Category: Art and Culture

Carmen Titita Ramírez y Restaurante El Bajío, Mexico City
El Bajío's original restaurant is puro folclór (completely traditional and colorful) in its decor as well as its extraordinarily delicious food. The cardboard Judas (devil figures) are typically burned on Holy Saturday night, but these have survived to keep an eye on you as you dine.

At a recent book presentation at the UNAM Jardín Botánico (Botanical Garden at Mexico's national university), Mexico Cooks! renewed acquaintance with the deservedly celebrated Carmen Titita Ramírez Degollado, founder (with her husband) and owner of Mexico City's Restaurantes El Bajío. Titita, as she is known to family, friends, and faithful customers, graciously invited us to come for comida at whichever of the eight El Bajío restaurants we preferred, and we chose the founding site, in the far northern part of Mexico City called Azcapotzalco. We particularly wanted to see the birthplace of the legendary restaurant.

Founded by Titita's husband Raúl in 1972, the highly successful restaurant has now expanded to eight locations in various parts of Mexico's capital city.

Twenty-nine years ago, when Titita was left a widow with five children, she took over running the restaurant. Over the course of the years, it has become a temple dedicated to the preservation of Mexican recipes, particularly those from her Veracruz homeland. Her cooking skills, like those of all the best Mexican restaurant owners, were honed in her home kitchen, watching and learning from her mother and other female relatives and her childhood nanas (nannies). "Mexican food is not about fusion with other cooking styles. Mix Mexican food with Japanese, or Italian, and what do you get? Confusion! Traditional Mexican food is like traditional French or Italian cuisine: recipes and techniques are time-honored formulas carried intact into today's kitchens. My restaurant cooks might use a blender instead of a metate (volcanic grinding stone) to save time in the commercial kitchen, but the end result, the food on your plate, is the same as it was decades ago."

Titita next to the gorgeous wall of baskets that decorates the Colonia Polanco branch of El Bajío. After our several-hour multi-course meal at the original location, Titita took us to Polanco to see that site. "Yes, we'd love to go with you today–but," we begged her, "please, please, don't feed us anything else!"

Because we were Titita's guests, we barely looked at the El Bajío menu. Titita, a supremely generous hostess, graciously ordered a lengthy tasting menu for us, a selection of some of her clients' favorite items. The full menu is available at the restaurant's website.

The first course brought to the table was antojitos de banqueta (little sidewalk whims), so called because these treats are normally eaten while you're standing at a street stand. Clockwise from nine o'clock on the plate, we ate a gordita de frijol inflada (puffed-up thick tortilla, the masa mixed with black beans, served with that tiny dish of smoky salsa de chipotle meco), a garnacha orizabeña (a small tortilla topped with Orizaba-style shredded beef, diced potato, and, in this case, red salsa), an empanada de plátano macho (the masa (dough) of the empanada is made of sweet, ripe plantain which is then filled with black beans and fried), and a panucho yucateco (a small tortilla covered with Yucatecan-style black beans, cochinita pibil, onion and chile habanero).

Next, each of us tried a tasting-menu size portion of cebiche verde de cazón (green ceviche made of dogfish, a kind of shark, marinated in citrus and chile).

One tiny round empanada rellena con frijoles negros (a round empanada filled with black beans), dusted with Cotija cheese. The beans were delicious with the subtle anise flavor of dried avocado leaves.

Arroz con mole de Xico (Mexican red rice with Xico-style mole), accompanied by a tiny serving of chicken breast and slices of plátanos machos fritos (fried ripe plantains).

Mayora Sandra Olvera is in charge of making El Bajío's mole; she's holding a standard-size plate, ready to be served to a restaurant client. Doña Sandra has been in the kitchen at El Bajío for its entire 40 years. For more than 30 years, Mexico Cooks! has eaten mole everywhere in Mexico and this extraordinary mole de Xico is by far my favorite.

Two of the members of Los Tuxpeños, a group specializing in traditional music from Veracruz. They are often at El Bajío to enliven the guests' comida (main midafternoon meal of the day).

A short breather in between courses: I confess that I was ready to be disillusioned by El Bajío. Whether cracking open a much-ballyhooed best-selling book, planning to see an Oscar-winning movie, or tucking into a legendary restaurant's meal for the first time, I am often guilty of having the preconceived notion that, "It couldn't possibly be as good as the hype." Let me tell you that El Bajío is at least as good as its publicity. The atmosphere is lovely, the food is world class, and the service is excellent.

Titita told me that this little clay pig–although it's not so little, measuring more nearly a meter from snout to tail–hails from Toluca and is used to steam-heat tamales. The door in the side, once used for carbón (Mexico's charcoal), is now used for an alcohol burner.

Titita and her restaurants have participated in world-wide events and have won every prize conceivable, including the following:
- 1998 "The Amercian Academy of Hospitality Services" Five Star Diamond Award.
- Participated for 10 years in the culinary events of Festival Anual del Centro Histórico de la Ciudad de México.
- Consultant for various restaurantes in the United States and Europe.
- Active member of the Asociación Mexicana de Restaurantes (AMR).
- Member of the International Association of Professional Chefs (I.A.C.P.) of the USA.
- For three years, demonstrated Mexican cuisine at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, California.
- Represented Mexico in the USA-based television commercials for the campaign "Got Milk" in Los Angeles, California.
- Won recognition as "La Llave Empresarial 2006" granted by AMAIT y ABASTUR in México.
- Nominated by the New York Times as one of the two great matriarchs of Mexican cooking.
- Won the 2008 and 2009 restaurant business merit prize.
Titita assured me that the menu, the quality, and the prices are the same at all of the eight El Bajío locations, regardless of neighborhood and regardless of clientele.

Quesadillas de flor de calabaza (quesadillas made with squash flowers, epazote, onion, garlic, and chile jalapeño). The deep, rich, complicated flavor of these quesadillas was pure Mexico.

Somehow we dived into two of the courses much too fast and the food escaped the Mexico Cooks! camera. One was a taco of delicious carnitas estilo Tacámbaro (Tacámbaro-style pork) that gave us a taste of our beloved Michoacán, the other, a tasting plate of pescado a la veracruzana (Veracruz-style fish, with tomatoes, onions, and olives), brought us back to Titita's birthplace on Mexico's east coast.

The last touch to a typical meal from the east coast of Mexico: a small dish of frijoles negros refritos (refried black beans), to eat with totopos (tortilla chips) or to roll into a small taco. One of these is plenty as the final toquecito salado (little salty touch) to a meal such as ours.

And then there was dessert! We shared two: first, a marvelous individual-size dark chocolate tart filled with cajeta (otherwise known as dulce de leche) and topped with a coffee bean, created by María Teresa Ramírez Degollado (Titita's daughter), her partner Joan Bagur Bagur and their staff at Artesanos del Dulce.

Next, the hands-down best capirotada I have ever eaten. If you've been around Mexico Cooks! for long, you know that I am a huge fan of this typically Lenten dessert–but wow, this one is stupendous for any time of year.

Titita also gave us a copy of her beautiful cookbook, Alquimias y Atmósferas del Sabor: Alta Gastronomía de doña Carmen Titita (Alchemy and Atmospheres of Flavor: Haute Cuisine of doña Carmen Titita), with superb photo illustrations by internationally known photographer Ignacio Urquiza, Editorial Tiempo Imaginario, México. First published in 2001, the book won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award in 2002. The second edition was published in 2009. As far as Mexico Cooks! knows, the book is presently available only in Spanish.

Alquimias y Atmósferas del Sabor is as exquisite in its presentation as in its recipes, several of which are offered on the menu at all of the El Bajío restaurants. Try Titita's recipe for empanadas de plátano macho; it's very simple and will make your household and your guests sigh with delight. Here is Mexico Cooks!' translation of Titita's recipe. Serve these empanadas with any Mexican main dish you choose and freshly prepared rice; they are marvelous with a rich mole served with chicken or pork.
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Empanadas de Plátano Macho Rellenas con Frijoles Refritos
Plantain Dough Empanadas filled with Refried Beans

Ingredients
3 very ripe platános machos (plantains), skins on
Salt to taste
1 quart water
Enough vegetable oil to fry the empanadas, with a little extra to coat your hands while shaping them

Refried black beans

Special utensil
Tortilla press or rolling pin

The plantains are ready to use when their yellow skins have turned almost entirely black and are showing a bit of mold–just when you might think it is time to pitch them in the trash.

The day before you want to serve the empanadas, cook the plaintains without peeling them in the quart of boiling water. Allow them to cool overnight.

The next day, peel the plaintains and discard the peels. Mash the plantains to make a smooth paste that you will use as the empanada dough. Rub vegetable oil all over your hands and make 12 little balls of the plantain dough.

To flatten the dough, put each ball between two sheets of plastic (a cut-open freezer bag would work very well) and flatten into circles with either a rolling pin or the tortilla press.

In the middle of each plantain dough circle, put a tablespoonful of refried black beans. Fold each empanada in half, completely covering the beans with the plantain dough. Firmly press the edges together so that the beans cannot escape while the empanadas are cooking.

Heat the oil almost to the smoking point and fry the empanadas until they are a beautiful deep golden color. Drain on absorbent paper.

Arrange on a small platter, garnish with a flower or two, and serve.

Makes 12 empanadas as a side dish.

You will love these empanadas and your family will beg for them.
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Click for the El Bajío location nearest you in Mexico City: Sucursales

When you go, please tell Titita that Cristina at Mexico Cooks! sent you, and give her a hug from me.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.
25 de June de 2011
Morelia en Boca en la Boca de Todos :: Everybody’s Talking about Morelia en Boca, Part 2

Here's Mexico Cooks!, once again starting at the finish. As we always say: life is uncertain, eat dessert first. This particular postre (dessert), the sweet finale to a special Morelia en Boca Friday night dinner at Restaurante LU, is by chef Roberto Santibáñez of Fonda Restaurant in New York.

The sold-out dinner, titled Luces de New York en Cielo Michoacano (Lights of New York in the Michoacán Heavens), was constantly surprising in its scope and, equal to its name, heavenly in its flavors. This dessert is a meringue mounted on sweetened cream of queso Cotija (Michoacán's signature artisan cheese) and filled with a mixed-berry compote, and passionfruit ice cream colored with red flowers. The combination of contrasting flavors was stunning; after the first forkful, everyone at Mexico Cooks!' table simply stared at one another, speechless with delight.

Another plate from Luces de New York en Cielo Michoacano as prepared by chefs Roberto Santibáñez and Lucero Soto Arriaga: fresh Michoacán trout, smoked over guava wood and chilled, garnished with a gaspacho of cucumber, pineapple, avocado, and shredded beets.

Last week Mexico Cooks! introduced you to some of the world-class chefs who stood over the hot stoves at Morelia en Boca 2011. Today, let's eat! The festival food–a Mexican combination plate ranging from far-southern Chiapanecan tascalate (see below) to a Baja California tartaleta de chocolate con chile habanero (chocolate and chile habanero tart) to Michoacán's own uchepos con crema y salsa (fresh corn tamales served with cream and fiery sauce)–was as diverse as Mexico's geography. Three days of non-stop food and drink, all served under an unprecedented blazing ball of central Mexican sun, left us Morelia en Boca participants breathless but wanting more.

Patricia Zepeda accompanied her niece, brilliant young Chiapas chef Martha Zepeda, to Morelia en Boca. Tía Paty helped staff Chef Martha's stand featuring San Cristóbal de las Casas restaurant Tierra y Cielo. Bearing up to the challenge of Morelia's intense midday sun, Paty served chilled and refreshing horchata de tascalate to all comers. I first tasted tascalate at Morelia en Boca. A sleekly smooth and blessedly cool agua fresca (fresh water) common to Chiapas, it's made of ground tortillas, chocolate, cinnamon, achiote, vanilla, sugar, and water. Some recipes also incorporate ground pine nuts. In addition to tascalate and several wonderful botanas (appetizer-size nibbles), the booth also offered classic Chiapaneco pox (pronounced and often spelled posh), a fermented and sometimes fruit-flavored knock-your-socks off liquor made of sugar cane.

Demonstrated by chef Betty Vázquez and the team from Riviera Nayarit, this pescado zarandeado (sauced and grilled fish) leapt with color and flavor. The sauce, an adobo of chiles, garlic, and other ingredients, is brushed onto the skin-on butterflied fish prior to grilling. Traditionally grilled over a wood fire, the fish is juicy and tender.

During Morelia en Boca, Mexico's food and wine event of the late spring season, ticketholders had the opportunity to taste as much of the bounty of Villa Gourmet as they liked. Villa Gourmet, a large interior patio at the Palacio Clavijero, overflowed with specially constructed and rustically sophisticated wooden booths where more than thirty providers show off their wares: beer from Belgium, wines from Spain, France, and Mexico (among other countries), and foods from all over Mexico vied for space in our stomachs. Some attendees concentrated on the numerous wine and beer tastings, while others concentrated on the food.

Bread! Glorious loaves like these, offered for tasting at Morelia en Boca's Villa Gourmet, are baked by chef Elena Reygadas's Italian restaurant Rosetta, located in Mexico City's Colonia Roma. Morelia en Boca attendees rapidly found the restaurant's stand at the festival's Villa Gourmet and devoured every crumb.

At Morelia en Boca's Villa Gourmet, Mexico Cooks! talked with Ricardo Serratos of Hotel Real de Minas, San Miguel de Allende, and Elena Reygada of Restaurante Rosetta, Mexico City.

In addition to the daytime Villa Gourmet, the three nights of the festival offered special dinners prepared by internationally-known chefs in conjunction with Morelia restaurants. The likes of Mikel Alonso (Restaurante Biko, Mexico City), Roberto Santibáñez (Fonda Restaurant, New York), Enrique Olvera (Restaurante Pujol, Mexico City), and Margarita Carrillo de Salinas (Restaurante Don Emiliano, San José del Cabo), to name just a handful, cooked wowzer dinners for those who were lucky enough to get tickets to the rapidly sold out meals.

Mezcal from Chef Pilar Cabrera's Oaxaca Restaurante La Olla, served in seedless, veinless, hotter-than-you-know-where chiles de agua, their rims crusted with sal de gusano, a powerhouse mix of salt, ground maguey cactus worm, and powdered chile.

Simojovel chiles from Chiapas.

An appetizer plate by chef Rodolfo Castellanos, owner of Restaurante Huaje in Oaxaca. From the left on the plate are mezcal foam, fresh and barely roasted tuna with a coating of chile chilhuacle ashes, and a small salad of slivers of Michoacán's native black-skinned avocado, onion, tiny tortilla chips, and cilantro, all in a piloncillo vinaigrette. This five-course dinner (titled Pasión a Fuego Lento: Erotismo en la Cocina–Passion over a Slow Fire: Eroticism in the Kitchen), was prepared by Chef Castellanos in conjunction with chef Margarita Carrillo de Salinas and served at Morelia's Restaurante San Miguelito. The meal included wine pairings from Casa Madero, Mexico's oldest wine grower, with a literary talk about the dinner's title by author José Iturriaga and wine discussions by the extraordinary scholar and sommelier Pilar Meré.

José N. Iturriaga, the delightful and erudite author, historian, and gastronome, signs a copy of his most recent book, Confieso que He Comido (I Confess That I Have Eaten). Just before the dinner Pasión a Fuego Lento: Erotismo en la Cocina (Passion over a Slow Fire: Eroticism in the Kitchen) at Restaurante San Miguelito, Sr. Iturriaga spoke about the relationship between two hungers, one erotic and the other for food. Photo courtesy Francisco de Santiago, Mexico City.

After the brilliant Saturday night dinner at Restaurante San Miguelito, chefs (left to right) Rodolfo Castellanos, Margarita Carrillo de Salinas and restaurant owner Cynthia Martínez enjoy the happy applause of their guests.

We'll finish with dessert by Margarita Carrillo: tartaleta de chocolate, chile habanero, y almendras con helado de canela hecho en casa (little chocolate tart with chile habanero and ground almonds, served with home made cinnamon ice cream) and Casa Madero brandy.

Note: all links to chefs and restaurants are for your information only and are not paid endorsements.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

18 de June de 2011
Morelia en Boca en la Boca de Todos :: Everybody’s Talking about Morelia en Boca, Part 1

Morelia en Boca 2011 offered three full days and nights of gastronomic conferences, wine and food tasting, and marvelous dinners (with wine pairings) prepared by internationally-known chefs. Whispers of the glories of this festival-to-come had circulated for an entire year, and Mexico Cooks! had eagerly awaited the event.

Everyone's first question was, "Why a rabbit for the festival logo?" The rabbit, long linked with the rich culture of Michoacán, has several meanings. First, it refers to the former town of San Juan Parangaricutiro, which was relocated to the former hacienda known as Los Conejos (the rabbits) when the erupting volcano Paricutín destroyed the original town in 1943. Second, the logo refers to the ancient Purhépecha legend of the rabbit in the moon. According to the legend, the mischievous rabbit devours the ripe produce in a farming family's fields. The farmer then traps the rabbit to serve as a family dinner. The smart rabbit tricks a coyote into freeing him from his cage. The watching moon–considered to be the rabbit's mother–gives her son the gift of zigzagging and hopping in order to escape the angry, hungry, and desperate coyote. Just as the rabbit is about to be trapped, the moon drops down a silver ladder that she has knit from spiderwebs. The rabbit hops high and skips up the ladder, disappearing forever into the moon's embrace. The coyote is left on the earth to howl his pain, his hunger, his fear, and his desperation, while the rabbit is plainly visible on the shining face of his mother, the moon. Next time the moon is full, take a look and you'll see him for yourself, still cuddled in the moon's embrace. The rabbit in the moon, ancient emblem of Michoacán and Mexico, is visible to the entire world.

Mise en place (all previously prepared ingredients in place) for a cooking demonstration, one of many presented at this recent and enormously successful international culinary event . The pre-measured ingredients that you see here are displayed in tiny dried jícaras (gourds).

The festival paired renowned chefs from as far south as Oaxaca and Chiapas with others from as far north as New York City. Food writers and photographers from both Mexico and the United States descended en masse on Morelia for the event. The most common and excited exclamation among wine and culinary participants at the festival–in both Spanish and English–was, "Oh my god, we're friends on Facebook and finally we get to meet in person!"

From left, Oaxaca's Chef Pilar Cabrera of Restaurante La Olla, Morelia's favorite daughter Chef Lucero Soto Arriaga (Restaurante LU, Morelia), and Chef Iliana de la Vega, of the Austin, Texas restaurant El Naranjo (formerly based in Oaxaca). The three laughing chefs were mid-presentation at Morelia en Boca.

The group from Cocina al Natural, including Celia Marín, Bertha Herrera, Martha Ponce, Sonia Ortiz, and Ana Luisa Suárez of Vinos Wagner, a sponsor of the website. Cocina al Natural launched its website with a joy-filled presentation that included video, delightful talk, and chilled white wines from from Vinos Wagner.

Morelia en Boca offered something for everyone with an interest in either food or wine or both. Daily conferences included panels speaking on topics ranging from the importance and influence of the Culinary Institute of America (Chefs Iliana de la Vega and Roberto Santíbañez) to the launch of the new and wonderful interactive–and very user-friendly–website Cocina al Natural (Celia Marín and Sonia Ortiz). Equally diverse demonstrations included presentations by chefs Enrique Olvera (Restaurante Pujol, Mexico City), Pablo San Román (Restaurante DO, Mexico City) and the new generation of chefs represented by Rodolfo Castellaños (Restaurante Huaje, Oaxaca) and Marta Zepeda (Restaurante Tierra y Cielo, San Cristóbal de las Casas), and an enormous chocolate sculpture–of our logo rabbit–by premier Mexican chocolate maker and chef José Ramón Castillo. More than a dozen separate catas de vino (wine tastings) showed off wineries from Mexico, France, Spain, and the United States. The Belgian brewer Gouden Carolus beamed over its featured offerings of summery wheat beer and truly delicious fruit flavored beers.

Part of the team from Riviera Nayarit, including the outstanding west coast chefs (left to right) Gerardo Sandoval Fernández, Betty Vázquez, and Marco Valdivia. The Riviera Nayarit stand at Villa Gourmet offered portions of aguachile de camarón (raw shrimp marinated in a sometimes-fiery sauce of jugo de limón and chile serrano), along with a delicious Nayarit-style cebiche topped with spicy Salsa Huichol, one of the sponsors of Riviera Nayarit's visit to Morelia en Boca.

Mexico Cooks! on the job. Photo courtesy Adriana Pérez de Legaspi.

Food and wine tastings at Morelia en Boca took place at the Palacio Clavijero, a 17th Century Jesuit school. In the building's second patio, more than 30 charming wooden providers' booths surrounded a multitude of comfortable tables and chairs. The cost of festival tickets included good-sized tastes (really, as much as you wanted) of both food and drink, including treats from Oaxaca, Chiapas, Nayarit, and Michoacán, Belgian beer, and wines from several countries.

Drop-dead delicious bite-size dark chocolate cups filled with jam handmade from Michoacán-grown blackberries and topped with artisan-made queso Cotija, also from Michoacán. These little marvels (and a big selection of others) were available at the Morelia Museo del Dulce stand at Villa Gourmet.

Next week, come back for Part Two of the festivities at Morelia en Boca. Mexico Cooks! will feature the Morelia en Boca dinners prepared by chefs Roberto Santibáñez of Fonda in New York City, Lucero Soto Arriaga of Morelia's Restaurante LU, Margarita Carrillo de Salinas of Restaurante Don Emiliano in Cabo San José, Baja California Sur, and Rodolfo Castellanos of Restaurante Huaje, Oaxaca.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

11 de June de 2011
Mexico City Places to Go, People to See, Things to Eat and Drink…

Chocolate a la española (Spanish-style hot chocolate), Café El Popular, 5 de Mayo #40, Centro Histórico.

San Antonio de Padua (St. Anthony of Padua), José Guadalupe Posada. Collection Carlos Monsiváis, Museo del Estanquillo, Isabel la Católica #26, Centro Histórico.

Pepitorias for sale at San Ángel's delightful Bazar Sábado.

Just a shell of its former self, a shadow of its former glory. Remains of private home, Colonia Roma.

A bolero is not always a song. Shoeshine stand, Centró Histórico, DF.

MetroBus stop, Glorieta Insurgentes. Another kind of shadow.

MetroBus, Glorieta Insurgentes.

Gradas al Atardecer (Stairway at Dusk), Escuela de Gastronomía Mexicana, Col. Roma.

Cocktail hour sunglasses from the 1960s, modeled by the vendor. La Lagunilla.

18th Century barroque Templo de la Profesa, Isabel la Católica esq. Francisco Madero, Centro Histórico. From the rooftop, Museo del Estanquillo.

Champurrado (atole, a thick, hot corn-based drink, in this instance made with chocolate), Restaurante Flor de Lis, Col. Condesa.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

4 de June de 2011
Puro Amor: Pure Love, Diana Kennedy and Oaxaca al Gusto

In Mexico City, la señora Diana Kennedy signed copies of her most recent book, Oaxaca al Gusto, for a long line of eager fans. If you would like to buy an English-language copy for yourself or as a gift, click on its book cover on the left-hand side of this page.

On May 6, 2011, Diana Kennedy's Oaxaca al Gusto, a work based in pure love of one of Mexico's best known cuisines, received the prestigous 2011 James Beard award as cookbook of the year.

Mexico Cooks! has been a Diana Kennedy admirer for more than 30 years. Her books, starting with her first, The Cuisines of Mexico, have taught me and countless others the pleasures as well as the travails of Mexico's regional cooking. I just counted: nine of her books are on my kitchen bookshelf, all of them well-spattered with the multiple ingredients from some of the hundreds of recipes that she has collected and published. The deep green color of roasted chiles poblanos, profoundly yellow speckles of flor de calabaza (squash blossoms), and brick-red splashes of salsa de chile guajillo (a sauce made of guajillo chiles) compete with the print on the pages to make a mosaic of well-remembered meals shared with friends.

Initial slide from the UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) presentation of Oaxaca al Gusto on April 8, 2011, when old friends and new fans gathered to hear Diana Kennedy talk to us with great humor and obvious enjoyment of the occasion.

Since 1971, Diana Kennedy, born in Essex, England, has been the world's best-known authority on Mexican regional cuisines. In his April introduction of Oaxaca al Gusto, Dr. Robert Bye said, "Diana Kennedy does for Mexican cooking what Julia Child did for French cooking and Marcella Hazan has done for Italian cooking."

Were it not for her investigation, teaching, assessment, and promotion of the cuisines of Mexico, many of us would be stuck in a Tex-Mex web of gloppy yellow cheese, sour cream, and black olive-topped burritos. Instead, she has shared with us the wonders of the Mexican home kitchen, where the best of our cuisines continue to be found.

Dr. José Sarukhan, the biologist and esteemed rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, spoke eloquently about Sra. Kennedy and her newest book. "Her work is a treasure," he began, and ended his talk by saying, "The best pacholas (flattened and spiced ground beef patties made using a metate [pre-Hispanic grinding stone]) in all of Mexico are made from her recipe."

Sra. Kennedy's honors are many and entirely well-deserved. From an initial Mexican award given to her work in 1971, right up to the present, she has continued to garner ribbons, plaques, and prizes for what she has accomplished in her lifetime. Among her most prominent awards, she was decorated in 1981 with the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest award given to foreigners by Mexico's government. In 2003, she was made an MBE–a Member of the Order of the British Empire–by the British government, this time for her work in furthering cultural relations between Mexico and the United Kingdom.

Oaxaca al Gusto (original Spanish version) on Mexico Cooks!' dining room table. The 400-page book, published first in Spanish, is now available in English.

In addition to offering a good deal of insight into Sra. Kennedy's research and investigation while writing Oaxaca al Gusto, the book presentation allowed an in-person peek at the tremendous esteem given to her by her Mexico City-based colleagues. Dr. Robert Bye and Maestra Edelmira Linares, co-presenters of the UNAM event, spoke lovingly of how her work has influenced even the Jardín Botánico (Botanic Garden) of the university, working in conjunction with Sra. Kennedy to rescue some of the plants and the knowledge about them that up until now, "She has only kept the knowledge in her head. Now we will all be the beneficiaries."

Maestra Edelmira Linares, co-organizer of the book presentation and a friend of Sra. Kennedy's. Her terrific smile is emblematic of the enjoyment we all experienced at the event.

During her talk, Diana Kennedy said, "This is not a formal book. It's a book from the people of Oaxaca, written for everyone." And like the informality and generous nature of the book, the book presentation itself was informal, generous, and, in a word, fun. In addition to the participation of Sra. Kennedy and her UNAM colleagues, we were delighted by a wonderful degustación (tasting event) after the various speeches. Several Mexico City restaurant owners and Sra. Kennedy herself had prepared marvelous examples of Oaxacan food for all of us.

A delicious and refreshing agua de melón con nuez (fresh fruit water made of cantaloupe and nuts), prepared by Restaurante El Bajío and its owner, the legendary Carmen Titita Ramírez.

Tortitas de acelgas (bite-size squares similar to quiche, made with Swiss chard). Prepared by the El Bajío staff.

Chichilo negro, a Oaxacan mole made with beef, as prepared by Restaurante El Cardenal (Hotel Hilton Alameda) and its owner, Marcela Briz. The recipe is in the book.

A Oaxacan cebiche, prepared by Mexico City Restaurante Contramar and presented by the restaurant owner, Gabriela Cámara.

Gorgeous and delicious skewers of shrimp and vegetables, also prepared by Restaurante Contramar.

Wonderful frijoles refritos (well-fried beans) prepared by Diana Kennedy and brought to the book presentation. The beans, served on totopos (corn tortilla chips) were flavored with hoja santa and Oaxacan chile costeño.

The beginning and the end of the afternoon's festivities: the wonderful and entirely special Diana Kennedy.

What an afternoon! All of us who were present learned a bit more about the delightful Sra. Kennedy and her life's work, and we enjoyed the real taste of Oaxaca–Oaxaca al Gusto!

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

28 de May de 2011
De Paseo por Avenida Amsterdam: Out Walking on Avenida Amsterdam, La Condesa, DF

A couple of weeks ago, we went walking around our neighborhood, out for a late afternoon stroll on Avenida Amsterdam. It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood! Sígame…follow this footprint, left for posterity in the cement sidewalk, and let's see what we see.

Azul añil (pronounced ah-ZOOL ah-NYEEL and often called Frida blue) wall with inset tiles and green window bars.

Art Deco era detailing above a window.

French doors and balconies.

Edificio Colonial (Colonial Building) detail with potted plants.

Portion of cast iron window protection.

African iris blossom, Plaza Iztaccihuatl.

Late afternoon light and shadow, Art Deco-era building.

Smoking a hookah is muy de la moda–very much in style.

It's mango season and vendors' carts are out on all our corners. Ten pesos (about 80 cents US) buys the whole mango, cut into the shape of a flower and served estilo mexicano (Mexican style)–liberally spritzed with key lime juice, sprinkled with salt and spiced with powdered chile.

Restaurant wheel-around planter box, a barricade against gawkers peering in from the sidewalk to see what's on your plate. Yes, the plants are real.

Window protection: old wrought iron and copper with white curtain.

Flower seller's stand with sunflower.

Fabulous paint job, beautiful Art Deco-era building.

The Love Ambulance. In case of emergency, CALL! On the ambulance door, it reads, "Emergencies of Love".

We'll go out walking another day, capturing another of La Condesa's marvelous streets. You come too!

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

21 de May de 2011
Restaurante Azul/Condesa: Chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita in La Condesa, Mexico City

The latest restaurant news from Mexico City's leafy, gentrified Colonia La Condesa is Chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita's Azul/Condesa at Nuevo León #68, almost at the corner of Calle Laredo–and walking distance from Mexico Cooks!' house. This eagerly awaited joint venture between Chef Muñoz and restauranteurs Gonzalo Serrano Orozco and Salomé Álvarez (formerly of Restaurante/Bar Ligaya) opened in late January 2011. Mexico Cooks! photo.

Just as Mexico Cooks! was in the process of renting an apartment in La Condesa, our good friend (that's the disclaimer, everyone) Chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita announced that his newest baby, Restaurante Azul/Condesa, was about to open right here in the neighborhood. After having made–and several times–the lengthy but worthwhile trek to the far-southern Ciudad Universitaria (UNAM campus) site of Chef Muñoz's first restaurant, Azul y Oro, the news that his menus would be available within walking distance of us produced an ecstasy of anticipatory drool.

The ambience in all of Azul/Condesa's dining spaces–downstairs, upstairs, and in the garden–is conducive to enjoying a relaxing drink, a fine meal from the fixed or festival menus, and a changing gallery of art. Photo courtesy Azul/Condesa.

Start with a straight-up tequila, limones, and a chaser of terrific, flavorful, and picante house-made sangrita. Another option, served in typical jícaras (carved half-gourds), is a mezcal from Azul/Condesa's excellent tasting list. Mexico Cooks!' particular favorite is Oaxaca's mezcal Amores. Mexico Cooks! photo.

Something less than a year ago, Gonzalo Serrano and Salomé Álvarez approached Ricardo Muñoz with the idea of opening a new restaurant in the Ligaya building. After fourteen highly successful years at Ligaya, the Serrano/Álvarez partnership wanted to offer something new to its public. Gonzalo Serrano said, "We believe that it was time to offer a discerning clientele a taste of Mexico that goes beyond the Vitamina T choices that are most common in this neighborhood." (Vitamina T refers to a steady diet of tacos, tortas, tamales, and other standard fonda (small restaurant) or street food fare that starts with the letter 't'). The three restauranteurs hit it off immediately and Restaurante Azul/Condesa was in the works.

Before opening, the new partners collaborated in making changes to the interior spaces as well as the menu. The kitchen underwent a complete renovation, as did the restaurant furnishings. Tables, chairs, linen, and dishware were re-designed for the new venture. Upstairs, a new cantera (stone) floor was installed. Everything was planned for the comfort and enjoyment of the client, as well as for a different style but equally professional use of the kitchen. Photo courtesy Azul/Condesa.

From Azul/Condesa's fixed menu, a salad of arrugula, pear, roquefort cheese, and cashew nut dressed with balsamic vinegar. Each dish on the menus is a work of art as well as an incredible explosion of flavor on your palate. Photo courtesy Azul/Condesa.

The Azul/Condesa menu concept divides between fixed and festival menus. Some menu offerings stay the same, ranging from salads to desserts. The festival menus change each month. The initial festival was Alma Jarocha (the soul of Veracruz), featuring dishes from that eastern coastal state. The main courses of the festival menu featured predominately seafood specialties such as Veracruz-style octopus, a fish in green pipián (in this case, a thick pumpkin-seed based sauce), and Boca del Río-style shrimp in a sauce of white wine and smoky chile chipotle en adobo. In addition, the Veracruz dessert menu showcased vanilla, mamey, guanábana, and other products from the state.

Buñuelos rellenos de pato rostizado (roast duck stuffed into wee packets and deep-fried, similar to fried wontons) are served with Oaxacan black mole, thin slices of steamed calabacita (zucchini), and fresh blackberries. This dish is on the menu as a main course for one person, but it also makes a marvelous appetizer for a table of three or four diners. Mexico Cooks! photo.

During the month of March, we were in love with the menu called Festival de Moles y Pipianes. The menu was set up in two parts: one side offered a selection of twelve moles and pipianes–just the sauces–and the other side offered a selection of eleven different meats, birds, and fish. The possibilities were endless: for example, almendrado huasteco, an almond mole from Veracruz, combined equally well with imported pheasant as with breast of turkey medallions or New Zealand lamb ribs. Chichilo negro, a Oaxacan black mole flavored with avocado leaves, made the kitchen's perfectly cooked medium-rare filete de res (filet of beef) a spectacular choice.

A vegetarian appetizer from the fixed menu: tamalitos de acelgas, bañadas en caldillo de jitomate (little swiss chard tamales, bathed with a thin tomato sauce), from the state of Tabasco. Photo courtesy Azul/Condesa.

Traditional Yucatecan cochinita pibil (pit-roasted pork), cooked in a banana leaf and garnished with pickled red onions. Photo courtesy Azul/Condesa.

During the month of April, the festival menu was called MMMM…Mango!, to celebrate the onset of that fruit's season in Mexico. Everything from salads to desserts included mango: diced into guacamole, garnishing your steak or shrimp, fresh-frozen into ice cream, or served as a simple bowl of the king of fruits, mango made your perfect choice of dinner even better.

Sautéed shrimp covered with mango salsa–delicioso! Mexico Cooks! photo.

Have you bought your plane tickets yet? Just wait! Desserts are as marvelous as everything else on the menu at Azul/Condesa. Your choices range from the simplest bowl of ice cream to the outrageously delicious–well, I truly don't know what I prefer. You look:

Espuma de guanábana is a light-as-a-breath refreshing soursop (I know, a terrible English name for a fabulous fruit) mousse served with your choice of salsas: the red fruits that you see in the photo, black zapote, or chocolate. Photo courtesy Azul/Condesa.

Tamalito de chocolate (little chocolate tamal), accompanied with a custard sauce, chocolate sauce, AND a mixed-berry sauce, then topped with slivered almonds and whipped cream. Oh man… Photo courtesy Azul/Condesa.

Last, pastel de tres leches (three milks cake), served with a generous pour of rompope (Mexico's eggnog–this devilishly good liqueur has its origins in a convent) and presented with fresh fruit and a variety of sauces. Photo courtesy Mexico Cooks!' dear friend from Guadalajara, Tim Welch.

We've tried to capture a photo of the dessert that Mexico Cooks! prefers, but somebody has always snitched a forkful before we can take the picture. Triángulo de café pluma is a multi-layered coffee-flavored cake, filled with coffee butter cream and covered with dark chocolate and is well worth snitching.

Beautiful in concept and extraordinary in execution, Azul/Condesa fills a niche in this Mexico City neighborhood that has been vacant until now. The fixed menu is marvelous, the festival menus are filled with regional and seasonal treats that you will love. Prices? Moderate.

Go. When you're visiting Mexico City, just go.

Azul/Condesa
Nuevo León #68
Colonia La Condesa
Mexico, D.F.
Telephone 5286-6380 or 5286-6268 for reservations
Monday through Saturday from 1:30PM until 1:30AM, Sundays 1:30PM until 6:30PM.

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14 de May de 2011
Mexico Cooks! in Mexico City, Our New Base of Operation

Our apartment building in Mexico City's leafy, bohemian colonia Hipódromo La Condesa. This newly gentrified old neighborhood is full of hip restaurants, trees, parks, and stylish people walking stylish dogs. Mexico Cooks! fits right in–well, at least our two stylish little dogs fit right in!

Our extremely stylish Papillon, Olive, is flirting with you. Desi, the male, is equally stylish but shy.

If you've been reading Mexico Cooks! for any length of time, you know how deeply in love Mexico Cooks! has always been with the state of Michoacán and all its wonders. From my very first visit in 1982, Michoacán has been home to my soul. That love has not changed.

Nevertheless, about eight months ago, my partner and I reluctantly began talking about moving elsewhere. The current problems in Michoacán are serious, as are the problems we experienced in Morelia. Mexico Cooks! has always been primarily about the joyous beauty of Michoacán; that physical beauty hasn't changed, but life there has been deeply affected by what we all hope are the temporary difficulties of living in a city and state where narcotraficantes (drug traffickers) cause big and frequent trouble.

I have been loathe to write about these problems and have believed that surely their end is near, but our personal life in Morelia–and my professional life as Mexico Cooks!–continued to be gravely impacted by the ongoing situation there. Recurrent and very real narcoviolencia all over Michoacán made it all but impossible to take visiting tour groups out into the hinterlands to visit small-town fairs and festivals. Mexico Cooks! would never put you at risk, nor would I choose to be at risk myself. In addition, traffic problems and constant road blockages made it increasingly difficult to travel even the short distance from our Morelia home to Morelia's historic center.

Ultimately, we decided to move to Mexico City. Before, during, and since the move I have repeated, "In more than 30 years in Mexico, it never would have occurred to me that life is more secure in Mexico City than it is in the provinces. But life in Mexico has changed, and my knowledge about security has also changed."

Our new home when we first saw it in January 2011. The gray paths are heavy paper, put down as temporary protection for the newly varnished 60-year-old hardwood floors. This long room measures about 40 feet from the front door to the French doors leading to the balcony.

We spent part of December and part of January apartment-hunting in the big city–its current population estimate is something above twenty million. After searching in several neighborhoods, we narrowed our choice to La Condesa, where several of our friends already live.

In mid-January, we found what we were looking for: a large, quiet apartment in a building with an elevator, within walking distance to public transportation and at a rent we could afford. After having seen any number of apartments that were definitely not 'the one', it was love at first sight when we opened the door to this one. In mid-February, we moved. The moving company estimated that they packed and transported seven tons of our household goods, and when moving-in day arrived, the building's elevator was not working. All seven tons of furniture and moving boxes came up the stairs on the backs of the moving crew. Ay ay ay!

The same room, post-move, looking toward the French doors.

Another view, this time looking toward our front door.

The Mexico Cooks! kitchen. Long and skinny with a door on either end, the kitchen is convenient for both cooking and serving meals. The apartment measures very nearly 1900 square feet.

The Mexico Cooks! office, where I write the articles and process the photos. All of the rooms have marvelous floor-to-ceiling windows for lots of light and air. One of the fringe benefits of moving to this part of the city is ease of getting around: we parked our car in the building's garage and have not moved it since mid-February. We walk everywhere, take the Mexico City metro or the MetroBus if we're going a longer distance, and will only use the car for trips outside the city–that is, if we don't take one of Mexico's superb long-distance buses.

We're lucky to have twice-weekly tianguis (street markets) within three blocks of our apartment. Every Tuesday and Friday, we stroll over to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, poultry, eggs and many staples. The neighborhood supermarket is handy (and also within easy walking distance) for needs the tianguis can't meet.

Street food is everywhere around us. This stand, Tortas y sincronizadas Los Cuñados (the brothers-in-law) is on a corner less than half a block from our building. The owner opens every day except Sunday, from about 9:00 AM until early evening. The first few weeks we were here, we bought sincronizadas (think flour tortillas stuffed with ham, egg, cheese, and chiles, then grilled till the cheese oozes out the sides) or tortas (sandwiches made on a soft telera roll) for breakfast nearly every morning.

Leaving Michoacán has been very difficult for me. Don't get me wrong: I love our beautiful apartment, I love our neighborhood, and I love Mexico City. I think it's the most exciting city in this part of the world. There may come a time when my soul moves here to join my physical self, but just for now a huge part of my heart is still in residence in the mountains of Michoacán.

Art Deco era building, Avenida Amsterdam, La Condesa.

Mexico Cooks! is taking a new direction starting this week; I think you'll enjoy the places we go and the things we bring you. Stay tuned every Saturday morning: we'll be right here. Let us know what you think as you explore this incredibly vibrant, totally electric, cosmopolitan and crazy city with us.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

30 de April de 2011
Una Muestra de Gastronomía in Michoacán: A Food Fair in Michoacán

The Purhépecha woman in the foreground pats out tortillas while her companion sorts through a plate of golden, freshly cut flor de calabaza (squash blossoms).

The first two mornings of the huge annual artisans' crafts fair in Michoacán begin with a food fair: una muestra de gastronomía. Fifteen or so outdoor kitchens, set up around a charming plaza just a block from the crafts booths, offer cooking demonstrations and inexpensive meals of representative Purhépecha dishes. The food, rustic and rarely seen outside a Purhépecha home kitchen, is, in a word, heavenly. The Mexico Cooks! group trooped into the food fair just in time for Saturday breakfast. They could have known who we were by the way our mouths were watering with anticipation.

Corn is the basis for the indigenous Mexican kitchen, and the tortilla is the lowest common denominator. On the table in front of this woman, you can see the metate (three-legged rectangular grinding stone) and the mano (similar to a rolling pin) resting on it, along with the prepared masa from which tortillas are made. Both the metate and the mano are hand-carved from volcanic rock.

To your left of the table is the clay comal (similar to a griddle) that in this instance rests loosely on top of a metal drum in which the wood cook fire is built. Prior to use, the comal is cured with cal (builders' lime). The cal serves two purposes: it gives the comal a non-stick surface and it adds nutrients to the masa as it toasts.

In the past, all of Mexico's women prepared dried corn for masa by soaking and simmering it in a solution of water and cal. The name of the prepared corn is nixtamal. Once it's processed, it's ready to be ground into masa for tortillas, tamales, and other corn-dough preparations. Some rural women still grind nixtamal-ized corn by hand using the metate and mano. Some take the prepared corn to their neighborhood tortillería (tortilla vendor's shop) for grinding, and some prepare their masa using commercial dried corn flour. In urban areas, the majority of Mexican families buy tortillas hot off the tortilla baker at the tortillería and carry them home, wrapped in a special hand-embroidered towel, just in time for a meal.

This woman prepares her stove, made of part of a metal drum with an opening cut away for firewood. She's spreading a paste made of wood ash and cal on and around the top of the the drum to hold the comal in place. The white streaks on the red clay comal are cal. The volcanic rock metate and mano are on the bench in the background. Her well-used clay cooking pot is visible to your left.

This joyous woman is patting out blue corn tortillas. The masa and mano are on the metate in front of her. She's toasting the tortillas and roasting tomatoes and chiles on her clay comal. The comal is set into a clay stove fired by wood. The haze that you see is woodsmoke.

The Purhépecha kitchen repertoire includes numerous atápakuas (literally, a type of thick, soup-like salsa served plentifully over prepared food). The Purhépecha word atápakua has meaning deeper than its simple definition. Its connotation is food that is picante (spicy), nutritious, and life-sustaining in a spiritual sense. Mexican culinary historians agree that the preparation of atápakuas dates from as long as 400 years before the Spanish Conquest, around 1100 AD, when the Purhépecha were strong rulers in the area of Mexico that is now Michoacán.

An atápakua can be made from the ingredients that are easily found in the region. The specialty of one tiny village of the Meseta Purhépecha is atápakua del talpanal (wasp larvae). Another town's specialty is xururi atápakua, the principal ingredient of which is cotton seeds. More commonly, indigenous cooks prepare their atápakuas of seasonal and readily available vegetables, wild herbs and greens, and a bit of meat, poultry, or fish.

We of Mexico Cooks! didn't eat wasp larvae or cotton seeds. We inhaled bowls of atápakua de flor de calabaza (thick, soupy salsa served over squash flowers, fresh corn kernels, and chunks of corundas de ceniza (unfilled tamales made with masa and wood ash).

In the closeup of the atápakua you can clearly see the corn kernels (closest to the bowl of the spoon), small pieces of calabacita (similar to zucchini), orange squash flowers, and a piece of white corunda. For flavor and color, chiles serrano and cilantro are blended into the cooking liquid. The thin, soupy salsa is then thickened by blending a small ball of masa into the hot liquid. This atápakua is deliciously spicy and tastes as fresh as the garden. I finished my portion and wanted another bowl.

Here are Susan, Steve, and Gayla, all part of the Mexico Cooks! breakfast crew. We had already gobbled our atápakua (witness the empty bowls) and had moved on to snarfing down the jahuácatas we're holding. Jahuácatas are similar to gorditas. Purhépecha women prepare the jahuácatas by folding freshly patted tortillas and refried beans into multiple thin layers, then toasting the finished product on the comal.

Churipo, shown above, is one of my favorite Purhépecha specialties. Churipo is a hearty soup, the delicious broth flavored by long cooking with beef, cabbage, calabacitas, xoconostle (the sour fruit of a specific nopal cactus), onion, chile, and other ingredients. Served with a squeeze of limón (Mexican lime), a sprinkle of coarse sea salt, tortillas hot off the comal and corundas de ceniza broken up in the bowl, it's a wonderful meal in one dish. If your palate will take the heat, eat some raw chiles serrano along with your bowl of churipo. Remember that the tip of any chile is less picante than the stem end, where most of the seeds are. Photo courtesy Steve Sando, www.ranchogordo.com

Late in the afternoon, after we'd investigated as many of the crafts booths as we could, we were all in need of something very light and fresh for our comida (middday meal). We ordered a fruit plate and a plate of guacamole with totopos (triangular fried tortilla chips) at a local restaurant.

For dessert we found limones, with the pulp scraped away, candied and stuffed with cocada (coconut candy). Half of one of these is plenty!

This was such a sweet finish to a fascinating day in Michoacán. If you'd like to travel to this event in 2012, be sure to email Mexico Cooks! in time to save your place for adventure.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

23 de April de 2011
Tianguis Artesanal Domingo de Ramos :: Palm Sunday Artisans’ Fair, Uruapan, Michoacán

Originally published on May 9, 2009, this article takes us to the annual Tianguis Artesanal Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday Artisans' Fair) in Uruapan, Michoacán. The 2011 fair opens today (April 16) and runs until May 1.

Waving papel picado (cut paper) dance sticks and elegantly dressed in red velvet aprons trimmed with lace , these Purhépecha women danced their way through the opening day parade at the annual statewide Feria de Artesanías.

Mexico Cooks! has attended the Feria de Artesanía de Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday Artisans' Fair) in Uruapan, Michoacán, every year for nearly 15 years. The two-week-long fair is always the same and yet never boring, a remarkable combination. This largest artisans' fair in Mexico draws more than 1200 vendors and contestants for the best-of-the-best from all over the state of Michoacán. It attracts international tourism: we've heard languages from all over the globe as we walk the vendors' aisles.

Purhépecha women's festive ropa típica (native dress) includes a knife-pleated skirt, a hand-embroidered guanengo (blouse), a cross-stitch apron, and the long, rectangular blue, black, and white striped rebozo (shawl) that is typical to the region.

This woman marched while carrying an enormous huarache (shoe made of woven leather strips) representing the goods that her region of the state produces. She's also carrying a bag of souvenir key chains that she tossed to individuals in the crowd. Look closely and you'll see the tiny huarache key chains that decorate her sombrero de paja (straw hat).

Clarinets, trumpets, trombones, and a pink tuba–what a great band!

Artisans hawk thousands of traditional low-fired clay pots and pitchers. These are from Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán.

Michoacán is famous world-wide for its traditional arts and crafts. For hundreds of years, artisans in this state have produced highly decorated articles made from locally found materials: clay, wood, lacquer, textiles, copper, reedwork, and paper maché, among others.

Ollas para frijoles (clay pots for cooking beans) from Capula, Michoacán.

Molinillos (little mills) are used for whipping chocolate caliente (hot chocolate) to a thick froth.
For more about Michoacán-style, hand-made Mexican chocolate, look here: chocolate Joaquinita.

These blue jarras y platones (pitchers and platters) with their finely painted, intricate white designs come from one family workshop in Capula. Mexico Cooks! does not…DOES NOT…have room in the house for more pottery. Well, maybe just one more piece! These glorious jarras were all but impossible to resist.

Clay sculptures from Ocumicho, Michoacán, are full of whimsy and bright colors. Among all of these guaris (Purhépecha word for women), did you notice Our Lady of Guadalupe, in the upper right corner?

Hand-embroidered traditional cotton guanengos (blouses) are so important and finely made that they have their own concurso (competition) at the Feria de Artesanía (Artisans' Fair).

2012 will be the 53nd anniversary of the Artisans' Fair in Uruapan. Come see it with us!

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.

16 de April de 2011