Category: Current Affairs

Mexico, Where It’s Strawberry Season All Year

Piled high in every town's market, locally grown strawberries sell all year 'round in parts of Michoacán, Guanajuato, and Jalisco. Mexico Cooks! photographed these at a daily market in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán.

Right about now, bounty from South of the Border is available on your supermarket shelves. Fresh red strawberries, grown from Zamora, Michoacán to Irapuato, Guanajuato, will give you the sweet taste of Mexico's sun and warmth. Fresh raspberries grow near the shores of Lake Chapala, while big-as-the-end-of-your-thumb, sweet, delicious blackberries grow locally in Mexico Cooks!' region of Michoacán.

When you go to your local super market, take a closer look at those clear plastic containers (known in the trade as clamshells) full of red raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries. In the small print on the Driscoll label it says "Product of Mexico". When I still lived in the States, I read that label and imagined a gleaming white-tile packing factory. In my mind's eye, I saw employees in starched laboratory jackets, nurse-like white caps and latex gloves, packing strawberries as the jewel-red fruit came flying down an assembly line. It was a fantasy worthy of Lucy and Ethel at the chocolate factory in that famous episode of I Love Lucy.

The first time I visited a nearby raspberry "packing factory" , I had to laugh at my own earlier ideas. This packing operation was perfectly Mexican. Several clean-cut young men with bandannas wrapped around their heads roamed up and down the rows between lush raspberry canes. They hand-picked only the reddest, ripest raspberries and gently placed them into small plastic buckets, the kind five-year-olds use at the beach.

Two young women dressed in blue jeans and caps stood at a long folding table (the kind you'd find at a swap meet) and packed those perfectly ripe raspberries into flat after flat of Driscoll clamshells. They packed the plastic boxes into case after case for shipping and then rapidly started packing more.

Within 24 hours of picking, those berries are in the United States, either in Miami or Los Angeles. A day later, they are shipped out to stores across the United States. In addition, red raspberries from the shores of Lake Chapala are shipped not only to the United States but also to Canada, to England, to all parts of Europe, and to Japan.

The half pint boxes sell for about $4.99 the box in grocery stores north of the Mexican border.

Remember that raspberries are the most delicate fruits in the vast berry family. Treat them with the softest touch, just like handling like a newborn baby. Wash them gently (never allowing them to soak) just before you serve them.

I often prepare this wonderful recipe for guests. Not one single forkful is ever left over.

Raspberry Rosemary Sauce on Pork Medallions
1 medium or large orange
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup finely chopped onion or shallots
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot (1 small carrot)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 small bay leaf
1 package (6 ounces) red raspberries, divided
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
4 boneless center-cut pork chops
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup flour
Shredded green scallion tops for garnish

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sauce:
Using a vegetable peeler or zester, cut eight to ten thin strips from only the outer orange portion of orange peel and reserve. Squeeze the juice from the orange, reserving 1/4 cup juice.

Heat the two teaspoons oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic, orange peel and herbs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly brown and wilted, about five minutes. Add 1/4 cup of the raspberries, the reserved 1/4 cup orange juice and the white wine.

Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced to about two tablespoons (about eight to ten minutes). Add chicken broth. Bring mixture to a boil again. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Turn off heat and set sauce aside.

Note: Sauce can be prepared ahead of time to this stage. Cover and refrigerate until ready to finish.

Pork Medallions:
Pat pork dry with paper towels. In a large, oven-proof skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. While oil is heating, dust the pork evenly on both sides with flour, patting off any excess. When the oil is very hot, add pork medallions and cook until well-browned on the first side, about three minutes. Turn the medallions over, place the skillet in the preheated oven and cook until pork is just cooked through, this will be quick, only about six to seven minutes.

Remove medallions to heatproof platter or serving plate, cover loosely with aluminum foil and keep warm while finishing sauce.

Strain the sauce back into the same skillet in which the pork was cooked, pressing the solids through the strainer with the back of a spoon. Add any juices that may have collected on the serving platter. Over high heat, bring the mixture in the skillet to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until lightly thickened, about six to eight minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Spoon a tablespoon of the sauce in the center of each of the four warmed dinner plates. Place each pork medallion on top of the sauce. Top with one tablespoon sauce, about two tablespoons raspberries and a few strips of diagonally shredded green onion tops. Serve at once.

Makes four servings.

In case any of you might have health concerns about Mexican-grown produce, here's what the Driscoll people themselves say about the safety of their raspberries and strawberries:

"Driscoll's farmers have been leaders in the practice of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) which relies on a balanced method of natural and inorganic means to reduce disease and control pests in the field. To insure that Driscoll's fruit is the safest possible, Driscoll's employs a company which conducts third-party independent residue testing of fruit in every Driscoll cooler and facility every week."

These fields in the state of Jalisco are Mexican owned and leased to Driscoll solely for growing raspberries and strawberries. The raspberry crop is rotated annually and the packing operation is moved each year to the fields most convenient to the highway.

Far-flung fields of Driscoll's other delicious crop—strawberries–are in Zamora, Michoacán and Irapuato, Guanajuato (which calls itself the Strawberry Capital of the World). Red jewels lie close to the ground, nestled in dark green leaves. The strawberries are ripe and luscious this time of year, ready to be hand picked, packed, chilled, and shipped to all parts of the world. You'll find them, packaged in clear plastic one-pound boxes so you can see exactly what you're choosing, in the produce section of your favorite hometown supermarket. North of the border, the boxes sell for about $2.50 US in season. Here in Mexico, we're paying closer to the peso equivalent of $2.00 US per kilo (2.2 pounds).

Strawberry stands dot the roads leading into and out of Irapuato, Guanajuato. The stands offer tall wicker baskets filled with sweet, delicious fresh berries as well as frozen strawberries with cream, just ready to dig in.

These are not those huge strawberries grown more for looks than for flavor. Is there anything more disappointing than biting into a beautiful berry and finding it white in the middle, dry, hard and tasteless? These berries are mid-size and grown for their sweet taste—the best possible flavor—as well as beauty. Ripened more fully prior to picking than those grown elsewhere, these local strawberries are simply perfect.

Always refrigerate berries immediately—move them from the shopping bag to the refrigerator. Temperatures between 34 and 38 degrees F are best, but be sure not to freeze them! Fresh berries are very sensitive to freeze damage. Remember this general rule: for every hour your berries are away from refrigeration, you'll lose a whole day's shelf life.

Do not wash your berries until you are ready to prepare and eat them. Moisture will hasten decay of these fragile berries, so keep them dry as well as cold until the last moment.

Shelf life varies between berries; however, under ideal conditions, strawberries should keep for about two to five days in your refrigerator and raspberries should keep for between one and three days. For best results, consume your berries as soon after purchase as possible.

Are you drooling yet? Let's look at more wonderful recipes for raspberry and strawberry treats.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
For the ultimate in red raspberry decadence, try this cheesecake.

18 vanilla wafer cookies
1 cup macadamia nuts, toasted
4 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh raspberries
8 ounces sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Finely grind cookies and macadamias in food processor. Add butter and blend until mixture forms very moist crumbs. Press crumbs firmly onto bottom and part of sides of an eight inch spring-form pan. Bake until golden (10 minutes).

Filling:
Melt white chocolate in microwave, (about 1 1/2 minutes), stopping every 30 seconds to stir and to make sure it doesn't burn. Set aside. In a large bowl, use your electric mixer to beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, just until combined. Beat in white chocolate.

Spoon half the batter into the crust. Top with berries. Top with remaining batter. Bake for about 45 minutes or until cake is set around the edges, but center jiggles slightly.

Let cool for about 20 minutes before adding the topping.

Topping:
In a medium bowl, whisk sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Spoon over cake, spreading the topping to the edge of the pan. Bake five minutes. Allow cake to cool and then refrigerate overnight. Serve plain or garnish with more berries.

Here are a few tips for handling red raspberries, whether you buy them at a strawberry farm or in your North of the Border supermarket.

If you want to freeze red raspberries, spread them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet with sides and place the uncovered cookie sheet in the freezer. After the raspberries are well frozen, shake them gently into a zip-lock bag and immediately put them back in the freezer. Your raspberries, whole and beautiful, will be ready for immediate use when you need them.

Try the following recipe when you want to serve an unusual fruit treat for a Sunday party brunch. Your guests will love the refreshing berries in a very unusual dressing.

Ginger Strawberries Estilo Mexico Cooks!
This recipe is served cold with a hint of spicy ginger tang and always makes a hit at brunch.

2 pounds fresh ripe strawberries
1 orange
2 tablespoons pickled ginger, drained
1 cup unflavored yogurt
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoons sugar or 2 packets artificial sweetener
1/4 teaspoon salt

Remove green caps from strawberries and wash gently. Pat dry in a large terry cloth towel. Cut the strawberries in half and place in a large mixing bowl.

With a vegetable peeler or zester, cut thin strips of orange peel (orange part only). Cut the orange peel strips into tiny matchstick-size strips, no longer than 1" and no wider than 1/16".

Cut the pickled ginger to the same size as the orange strips. Mix the ginger and the orange strips together.

Add the ginger and orange strips mixture, orange marmalade, sugar (or artificial sweetener) and salt to the yogurt. Stir until well-mixed.

Pour yogurt mixture over strawberries and stir gently to coat all the strawberries.

Refrigerate until well chilled. Serve.

Bringing fresh, ripe strawberries home from the field (or from the tianguis) is tricky. It's a good practice to take a wicker basket or plastic container with you to put your strawberries in for their trip home; like raspberries, they are easily smashed and deteriorate quickly under their own weight in a plastic bag.

If you buy either raspberries or strawberries in plastic clamshells, save a clamshell or two for times when you might go to a pick-your-own farm to protect the berries on the trip home. Bring your strawberries home in the clamshells. You'll be glad you did, when you realize your freshly picked berries will arrive home in perfect condition.

Here are some interesting statistics about strawberries: Canada imports all of its fresh strawberries from either the United States or from Mexico. The United States is the major importer of Mexican fresh strawberries. Under NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), duty is no longer charged on strawberry exports to either the USA or Canada.

Last, but certainly not least, let's toast our local strawberries with a refreshing and beautiful strawberry margarita.

Strawberry Margaritas
The jewel of the season: try Mexico Cooks!' fresh strawberry margarita recipe!

For two:
10 to 12 ripe strawberries
2 cups ice
2/3 cup prepared margarita mixer
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 teaspoons fresh key lime juice
Whole strawberries (for garnish)

Put strawberries in a blender with the ice, margarita mixer, orange juice concentrate and lime juice. Blend until smooth and slushy. Pour into two glasses and garnish with whole strawberries, if desired.

Buen provecho!

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19 de March de 2011
Images of Women in Mexico

A late-19th Century image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Queen of Mexico and Empress of the Americas.

Collage by Rodolfo Morales, 20th Century Oaxacan artist.

Tortillando y comadreando (making tortillas and gossiping), Morelia, December 2007.

Sayaca (transvestite clown), Carnaval, Jalisco 2004.

Native dance costume, Chiapas 2003.

Berta Alicia Alejo, Michoacán 2007.

Lila Downs, Mexican-American singer, Guadalajara, November 2005.

Two young Purhépecha women, Paracho, Michoacán September 2010.

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12 de March de 2011
Los Reyes Magos to La Candelaria: Three Kings, Rosca de Reyes and Tamales!

Most Mexicans eat traditional rosca de reyes (Three Kings' Bread) on January 6. Its usual accompaniment is chocolate caliente (hot chocolate).

The Día de los Reyes Magos (the Feast of the Three Kings) falls on January 6 each year. You might know the Christian feast day as Epiphany or as Little Christmas. The festivities celebrate the arrival of the Three Kings at Bethlehem to visit the newborn Baby Jesus. In some cultures, children receive gifts not on Christmas, but on the Feast of the Three Kings–and the Kings are the gift-givers, commemorating the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh that they presented to the Baby Jesus. Many, many children in Mexico still receive special gifts of toys from the Reyes (Kings) on January 6

Typically, Mexican families celebrate the festival with a rosca de reyes (Three Kings' Bread). The size of the family's rosca varies according to the size of the family, but everybody gets a slice, from the littlest toddler to great-grandpa. Accompanied by a cup of chocolate caliente (hot chocolate), it's a great winter treat.

Chef Arturo Camacho Domínguez of Tampico, Tamaulipas.

My friend Chef Arturo Camacho Domínguez, who lives and works in Tampico, Tamaulipas, recently wrote a bit about the significance of the rosca. He wrote, "The rosca de reyes represents a crown; the colorful fruits simulate the jewels which covered the crowns of the Holy Kings. The Kings themselves signify peace, love, and happiness. The Niño Dios hidden in the rosca reminds us of the moment when Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary hid the Baby Jesus in order to save him from King Herod, who wanted to kill him. The three gifts that the Kings gave to the Niño Dios represent the Kings (gold), God (frankincense), and man (myrrh).

"In Mexico, we consider that an oval or ring shape represents the movement of the sun and that the Niño Dios represents the Child Jesus in his apparition as the Sun God. Others mention that the circular or oval form of the Rosca de Reyes, which has no beginning and no end, is a representation of heaven–which of course is the home of the Niño Dios."

On January 6, 2009, Paty Mora de Vallejo, wife of Morelia's mayor Fausto Vallejo, served a slice of the enormous rosca de reyes monumental moreliana, prepared jointly by bakeries from everywhere in the city.

Here in Morelia, Michoacán, bakers prepare an annual monumental rosca for the whole city to share. The rosca contains nearly 3000 pounds of flour, 1500 pounds of margerine, 10,500 eggs, 150 liters of milk, 35 pounds of yeast, 35 pounds of salt, 225 pounds of butter, 2000 pounds of dried fruits, and 90 pounds of orange peel. The completed cake, if stretched out straight, measures two kilometers in length! Baked in sections, the gigantic rosca is the collaborative effort of ten bakeries in the city. The city government as well as grocery wholesalers join together to see to it that the tradition of the rosca continues to be a vibrant custom.

The plastic niño (baby) baked into our rosca measured less than 2" tall. The figures used to be made of porcelain, but now they are generally made of plastic. See the tooth mark on the head? Mexico Cooks! is the culprit. Every rosca de reyes baked in Mexico contains at least one niño; larger roscas can hold two, three, or more. Morelia's giant rosca normally contains 10,000 of these tiny figures.

Tradition demands that the person who finds the niño in his or her slice of rosca is required to give a party on February 2, el Día de La Candelaria (Candlemas Day). The party for La Candelaria calls for tamales, more tamales, and their traditional companion, a rich atole flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, or chocolate. Several years ago, an old friend, in the throes of a family economic emergency, was a guest at his relatives' Three Kings party. He bit into the niño buried in his slice of rosca. Embarrassed that he couldn't shoulder the expense of the following month's Candelaria party, he gulped–literally–and swallowed the niño.

El Día de La Candelaria celebrates the presentation of Jesus in the Jewish temple, forty days after his birth. The traditions of La Candelaria encompass religious rituals of ancient Jews, of pre-hispanic rites indigenous to Mexico, of the Christian evangelization brought to Mexico by the Spanish, and of modern-day Catholicism.

In Mexico, you'll find a Niño Dios of any size for your home nacimiento (Nativity scene). Traditionally, the Niño Dios is passed down, along with his wardrobe of special clothing, from generation to generation in a single family.

The presentation of the child Jesus to the church is enormously important in Mexican Catholic life. February 2 marks the official end of the Christmas season, the day to put away the last of the holiday decorations. On February 2, the figure of Jesus is gently lifted from the home nacimiento (manger scene, or creche), dressed in new clothing, carried to the church, where he receives blessings and prayers. He is then carried home and rocked to sleep with tender lullabies, and carefully put away until the following year.

Each family dresses its Niño Dios according to its personal beliefs and traditions. Some figures are dressed in clothing representing a Catholic saint particularly venerated in a family; others are dressed in the clothing typically worn by the patron saints of different Mexican states. Some favorites are the Santo Niño de Atocha, venerated especially in Zacatecas; the Niño de Salud (Michoacán), the Santo Niño Doctor (Puebla), and, in Xochimilco (suburban Mexico City), the Niñopa (alternately spelled Niñopan or Niño-Pa).

This Xochimilco arch and the highly decorated street welcome the much-loved Niñopan figure.

The veneration of Xochimilco's beloved Niñopan follows centuries-old traditions. The figure has a different mayordomo every year; the mayordomo is the person in whose house the baby sleeps every night. Although the Niñopan (his name is a contraction of the words Niño Padre or Niño Patrón) travels from house to house, visiting his chosen hosts, he always returns to the mayordomo's house to spend the night. One resident put it this way: "When the day is beautiful and it's really hot, we take him out on the canals. In his special chalupita (little boat), he floats around all the chinampas (floating islands), wearing his little straw hat so that the heat won't bother him. Then we take him back to his mayordomo, who dresses our Niñopan in his little pajamas, sings him a lullaby, and puts him to sleep, saying, 'Get in your little bed, it's sleepy time!" Even though the Niñopan is always put properly to bed, folks in Xochimilco believe that he sneaks out of bed to play with his toys in the wee hours of the night.

Trajineras (decorated boats) ready to receive tourists line the canals in Xochimilco.

Although he is venerated in many Xochimilco houses during the course of every year, the Niñopan's major feast day is January 6. The annual celebration takes place in Xochimilco's church of St. Bernard of Sienna. On the feast of the Candelaria, fireworks, music, and dancers accompany the Niñopan as he processes through the streets of Xochimilco on his way to his presentation in the church.

Gloria in Xochimilco with Niñopa, April 2008. Photo courtesy Colibrí.

Blue papel picado (cut paper decoration) floating in the deep-blue Xochimilco sky wishes the Niñopan welcome and wishes all of us Feliz Navidad.

El Día de La Candelaria means a joyful party with lots of tamales, coupled with devotion to the Niño Dios. For more about a tamalada (tamales-making party), look at this 2007 Mexico Cooks! article.

From the rosca de reyes on January 6 to the tamales on February 2, the old traditions continue in Mexico's 21st Century.

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8 de January de 2011
Feliz Año Nuevo (Happy New Year), Mexican Style

In Mexico and other Latin American countries, women wear yellow underwear on New Year's Eve to bring good luck and wealth in the year to come. Red underwear indicates a New Year's wish for an exciting love interest!

Superstition or not, many here in Mexico have the custom of ritos del Año Nuevo (New Year's rituals). Some rituals include foods, others prescribe certain clothing, and still others warrant attention for religious interest.

As the clock strikes midnight, it's common to eat twelve grapes–one at each ding, one at each dong of the bell. While eating the grapes, you make a personal wish for each grape you consume, welcoming the new year that's beginning. Mexico Cooks! finds that it's helpful to write down the twelve wishes so as not to forget one or choke in the rush to swallow the grapes before the clock finishes striking the New Year's earliest hour!

Eating a tablespoonful of cooked lentils on New Year's Eve is said to bring prosperity and fortune. You can also give raw lentils–just a handful–to family and friends with the same wish.

On a small piece of paper, write down the undesirable habits and customs you'd like to let go of in the New Year that's just starting. Burn the paper, then follow through with the changes!

Choose three stones that symbolize health, love, and money. Put them in a place where you will see them every day.

Light candles: blue for peace, yellow for abundance, red for love, green for health, white for spirituality, and orange for intelligence.

Spill clean water on the sidewalk in front of your house as the clock rings in the New Year. Your house will be purified and all tears will be washed away.

To have money for your needs all year, have some bills in your hand or in your pocket to welcome the arrival of the New Year. Some people fold up the money and put it in their shoes!

Take your suitcase for a walk. Legend is that the farther you walk with your suitcase, the farther you'll travel. Several New Year's Eves ago, Mexico Cooks! and a few friends celebrated by walking our suitcases around the block, and we all traveled far and wide during the new year that followed.

Mexico Cooks! wishes all of you a muy Próspero Año Nuevo–and especially wishes that your red underwear brings you (or keeps you) the love of family, friends, and that special someone.

We'll see you in 2011!

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31 de December de 2010
Mexico Cooks! Les Desea Feliz Navidad a Todos! :: Merry Christmas to All 2010

Few things represent Mexico's Christmas more than the traditional piñata. Read all about its history right here.

Christmas in Mexico is absolutely the most special time of the whole year. Even our daily municipal markets se visten de gala (dress up in their finest) for several weeks before the holidays. Out come locally-grown arbolitos de Navidad (Christmas trees), out come thousands of nochebuenas (poinsettias). Nativity sets, toys and more toys, just-for-Christmas candy, special Christmas-season fruit, and special foods of all kinds make their annual appearance on market shelves. Just a couple of weeks ago, Mexico Cooks! made a special trip to Morelia's Mercado Independencia (the largest retail market in town) to photograph some of the hundreds of goodies and treats available just this month.

These tiny, beautiful, glass ornaments, mouth-blown and hand-painted in eastern Michoacán, measure no more than one-half inch in diameter. Price in 2010? A dozen for 20 pesos–about $1.50USD.

Peras de anís (anise-flavored pear-shaped candies) are no bigger than the tiny Christmas ornaments in the picture above.

What in the world do devils' pitchforks have to do with Christmas in Mexico! Learn all about our tradition of pastorelas (Christmas pageants–but with a twist) from this article on Mexico Cooks!.

This frilly apron, hand-embroidered with Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe) is just the right size for a two- or three-year-old to wear on December 12, Mexico's other important December holiday. Traditional male and female clothing for the annual pilgrimages is available in every size, from newborn baby to adult.

Collares (necklaces) of multi-colored glass beads complement a little girl's costume on December 12.

The guacal (literally, wooden crate), in various sizes for children of various ages. Little boys dressed in the traditional indigenous shirt and pants of manta (rough unbleached cotton cloth) carry this crate on their backs, with its miniature clay dishes and tiny straw sombrero, on their pilgrimage in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

A flock of tiny chicks, each about half an inch high and made of clay, is ready to add to your nacimiento (manger scene). Every year, Mexico Cooks! is eager to add figures of one kind or another to ours.

Santa Claus is a relative newcomer to the Mexican Christmas scene. Traditionally, Mexican children have received their holiday gifts on January 6–El Día de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings' Day). The jolly elf is making cultural inroads, though, and some lucky boys and girls get a present from Santa and another one or two from the Three Kings.

More candy! These are similar in texture to gumdrops, but they're shaped like sandía (watermelon). Click on any Mexico Cooks! photo to enlarge it for more detail.

Even Mexican oilcloth, that terrific table covering, joins in the spirit of Christmas. The roll that's front and center is decorated with nochebuenas (poinsettias). Did you know that the poinsettia is a native of Mexico?

These big-as-jack-o'lantern-heads calabazas (squash) are a delicious wintertime treat in Mexico.

Yet another piñata, this one about six feet from the top to the tip of the bottom point. The center container is a large clay pot–just imagine how much it would weigh when it's filled with candy, tangerines, and roasted peanuts!

Ribbons of every kind and color, with or without wire edges, is available by the meter at the Mercado Independencia. In fact, just about anything you could possibly want–from a pair of pliers to a pair of warm gloves, from a pet parrot to a chicken for your dinner table, is available at the market.

May your holidays be filled with all you hold dear, and may your New Year bring you all that you desire.

Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo–Merry Christmas and Happy New Year–to you and yours from us at Mexico Cooks!

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25 de December de 2010
Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe en Imágines :: Images of Our Lady of Guadalupe

The actual tilma (cape-like garment) worn by San Juan Diego in December 1531. The framed tilma hangs over the main altar at the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Mexico City.

The annual feast of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe) falls on December 12. Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is Mexico's patron saint, and her image adorns churches and altars, house facades and interiors, taxis, private cars, and buses, bull rings and gambling dens, restaurants and houses of ill repute. The shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, la Basílica, is a place of extraordinary vitality and celebration. On major festival days such as the anniversary of the apparition on December 12th, the atmosphere of devotion created by the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims is truly electrifying.

Statues of Our Lady of Guadalupe for sale at the many, many souvenir booths outside the Basílica.

The enormous Basílica of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Mexico City is the most visited pilgrimage site in the Western Hemisphere. Its location, on the hill of Tepeyac, was a place of great sanctity long before the arrival of Christianity in the New World. In pre-Hispanic times, Tepeyac had been crowned with a temple dedicated to an earth and fertility goddess called Tonantzin, the Mother of the Gods. Tonantzin was a virgin goddess associated with the moon, like Our Lady of Guadalupe who usurped her shrine.

Our Lady of Guadalupe tattoo.

Read the full story of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe here.

Our Lady of Guadalupe surrounded by fresh roasted peanuts, Morelia, Michoacán. November 2009.

Holy water bottles in rainbow colors of plastic, for sale at the booths just outside the Basílica.

Art casket, Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Basílica.

Primitive folk art depiction of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Statue in resin of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Pope John Paul II, who was devoted to her. This image is reproduced as calendars, statues of all sizes, and pictures to hang on the wall.

Portrait of Monseñor Diego Monroy, rector of the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. The painting is part of Monseñor Monroy's private collection.

In 1810, Padre Miguel Hidalgo carried this banner to lead the struggle for Mexico's independence from Spain.

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11 de December de 2010
Michoacán Awards Premio Estatal de las Artes Eréndira 2010 to Ana Pellicer

On October 25, the Michoacán state government awarded copper sculptor Ana Pellicer the coveted Premio Estatal de las Artes Eréndira for 2010. The important prize is given annually to a living artist who best represents–at the international level–the arts of Michoacán. Ana Pellicer is the first woman to receive the award.

The Premio Estatal de las Artes Eréndira 2010.

Grupo Erendi, regional Purhépecha musicians, played at the award ceremony. Celebratory well-wishers filled Morelia's newly renovated Teatro Ocampo for the event.

Leonel Godoy Rangel, Michoacán's governor, personally awarded the three 2010 prizes to Ana Pellicer, to Purhépecha painter Jerónimo Mateo, and to the Morelia vocal group Coral Moreliana Ignacio Mier Arriaga.

James Metcalf and Ana Pellicer celebrate on October 25, 2010. Photo courtesy Casandra Rubio.

On April 10, 2010, Mexico Cooks! published the following article about Ana Pellicer's 40-year history as an artist in Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacán. An earlier article discussed her life and work and that of her highly acclaimed husband, James Metcalf.

La Tehuana (1996). Silver-plated copper, resin, and electroformed lace fabric. Click on all of the photographs for a larger view of each sculpture.

In September 2009, Mexico Cooks! met and interviewed James Metcalf and Ana Pellicer, internationally acclaimed artists who are long-time residents of Santa Clara del Cobre, Michoacán. Privileged to photograph a number of their sculptures at their home in September, I was nevertheless unprepared for the visual and emotional impact of Poemas Forjados (Hand-wrought Poems), a lifetime retrospective of Ana Pellicer's work that opened on March 27, 2010 at the Palacio Clavijero in Morelia.

La Libertad Purépecha (1987). Mixed media: fiberglass, wood, plaster of Paris, textiles, copper, and brass. In honor of Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the French sculptor who created the original Statue of Liberty, the pleated skirt which represents the traditional guari (Purhépecha woman) garment is the colors of the French flag. I asked Ana Pellicer why she chose to create the body of the sculpture in purple. The simple answer: "She is in mourning."

The 75-sculpture exhibit, which fills several huge rooms at the Clavijero, is divided into themes: Secretos, Mujer, Luz, Poder, Libertad, and Juego (Secrets, Woman, Light, Power, and Sport).

Caja, Jugadores de Pelota (Box, Ball Players), Serie Secretos 2003. Hammered copper, repoussé and silver plate, approximately 20cm long, 12cm wide, and 3cm deep. The sculptured box top represents the pre-Hispanic Purhépecha ball game that may have been the forerunner of both baseball and basketball. The 'Secrets' portion of the exhibit includes boxes, books, clouds, and other sculptures.

Ana Pellicer sculpts predominately in copper, hand-forging and hammering every piece. She works directly on the metal in the traditional pre-Hispanic "technique of fire" that is still practiced by Santa Clara del Cobre's artisans. She begins her labor directly on the tejo (round ingot) of copper. Her sculptures also may include bronce (bronze), hule (hand-harvested rubber), chuspata (lake reed), resina (resin), latón (brass), and plata (silver).

Libro 1 (Book 1), 1970. Hammered repoussé brass, plastic, and paper, approximately 20cm square. Ana Pellicer produced this and other mixed-media sculptured books to record her creative process.

La Medusa, Serie Mujeres, 2010. Cast bronze, repoussé copper, marble and wood. Ana Pellicer points out details of the sculpture; the Medusa's head opens on a hinge, revealing her brain.

For more than two years, Ana Pellicer worked to gather the pieces in this current exhibit. Dispersed in public and private collections around the world, the owners have loaned the sculptures to Michoacán, where they were originally made. "It gives me so much pride to exhibit my sculptures in the enormous rooms of the Palacio Clavijero, where the proportions of the building suit the proportions of the work," said Pellicer.

Querubines, Serie Luz, 1998. Repoussé copper, resin, and iron. Many of the pieces in the series Light include resin, which collects and concentrates the light in each of the sculptures.

The recurrent themes of Pellicer's work–light, power, women, secrets, sport–develop in strength and beauty as the viewer passes from gallery room to gallery room in the Palacio Clavijero. Quotations from philosophers as diverse as Greece's 700 BC poet Sappho and Mexico's 15th century AD poet Netzahuacóyotl dot the exhibit's walls, both taking from and giving depth and comprehension to the works. From Netzahuacóyotl, for example:

    "Percibo lo secreto, lo oculto:
    Así somos,
    somos mortales.
    de cuatro en cuatro nosotros los hombres,
    Todos habremos de irnos,
    todos habremos de morir en la tierra…"

    "I perceive the secret, this hidden thing:
    we are this way,
    we are mortals.
    Four at a time we men,
    All of us must leave,
    All of us must die to this earth…"

Arracada Monumental de la Libertad (Monumental Earring for the Statue of Liberty), 1986. The hand-forged hollow copper earring weighs approximately 45 pounds. Ana Pellicer sculpted the single earring and several other pieces of jewelry to fit the Statue of Liberty on the occasion of her 100th birthday.

Anillo de la Libertad (Ring for the Statue of Liberty), 1986. The repoussé copper and resin ring, made to the same scale as the earring above, fits the ring finger of the Statue of Liberty. The statue measures 305 feet from its base to the tip of her torch.

Objeto Encontrado en la Tumba de una Reina (Object Found in the Tomb of a Queen), Serie Poder, 1996. Hammered copper, glass, and tempered mica. The axe is the pre-Hispanic Purhépecha power symbol. Ana Pellicer described this piece as el hacha santificada (the sanctified ax) because of its halo.

Beisbol (Baseball), Serie Juego 1999. The baseball sculpture measures approximately 70cm in diameter. Pellicer laughingly said, "I signed this huge baseball as if I were a sports star!"

Ana Pellicer herself embodies the five themes of this magnificent retrospective exhibit. A strong, intelligent woman, filled with light, with power, with humor, and with her own creative secrets, Pellicer's life work offers us a penetrating look into her world and our own. Do not miss this opportunity to share her vision.

Poemas Forjados de Ana Pellicer
Palacio Clavijero
Nigromante No. 79, between Av. Madero Poniente y Santiago Tapia
Colonia Centro
Morelia, Michoacán
March 27-June 30, 2010
Hours: 10AM to 6PM, Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays)

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27 de November de 2010
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: MEXICO’S CUISINE
Chiles chilacas, cultivated in Queréndaro, Michoacán, are spread on traditional petates (woven reed mats)to dry in the late summer sun. All photos and their captions are copyright Mexico Cooks! unless otherwise noted.

At its meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on November 16, 2010, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) announced that Mexico, and particularly the state of Michoacán, had been officially inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

According to UNESCO, "The term ‘cultural heritage’ has changed content considerably in recent decades, partially owing to the instruments developed by UNESCO. Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.

Dra. Gloria López Morales, director of the Mexico City-based Conservatorio de la Cultura Gastronómica Mexicana, spearheaded the latest drive for Mexico to achieve the UNESCO award. Many, many people worked with her to make the dream a reality.

"While fragile, intangible cultural heritage is an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalization. An understanding of the intangible cultural heritage of different communities helps with intercultural dialogue, and encourages mutual respect for other ways of life.

"The importance of intangible cultural heritage is not the cultural manifestation itself but rather the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next. The social and economic value of this transmission of knowledge is relevant for minority groups and for mainstream social groups within a State, and is as important for developing States as for developed ones.

In Uruapan, Michoacán, blue corn tortillas, tomatoes, and chiles serranos toast on a traditional clay comal (griddle).

"Intangible cultural heritage is:
- Traditional, contemporary and living at the same time: intangible cultural heritage does not only represent inherited traditions from the past but also contemporary rural and urban practices in which diverse cultural groups take part;
- Inclusive: we may share expressions of intangible cultural heritage that are similar to those practised by others. Whether they are from the neighbouring village, from a city on the opposite side of the world, or have been adapted by peoples who have migrated and settled in a different region, they all are intangible cultural heritage: they have been passed from one generation to another, have evolved in response to their environments and they contribute to giving us a sense of identity and continuity, providing a link from our past, through the present, and into our future. Intangible cultural heritage does not give rise to questions of whether or not certain practices are specific to a culture. It contributes to social cohesion, encouraging a sense of identity and responsibility which helps individuals to feel part of one or different communities and to feel part of society at large;
- Representative: intangible cultural heritage is not merely valued as a cultural good, on a comparative basis, for its exclusivity or its exceptional value. It thrives on its basis in communities and depends on those whose knowledge of traditions, skills and customs are passed on to the rest of the community, from generation to generation, or to other communities;
- Community-based: intangible cultural heritage can only be heritage when it is recognized as such by the communities, groups or individuals that create, maintain and transmit it – without their recognition, nobody else can decide for them that a given expression or practice is their heritage."
Sra. Chef Alicia Gironella de'Angeli headed the group of high-level chefs, culinary professionals and food aficionados in Mexico which, in 2000, began to organize the 2005 application for the UNESCO designation. For the next five years, Sra. Gironella continued to work toward the goal that Mexico finally achieved in 2010.

Cristina Palacio, Mexico City-based food historian and indefatigable promoter of Mexico's culinary heritage.

Text from the UNESCO documents as they relate to Mexico:

"Traditional Mexican cuisine is a comprehensive cultural model comprising farming, ritual practices, age-old skills, culinary techniques and ancestral community customs and manners. It is made possible by collective participation in the entire traditional food chain: from planting and harvesting to cooking and eating.

In Cherán, Michoacán, a Purhépecha woman waits to sell delicious flor de calabaza (squash flowers). Photo courtesy Roset Claes.

Outdoor kitchen, San José de la Torre, Michoacán.

"The basis of the system is founded on corn, beans and chile; unique farming methods such as milpas (rotating swidden fields of corn and other crops) and chinampas (man-made farming islets in lake areas); cooking processes such as nixtamal-ization (lime-hulling maize, which increases its nutritional value); and singular utensils including grinding stones and stone mortars. Native ingredients such as varieties of tomatoes, squashes, avocados, cocoa and vanilla augment the basic staples. Mexican cuisine is elaborate and symbol-laden, with everyday tortillas and tamales, both made of corn, forming an integral part of Day of the Dead offerings.

Late-summer corn shocks mark the end of harvest in Cuanajo, Michoacán.

Ears of red and blue corn, hung to dry from a wooden garabato (hook) in a traditional Michoacán kitchen.

Preparing blue corn masa (dough) on a volcanic stone metate (grinding stone). This masa, used to make tortillas, is made from freshly ground nixtamal-ized blue corn, moistened as needed with water. It has no other ingredients.

Atole de grano (corn soup prepared with fresh anise) dates to the milenia before Mexico's Spanish conquest. All ingredients for this delicious soup are original to the New World, as are the copper that is hand-hammered to make this cazo (cooking pot) and the pine that's hand-carved to form the cuchara (spoon).

"Collectives of female cooks and other practitioners devoted to raising crops and traditional cuisine are found in the State of Michoacán and across Mexico. Their knowledge and techniques express community identity, reinforce social bonds, and build stronger local, regional and national identities. Those efforts in Michoacán also underline the importance of traditional cuisine as a means of sustainable development."

Charales (tiny fish), used in Mexico's cuisine for thousands of years, are still abundant in our lakes. These fish are eaten whole in many different preparations. Click on any photo for a larger view.

Pale light filters through the high window of a traditional Michoacán kitchen. Many 21st Century rural Mexican homes do not have refrigerators.

The UNESCO decision as it relates to Mexico:

"The Committee decides that [this element] satisfies the criteria for inscription on the Representative List, as follows:
- R1: Traditional Mexican cuisine is central to the cultural identity of the communities that practise and transmit it from generation to generation;
- R2: Its inscription on the Representative List could enhance the visibility of intangible cultural heritage and promote respect for cultural diversity and human creativity;
- R3: Current and planned safeguarding measures include consultations and research projects as well as practical training, with the support of the State and the communities concerned;
- R4: Practitioners participated actively in the nomination process and provided their free, prior and informed consent;
- R5: Traditional Mexican cuisine is included in the Inventory of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mexico maintained by the National Council for Culture and Arts."
On November 16, 2010, Michoacán governor Leonel Godoy Rangel (right) and Dr. Genovevo Figueroa (Michoacán Secretary of Tourism, left) made the official announcement of the UNESCO designation.

All of us who have been involved in this enormous effort, all of the hundreds of traditional cooks who keep the flame of Mexico's ancient culinary excellence alive, all of those who believe in the sanctity of Mexico's trinity of corn, beans, and chile, and all who simply crave a meal of truly Mexican cuisines celebrate UNESCO's recognition of Mexico's cooks, villages, culinary heritage and her tremendous worth. We who are from Michoacán invite you to get to know what UNESCO calls 'the Michoacán paradigm'. We simply call it home cooking.

The wild mirasol, symbol of Michoacán's splendid autumn, invites you to celebrate with us.

Special thanks to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization for the use of excerpts from its public documents.

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20 de November de 2010
Mexico Culinary Bloggers’ Meeting, Mexico City

Window, blue sky, and clouds from the inside at Restaurante Los Panchos, Calle Tolstoy #9, Colonia Anzures, Mexico City, where Mexico's culinary bloggers met formally for the first time on October 6, 2010. We met, of course, over comida (Mexico's main meal of the day).

Mexico and her deliciously diverse cuisines are popping up wherever you look these days. Taco trucks are hot from New York City to Los Angeles, Germany and France are snarfing down everything from enchiladas to flan, and traditional Mexican dishes are in worldwide ascendence. What's on your plate today is not just Taco Bell.

Claudio Poblete and Silvia Ayala, producers of Culinaria Mexicana, a marvelous monthly on-line Spanish-language magazine about all things related to Mexico's cuisines and wines.

Best of all, the joys of Mexico's cuisines–documented in print by such authors as Diana Kennedy, Rick Bayless, and Marge Poore, among many others both Mexican and foreign–are now all over the Internet. Many of Mexico's current culinary bloggers live in or near Mexico City, and earlier this month a few of us met for comida to discuss the present and the future of our craft and passion: writing about what we eat and love in Mexico.

Los Panchos plate includes (from six o'clock) ensalada de nopalitos con jitomate y queso (salad of nopal cactus strips with tomato and crumbled cheese), sliced avocado, limón (Mexican lime), fresh-made guacamole, chicharrón, and one of the house specialties, tostada petrolera.

One of the bloggers who was unfortunately unable to attend the group is the most excellent writer and investigator Rubén Hernández (Crónicas del Sabor). While this first meeting was in the planning stage, Rubén suggested that such a group might provoke the beginning of something more than just a casual let's-put-a-face-to-the-blog-names get-together over comida. Other, more serious topics required discussion: the future of food and eating in Mexico, the rescue and revival of Mexico's millenia-old culinary traditions, the place of culinary blogging in this country, and other related and equally important themes.

From left: Nicholas Gilman (Good Food in Mexico City), Catherine Bardrick (Small Fish in the Big Taco), and Juliet Lambert (Spice Catering), all bloggers living in Mexico's capital.

Los Panchos house-made salsa roja–spicy red sauce.

For once in our careers, the food we were about to eat was not the main item on the agenda! All of us, including occasional blogger Ruth Alegría (Alegría in Mexico), had to take time out from the meeting to study the Los Panchos menu.

One of Los Panchos' signature dishes: the famous tostada petrolera, a crispy corn tortilla smeared with frijolitos refritos (well-fried beans), then topped with minced onions, cilantro, and crumbled cheese. Add a dollop of the table sauce of your choice–red or green–and oh my!

The charming and extremely knowledgeable Adriana Legaspi, creator and leader of Gastronomía Prehispánica de Malinalco. Adriana said, "I'm not really a writer, but I'm so happy that I was invited to come today!"

Our waiter at Los Panchos took a terrific picture of the bloggers group. Left to right: Nick Gilman, Catherine Bardrick, Juliet Lambert, Claudio Poblete, Adriana Legaspi, Silvia Ayala, Mexico Cooks!, Ruth's granddaughter Emma, and Ruth Alegría. Several other bloggers were unable to attend this first meeting, but we'll plan soon for the second get-together.

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6 de November de 2010
Noche de Muertos en Michoacán: Night of the Dead in Michoacán

Highly decorated calaca de cartón (cardboard skull) for Noche de Muertos (Night of the Dead) decor.

For the last several days here in Michoacán, people have been cleaning up their family members' graves at local cemeteries. Everything is ready for the wonderful Noche de Muertos (Night of the Dead) festivities during the first two days of November.

Pantéon Municipal (Municipal Cemetery), Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán. Mexico Cooks! photo from Noche de Muertos 2009.

Mexico Cooks! is touring Morelia and Pátzcuaro again during this special time of year. We've attended one or another special Noche de Muertos event every day for an entire week! Traditional ofrendas (altars dedicated to the dead), spectacular crafts exhibits, concerts, and annual concursos (contests) have filled our days and nights. Known in most parts of Mexico as Día de Muertos (the Day of the Dead), here in Michoacán we call the night of November 1 Noche de Muertos (Night of the Dead). By either name, the festival as it's celebrated in Mexico is unique in the world.

These four-inch-long skeletal figures, laid out on their petates (woven rush mats), are hooked up to intravenous bottles of either beer or tequila! Mexico Cooks! has more information about all of the special figures for Noche de Muertos.

Tiny sugar footwear no more than two inches long, in styles from baby booties to high-heeled pumps, is ready to be given as gifts or for placement on an ofrenda. You'll find many more Night of the Dead photos from 2009 on Mexico Cooks!.

Mexico celebrates death as it celebrates life, with extreme enjoyment in the simplest things. Life and death are both honored states. The home ofrenda (altar) usually memorializes a cherished relative, while an altar in a business is normally built to the memory of a political figure (either reviled or beloved), or a figure from the entertainment world. Traditional decorations include the cempasúchil (marigold) and cordón del obispo, pata de león or terciopelo, all regional names for cockscomb flowers, which are used in profusion in churches, cemeteries, and homes.

Sugar skulls are often inscribed in icing with a living friend's name and given to that person as a small token of admiration.

Relatives take favorite foods and beverages to the grave of a loved one gone before. It's said that the dead partake of the spirit of the food, while the living enjoy the physical treats at the cemetery.

Pan de muertos (bread of the dead) is decorated with bone-shaped bread and sugar. The bread itself is flavored with orange and anise.

This miniature ofrenda (altar) is filled with tiny representations of treats that the deceased loved in life.

Several years ago, an article in the New York Times quoted Mexico Cooks! about the Noche de los Muertos: "There's a mutual nostalgia. The living remember the dead, and the dead remember the taste of home." That nostalgia imbues the cities and villages of Michoacán at this time of year just as surely as do woodsmoke and the scent of toasting tortillas.

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30 de October de 2010