs) and undiscovered places that I’ve investigated in the Colonias.  Bimbo Dogs are always on the list too, but have never been checked off. I don’t know if this is their real name or the slang that Isla forum posters use-but this is how we know them.

The street carts are around the ferry landing and when we arrive on Isla we are so excited to head to our hotel or apartment and get settled in that we bypass them.  On other days we are heading to the beach with arms ladened with beach chairs, novels, sudukos, journals and perhaps a cooler full of Sol.

On the last day of our 2011 trip we were ticking many “must eats” off the list: we had breakfast biscuits from Barlitos, lunch at Rolandi’s, La Lomita’s Chiles Relleno for happy hour and were heading for yet another feed of fish and chips at Bally Hoo before boarding the ferry.  We were once again going to say “no gracias” as we walked past the cart but the aroma of the carmelized onions and buns steaming on the grill top was too much to resist.  And did I mention?  Bimbo Dogs are wrapped in bacon!

Kath’s quote:  “The hot dog, as the phrase runs, seems to have come to stay. Even the gastroenterologists have given up damning it…..I am informed by reliable spies that at their convention in Atlantic City last May they consumed huge quantities…..and with no apparent damages to their pylorus.”-H.L. Mencken

In keeping with the laid back nature of my favourite destination-many businesses are known for the “relational” name rather than an actual business name.  I think that this particular place has the word Taco in its official name but I simply know it as being two doors down from Alexa & Giovanni’s.  There is a row of loncherias that look like a row of garage doors when closed but bustle with people, coloured table cloths and amazing aromas when open. 

 The food is prepared and priced for the locals but the Islanders are such a friendly lot that they’ll always make room for one more.  On this day, we were with Isla friends that we see once a year while on vacation.  We were getting together for a birthday party around our hotel pool that night but because we were hosting the event, we were concerned that we might not get enough of a visit in.

Amidst the chatter I ordered Soupa de Pollo with Lima.

D dug into the platter of fresh fish.

One of the guys sampled the Mole Chicken.

J loved the pork chops and another J, the chicken enchiladas (except that the photo did not do the dish justice).  

All were plentiful portions of freshly prepared, delicious food.  I think that the le quenta including beer was about $7 each!  We love Isla Mujeres for so many reasons, not least of which is the fabulous food. 

Kath’s quote:  “Food responds to our soul’s dream as to our stomach’s appetite.”-Joseph Delteil