El Izalco Market

March16

Today while enjoying a delicious lunch at the Winnipeg Winter Club, the conversation turned to food yearnings.  Winnipeg is just about as far away from Mexico as you can get in North America (except The Northwest Territories perhaps) and yet the entire table was in need of a  Mexican food fix.  That was when one person mentioned a place that I have never heard of.

mexican-market

I headed right down to the El Izalco Market at 696 Sargent Ave. (at the corner of Toronto St).  There I met Sarah Esperanza who has owned the shop for 11 years.  Sarah is delightful and so helpful.  She was so ready to find the products that I came for and to share her recipes with very little prompting. 

I purchased a package of her frozen homemade Chiles Relleno and when I asked her what kind of a tomato sauce that I should use, she said “Just wait, I’ll get you some of mine.”  She recommended that they be defrosted (in the mic) but then oven baked.  My husband and I went for a walk while they were in the oven and when we got home-the aroma in the house was intoxicating.  I topped them with cubed feta cheese and served them along side a mixture of rice, corn and red peppers.DSCF1817

I am familiar with a recipe when they are just stuffed with cheese-these also had a spicy sausage meat.  Oh my goodness-Sarah your Chiles Relleno are divine!

Kath’s quote: “There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”-George Bernard Shaw

Chili pepper heart

5 Comments to

“El Izalco Market”

  1. Avatar March 17th, 2010 at 3:46 am bellini valli Says:

    A agree with the quote from Shaw and we would all love this dish.


  2. Avatar March 7th, 2012 at 2:04 pm Jamie Ramirez Says:

    Yes! Sara is such an amazing sweet woman! I’ve been going there for a number of years, and her Chiles Relllenos are DIVINE!!!


  3. Avatar March 7th, 2012 at 2:10 pm Kathryne Says:

    You are so right on both accounts.


  4. Avatar April 5th, 2012 at 11:02 am j.d. Says:

    I went to El Izalco for the first time yesterday. Yes Sarah and Rene are wonderful. The selection is fantastic. I will definitely go back again and again!


  5. Avatar August 9th, 2014 at 6:10 pm Chuck Girard Says:

    Just bought most of my ingredients for a Puerco Pibil recipe. Really cool place and cool people who work there.


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