Category: Tourist Accomodations

World Cultural Tourism Fair (Feria Mundial de Turismo Cultural) in Morelia, Michoacán

The World Cultural Tourism Fair logo, all lit up for the fair's opening night at Morelia's Teatro Ocampo.

For the second year in a row, Morelia, Michoacán was chosen as the site of the Feria Mundial de Turismo Cultural: the World Cultural Tourism Fair. Hot on the heels of Mexico City's FITA (International Tourism Fair of the Americas) at the end of September, Morelia captured a world-wide crowd of numerous exhibiting countries–including Indonesia, Slovakia, and Japan–plus twenty Mexican states, and several corporate exhibitors, all designed to attract tourism and travel both to Mexico and to their own venues.

Mexican federal tourism secretary Gloria Guevara Manzo with Mexico Cooks!, photographed at the Feria Mundical de Turismo Cultural opening night cocktail party. The party, held in the central patio of Morelia's beautiful mid-17th century Palacio Clavijero, included music, folkloric dancing, drinks, food, as well as great opportunities to make new acquaintances and hug old friends.

The delightful president of CONACULTA (Mexico's Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes–the national arts council), Dra. Consuelo Sáizar, spoke to inaugurate the FMTC, along with national tourism secretary Gloria Guevara Manzo, Michoacán's Governor Leonel Godoy, Michoacán and local Morelia tourism directors, and other state and national dignitaries.

The objective of the annual world cultural tourism fair is to offer a platform for global tourism industry operators, including travel agents, state and national tourism representatives from various international countries and Mexican states, and to ensure growth in this arm of the tourist industry. National Tourism Secretary Gloria Guevara Manzo assured the attendees that the event would enrich and strengthen the goals of the Mexican national tourism agreement, particularly in its sixth strategic pillar.

Michoacán state tourism secretary Lic. Thelma Aquique (right, in yellow) takes time out from the fair's intense schedule of events to talk with an attendee. Photo courtesy Estado de Michoacán.

During the three-day cultural tourism event, visitors, buyers, and exhibitors alike were treated to the best that Michoacán and Mexico have to offer. From the ceremonial cutting of the opening ribbon to exhibitions of Michoacán's folkloric dancing, regional foods, and the artisan work from several Mexican states, the booths filling Morelia's Casa de la Cultura (State Cultural Center) were packed with foreign and national buyers seeking ways to promote tourism.

Wood carvings from master sculptor Jesús Ursino Ramos Cota of Sinaloa. Tomatoes and corn are the two major agricultural products of Sr. Ramos's home state.

A gigantic hot air balloon made of paper. In Mexico, these are called globos de Cantoya. Their name comes from Sr. Joaquín de la Cantoya y Rico who lived in Guanajuato in the past century and allegedly began making these balloons. They are made of hundreds or even thousands of individual sheets of papel de china (tissue paper) and are expanded by a flame-generated hot air device carried in a small basket inside the balloon. This globo de Cantoya, two stories high, bears the logo of the 2011 Feria Mundial de Turismo Cultural. Click to enlarge the photo and see the connections of the tissue paper sheets.

To the delight of the crowd, the giant paper balloon sailed off successfully into Morelia's night sky.

This wooden indigenous Huichol sculpture of a deer, a bit more than two feet long from head to tail, is completely covered first with beeswax and then with thousands of individually hand-placed tiny beads. This particular sculpture originated in and was brought to the fair by representatives of the state government of Nayarit. Click to enlarge any photo for a better view.

Mexico's southernmost state, Chiapas, was represented at the Casa de la Cultura tourism booths by this lovely young woman in her ropa típica chiapaneca (typical dress of Chiapas). Entirely hand-sewn and hand-embroidered, the dress is worn in a folkloric ballet or for other folkloric events.

Banamex, one of Mexico's prominent banks, is a strong supporter of traditional arts and crafts and their makers throughout the country by way of its program Fomento Cultural Banamex, A.C.. The Banamex stand featured clay work from Santa Fe de la Laguna, Michoacán, as well as the extraordinary book Grandes Maestros del Arte Popular Mexicano (Great Masters of Mexican Popular Arts), which Banamex publishes.

This excellent brass band, dressed all in purple, played a public concert in the Plaza del Carmen, just behind the Casa de la Cultura, seat of the FMTC. While they played, their concert was also projected on the big screen behind them. The concert was part of the cultural program of the FMTC.

Morelia's cathedral. The city, named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991. Its 16th century pink cantera (stone) buildings, its European air, its exquisite regional gastronomy, and its hundreds of tourist attractions make it the ideal setting for the Feria Mundial de Turismo Cultural.

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

Disclaimer: Marca País-Imágen de México is a joint public and private sector initiative designed to help promote Mexico as a global business partner and an unrivaled tourist destination. This program is designed to shine a light on the Mexico that its people experience every day. Disclosure: I am being compensated for my work in creating content for the Mexico Today program. All stories, opinions, and passions for all things Mexico that I write on Mexico Cooks! are completely my own.

5 de November de 2011
Going to the Chapel of Love–Getting Married In Mexico City!
Preparation for Mexico Cooks!' wedding in Mexico on July 22, 2011, was complicated, time-consuming, paperwork-heavy and worth every single second of the work involved.

On December 21, 2009, Mexico City became the first Latin American jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage. This historic law went into effect on March 4, 2010. On August 10, 2010, the legislature announced that although same-sex couples could only get married in Mexico City, same-sex marriages are valid throughout Mexico's 31 states. Although we were still living in Morelia, Michoacán, Judy, my beloved long-time partner, and I started making plans for a Mexico City wedding ceremony. Once we decided–for other reasons entirely–to move to Mexico City, our wedding plans accelerated.

In spite of this sort of decor being extremely naco (Spanish slang for declassé), we couldn't resist hanging this huge satin-and-lace-covered heart incribed 'Nuestra Boda' (Our Wedding) in the interior hallway, just in front of our building's elevator. It was the first thing our guests saw as they arrived on our floor. Photo by Mexico Cooks!.

Mexico has long been a wedding destination for heterosexual couples. Now, of course, the same rules and regulations for getting married apply to same-sex couples, and it's expected that Mexico City will rapidly become a wedding destination for any couple who wants to tie the knot.

Suppose you and your intended live in the United States, though–what exactly is entailed in getting married in Mexico? Just remember that in Mexico City it doesn't matter if you are Adam and Eve or Adam and Steve, the rules are precisely the same.
- You are not required to be a resident of Mexico, but you are required to be in the country for at least three full business days before you apply for a marriage license. Those business days cannot include a Saturday, a Sunday, or any of Mexico's legal holidays.
- For USA residents only: at least several weeks before you travel to Mexico, each of you needs to apply for an apostilled copy of your original birth certificate. The Secretary of State's office in the state where you were born will handle the apostille for you. And what, you might ask, is an apostille? It's a legal guarantee per the Hague Convention that the original document was issued in that state. Canadians are exempt from the apostille process.
- If either of you has been married and divorced, you are also required to provide an apostilled copy of your marriage license AND your divorce decree. If you've been married/divorced more than once, the documents for each marriage must be apostilled by the Secretary of State's offices where the marriages and divorces occurred.
- All of your apostilled documents must be translated into Spanish in Mexico by a formally certified Mexican translation service called a perito (expert). In other words, even if you are fluent in Spanish, you are not allowed to do this step yourself. Be sure to allow enough time to have this done.
Very special guests: our friends (left) Judith Vázquez Arreola and (right) LolKin Castañeda. Married on March 11, 2010, they were among the first same-sex couples wed in Mexico City. Long-time feminist activists, Judith and LolKin were responsible in large part for the passage of the law legalizing same-sex marriage in the Distrito Federal. We are honored to be their friends and to have enjoyed their company at our wedding. Photo courtesy Jesús Chaírez.

In addition to the information and items listed above, you will also need:
- Your original passports plus several copies of them.
- You need the copies of your tourist cards that you'll be given on the airplane coming to Mexico. The fee for your tourist card is included in your airplane ticket. If you are driving down, you must stop at the border to get a tourist card. There is a small fee for these, around $30.00 USD each.
- You will probably be required to have blood tests and possibly a chest X-ray prior to your wedding.
- Once you are in Mexico, you will apply for a marriage license at the Registro Civil (civil registry office) responsible for the location where you will be married. If you are a same-sex couple, be sure that the registry office supplies you with the form marked 'el y el' (he and he) or 'ella y ella' (she and she). If you are heterosexual, you'll need the one marked 'el y ella' (he and she).
- If neither you nor your intended is Mexican, you will be required to have four witnesses to the ceremony, two for each of you. Your witnesses must be over age 18 and must present their passports (originals and copies) and their tourist cards three days before the ceremony.
- For legal reasons, weddings must be performed in Spanish.
- Your civil wedding in Mexico is legal in both the United States and Canada, as well as in many other countries.
- Civil weddings are the only legal weddings in Mexico. Church or synagogue weddings are always lovely and are meant to be God's blessing on the newlyweds, but they are not legal ceremonies.
- Many couples marry legally in their home countries and have a spiritual ceremony–performed by anyone of their choice–at a special Mexican destination. Beaches are very popular for this sort of ceremony. Beach resort operators are accustomed to making arrangements for these weddings.
The two brides with Sr. Louis Perrilliat Blum, the Registro Civil judge who came to our home to perform our wedding. Photo courtesy Tony Chinn Anaya.

Our situation was different in that we are long-time residents of Mexico and were not visiting from another country. Our situation was complicated by the fact that Mexico Cooks! is a Mexican citizen, while her bride is not. If either of you is a Mexican citizen and the other is not, more paperwork and more permissions are required. Get ready for a long haul–but know that it can be done, because we did it and you can, too.

The feeling as we exchanged rings and realized that we were truly married…it's hard to describe, but you can see the looks on our faces. Amazing does not begin to tell the story. Photo courtesy Tony Chinn Anaya.

I have been a life-long activist, either for or against any number of what I have considered to be worthy causes: civil rights, women's rights, gay rights, and more. For many years, it was my stance that although I did not choose to marry my partner, I believed that any gay couple who wanted to marry should have that choice. When Mexico City legalized same-sex marriage, I changed my mind. I came to believe that since we now could marry, we should marry: as a sign in the world of our love and a sign that our relationship is equal to any other couple's.

What a thrill to know that my adopted country agrees with me.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.
13 de August de 2011
Parque Nacional La Marquesa, Estado de México: Road Food in the National Park

Cabaña Carmelita, La Marquesa, Estado de México (the State of México, or Edomex).

When you think of national parks, what comes first to your mind? Smokey the Bear? That cute forest ranger in khaki shorts who showed you how to pitch your tent? Hungry campers 'round the fire, waiting for hotdogs? Next time you think "national park", think La Marquesa in the State of Mexico (affectionately known as Edomex). And forget about forest rangers, tents, bears, and hotdogs. Instead, think about homey fonda-style restaurants lining both sides of the highway.

Watch for the sign on the south side of the cuota–you'll love the place.

For 30 years, Mexico Cooks! has bused to and from Mexico City, first on the old two-lane highways and then on the super-duper toll highway called the autopista. Either way, the road meanders between the city of Toluca and the Distrito Federal, passing through Parque Nacional Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. The park is affectionately known as La Marquesa, and its natural wonders are an enormous tourist attraction.

Guisado de chicharrón prensado (a stew-like dish made of the compressed crunchy bits left after frying pork skins), ready to be served at Cabaña Carmelita. It was truly hard to choose among all of the wonderful offerings. We wanted one of everything.

Mountains, waterfalls, and green pine forests are one thing: what called my attention every single time the bus passed through the park were the colorful restaurants framing two sides of the roadway. But sadly enough, the bus hurtling along never stopped for food. Think thirty years of unsatisfied craving!

Crocheted lace doilies and hand-decorated clay dishes are just waiting for your arrival.

About a year ago, it suddenly occurred to me that I was familiar enough with getting around in Mexico City that I could drive to and–oh, the daring thought!–in this city of nearly 25,000,000 people. And if I played my cards right, I could time the trip to arrive at La Marquesa just in time for comida, Mexico's main meal of the day. My beloved compañera, our two little dogs, and I left Morelia at eleven o'clock in the morning with happy plans for our lunch break at one of the La Marquesa fondas.

On the left, a guisado of huitlacoche (corn fungus). On the right, hongos silvestres (wild mushrooms).

But which one! The little restaurants line up one after another like tempting booths at a state fair, colorful and filled with promise. Look, this one advertises rabbit! And that one has delicate escamoles (ant eggs)! And then we noticed La Cabaña Carmelita, with pambazos (iconic Mexico City-style sandwiches) blazened prominently on its placards. The thought of pambazos enticed us in, but even though we found out that there were no pambazos that day, the rest of the menu made us stay.

Sopa de hongos (mushroom soup), served with a piece of crunchy chicharrón and a lime to squeeze into the broth. Steaming hot, loaded with big pieces and strips of setas (a kind of mushroom), and deliciously spicy, this mushroom soup is a far cry from Campbell's.

A quesadilla con pollo (quesadilla with shredded chicken). The serving was enormous: it consisted of a huge blue corn tortilla covered with shredded chicken, melted soft cheese, shredded hard cheese, and a salsa picante, plus a salad of sliced ripe tomatoes and cucumbers.

A tlacoyo con frijolitos y queso (an oval tortilla, in this case made of blue corn, stuffed to bursting with refried beans and cheese), accompanied by a big clay mug of café de olla (cinnamon-spiced coffee).

These two women took our orders and cooked and served our delicious food.

By the time you read this, we will have driven once again through La Marquesa. Will we stop for comida? Look at that face–is there any doubt in your mind?

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

5 de March de 2011
Mexico Cooks! in Tepoztlán and Cuernavaca…Heaven!

Tepoztlán's Restaurante El Ciruelo is the perfect setting for a leisurely mid-afternoon comida (main meal of the day), for drinks and botanas (snacks), or simply for coffee and dessert with friends.

Betty Fussell, Rondi Frankel, and I spent a warm, sunny Monday morning shopping in Tepoztlán's street market around the main town plaza. We didn't make any major purchases, but we had a terrific time looking at all the clothing and artesanía (arts and crafts) available at the booths. Suddenly all three of us were hot, tired, and more than anything, famished. Betty suggested that we head for Restaurante El Ciruelo, so off we went, praying to San Pascual Baylón (the patron saint of the kitchen) that El Ciruelo was open on Monday. It was!

At El Ciruelo, open every Monday, you will enjoy a beautiful setting as well as a marvelous meal. Our table faced lush green gardens with a backdrop of Tepozteco, Tepoztlán's craggy mountain.

We settled ourselves in the covered central open area of the restaurant and studied the menu. Everything sounded terrific and we wanted it all. Reason prevailed, however, and we limited ourselves to ordering a couple of appetizers, a sopa seca, and a main dish, all served al centro–to share.

In Mexico, there are distinctions between sopas, the literal definition of which is soup: one type sopa is sopa aguada (wet soup), which can be caldo (broth), consomé (consomme), or crema (cream soup). In rare instances, sopa aguada is called just sopa: Sopa Azteca (Aztec soup) or Sopa Tarasca (Tarascan soup) are two examples.

The second type sopa is sopa seca, which, to the foreigner, doesn't seem like 'soup' at all. Sopa seca refers to standard Mexican-style red rice, espagueti o macaroni con crema (spaghetti or macaroni served with cream sauce), or fideos, a thin pasta more like vermicelli than any other kind of pasta.

The three of us shared two appetizers: left, an absolutely delicious quesillo (Oaxaca cheese) wrapped in hoja santa and bathed in a light and subtle lemony sauce and top, pastel de elote (corn cake) served drizzled with crema (Mexican table cream) and sprinkled with rajas de chile poblano (strips of poblano chile).

Clockwise from the left, our platillo fuerte (main dish) included cecina de Yecapixtla (seasoned, grilled beef), served with black beans and slathered with crema and salsa, the sopa de fideos (garnished with sliced avocado) that we ordered separately, and guacamole garnished with squares of chicharrón.

We relaxed at El Ciruelo for nearly an hour after finishing our delicious meal, enjoying the breezes, the view, and one another's company.

Restaurante El Ciruelo
Calle Zaragoza #17
Barrio La Santísima
Tepoztlán, Morelos, México
Tel: 739.395.1203

If you'd like to try preparing sopa de fideos at home, Mexico Cooks! prepares it like this:

Sopa de Fideos Estilo Mexico Cooks!
Serves 3 or 4 as a side dish. It's a great change from rice or potatoes.

Ingredients
200 g pasta de fideos, either long or short (I prefer La Moderna brand, but any brand will do)
1 chile serrano, finely minced*
1/2 small white onion, finely minced*
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups boiling water
1 Tsp tomato bouillon powder (Knorr Suiza or other)

*Both of these may be omitted if you prefer.

In a heavy medium-size sauté pan, heat the vegetable oil and sauté the minced chile and onion over a medium flame until they are translucent. Add the pasta de fideos and sauté until the pasta is light golden brown.

Add the two cups of boiling water and the tomato bouillon powder. Stir until the powder is well dissolved.

Cover and simmer until the pasta has absorbed almost all of the water. Serve.

One of several elegant and formal terraces at Las Mañanitas.

Rondi Frankel, who grew up in Mexico City and its environs, wanted to introduce me to Hotel and Restaurante Las Mañanitas, a favorite childhood haunt in Cuernavaca. Betty, who had celebrated a birthday at Las Mañanitas just a few days before our visit, was eager to go back again.

A tray of botanas (salty snacks) served with drinks at Las Mañanitas. That's my paloma in the foreground. A paloma is prepared in a tall glass with tequila, jugo de limón (lemon juice), salt, and grapefruit soft drink, over ice. It's such a light and refreshing drink.

Once he realized that we were suckers for his looks, this irresistible beggar ate all of our botanas, first out of our hands and then right out of the dishes on the tray–peanuts, pepitas (squash seeds), and even the potato chips!

The pair of guacamayas (green wing macaws) at Las Mañanitas were much more photogenic than the three of us friends.

A gorgeous arched interior passageway at Las Mañanitas. The precisely manicured grounds, home to exotic birds both feathered and human, are also home to original bronze sculptures by Francisco Zúñiga.

One of the feathered type.

Another view of the gardens at Las Mañanitas. This mid-20th Century hotel has 20 guest rooms or suites, a restaurant a pool, a spa, and many other high-end amenities.

Las Mañanitas
Calle Ricardo Linares #107
Cuernavaca, México 62000
USA Tel: 01.800.789.4988

After more than a couple of hours' relaxation while bewitched by the old-style Mexican elegance that pervades Las Mañanitas, we reluctantly tore ourselves away and headed home to a more modern kind of Mexican elegance at Betty's borrowed heaven-on-earth pied a terre in Tepoztlán. What a blessed life!

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

21 de August de 2010
Mexico Cooks! Explores Tepoztlán with Betty Fussell

The view is from an upstairs bedroom at Betty's hideaway. Tepoztlán's jagged cliffs and crags are said to hide the secret birthplace of Quetzalcóatl, the omnipotent plumed serpent god of ancient Mexico. Tepoztlán, just 90 kilometers south of Mexico City, is a popular weekend getaway for harried capitalinos hungry for respite from the big city.

A little while ago, Mexico Cooks!' friend Betty Fussell emailed: "I'll be in Tepoztlán for a few weeks this summer, can you come to visit? Rondi's coming…" Never one to pass up a visit with these marvelous women, I answered instantly: of course! Not only was I eager to spend time with Betty and our mutual friend Rondi Frankel (highly respected wine connoiseur, sommelier, and former public relations director for Monte Xanic winery), I had never been to Tepoztlán. I couldn't imagine better company for my initiation into the mysteries of this enormously popular destination.

Midsummer roses graced a table at the house in Tepoztlán.

We had no sooner arrived and gotten our luggage into the house than we were out the door and up the cobblestone streets to the renowned Tepoztlán Sunday market. Rondi parked the car, we all hopped out–and Tlaloc, the rain god, immediately made his presence felt. What a downpour! We sloshed our way to the market, laughing all the way.

Betty, wet through but undaunted, savors her esquite.

We took temporary refuge from the storm under the lonas (tarps) that almost-but-not-quite cover the outdoor sections of the Tepoztlán Sunday market. While we waited for the downpour to slow, we all devoured delicious esquites–fresh, tender corn (either on or off the cob) simmered in water seasoned with epazote and chile de árbol, then slathered with Tepoztlán's famous crema (thick table cream, very similar to France's creme fraiche), finely grated cheese, and more chile muy picante, this time powdered.

Squash blossom vendor. Photo courtesy Roset Claes.

After picking our way down the crowded aisles of the market, we stopped for another bite. It was too late in the day for tlacoyos (a delicious corn dough-based snack)–all of the market fondas were out of the special masa (corn dough) used to prepare them–so we each ordered a quesadilla. Betty and Rondi had theirs with flor de calabaza (squash flower) and I had mine with papas y rajas (potatoes and strips of roasted chile poblano). After finishing our second tidbit of the afternoon, we gave up our near-swim through the market and headed for dry clothes and the warmth of home.

From the 1530s Codice Borboni: a drawing of Tepoztécatl, god of pulque. A whitewashed pyramid built to honor him sits atop the mountain called Tepozteco.

Tepotzlán is legendary home not only to Quetzalcóatl but also to Tepoztécatl, one of the several gods of pulque (Mexico's prehistoric alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of maguey cactus). The town is a land of both mystical and historical significance. Set in rugged mountains nearly 6000 feet above sea level, the area around Tepoztlán is believed to hold deep spiritual powers, concentrated in an energy vortex similar to that said to exist at Taos, New Mexico. Near the town, archeologists have found pottery and other artifacts dating to as early as 1500 BCE.

Today, Tepoztlán is partly a traditional Mexican town and partly a foreign artists' colony. Population is approximately 33,000, swelling enormously as hordes of primarily Mexican tourists arrive for weekends and holidays. Homes ranging from the most humble and tumble-down to the sort featured occasionally in Architectural Digest line the cobblestone streets twisting up and down its hills. Green-leaved sub-tropical trees and glorious flowers create bowers of beauty at every turn.

Tepoztlán's Ex-Convento de la Natividad, founded in the 16th Century by Dominican missionaries.

Local tradition at the Ex-Convento includes a mural on the church's arched entry wall, freshly re-created each year in September by local artists. The mural, made entirely of seeds, depicts symbols of pre-Hispanic history and tradition.

Pre-Hispanic family life, depicted in seeds on the entry wall at the Ex-Convento de la Natividad.

Pre-Hispanic symbol of the rabbit in the moon from the 2009 seed mural.

Broken 18th Century bells, removed from the towers at the Ex-Convento de la Natividad. The weight of the bell on the far right is indicated in arobas [sic], a unit of measure equivalent to approximately 15 kilos. Click on any photo for an enlarged view.

Hats for guests hang on a hall tree at the lovely home where Betty, Rondi, and Mexico Cooks! enjoyed time together.

We three spent part of a hot, sunny Monday browsing through the street stands and shops in Tepoztlán's central market. Clothing from the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guerrero as well as neighboring Guatemala included Oaxacan and Guatemalan huipiles, regionally-made huaraches, hats, and fine linen or cotton guayaberas from Guatemala for men. As in most of Mexico's tianguis (street markets), merchandise at the market in Tepoztlán ranges from produce and meats to CDs, DVDs, and toys, and from flowers to fondas (food booths serving regional specialties).

Cecina de Yecapixtla, Tepoztlán.

The local meat specialty is delicious and hugely popular cecina de Yecapixtla, a type of thinly-sliced beef. The fresh beef is cut from the legs of steers into long, wide, thin strips. The men who train to cut cecina apprentice for as long as two years to learn the correct method. A single beef strip, properly cut, can measure up to 20 meters long. After cutting, the meat is seasoned with salt, allowed to dry slightly in the sun, and rubbed with pork lard. Cooked over a charcoal fire or briefly sautéed in a frying pan, cecina is tender and extremely flavorful. It's commonly served with black beans and crema.

Other local food specialties are tlacoyos and itacates, both of which we left for our next trip to Tepoztlán. There was only so much time and so much room in our stomachs!

Next week: Lunch at El Ciruelo in Tepoztlán, and a relaxing afternoon with the peacocks at Las Mañanitas in Cuernavaca.

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

14 de August de 2010
Ruta de Aromas y Sabores 2010: Touring Michoacán with Patricia Quintana

A decorative charanda barrel at the entrance to Distilería El Tarasco in Uruapan. Charanda, distilled from sugar cane and bottled as both blanco (newly distilled) or reposado (aged), is a regional alcohol specialty of Michoacán.

Eighty hardy souls, chefs, journalists, travel specialists and food writers all, recently toured Mexico's Central Highlands on a two-week fact-finding and eating binge that brought us together from Europe, South and Central America, the United States, and other points around the globe. Aromas y Sabores de México, Ruta del Bicentenario 2010, organized by Mexico's national tourism department, kicked off in Mexico City on May 29 and ended its culinary wanderings in Michoacán on June 10. Naturally Mexico Cooks! thinks they saved the best for last!

Eleven o'clock on a hot spring morning and my friend Betty Fussell was sucking down a charanda piña colada AND a torito at the distillery! It was Betty's first full-blown taste of Michoacán and we had a marvelous time together.

The two-bus, multi-van caravan wound its way from Mexico City to the State of Mexico, then to Querétaro, to Guanajuato and, for the last four days, to Michoacán. Tour participants, accompanied by Chef Patricia Quintana of Mexico City's hot-ticket Restaurante Izote, slept when they could, partied when sleep eluded them, visited countless historic sites gussied up for Mexico's 2010 bicentennial celebrations, and ate till they could eat no more.

John Rivera Sedlar, of Rivera Restaurant in Los Angeles, California, enjoys a super-refreshing torito (made with charanda, of course) and a visit with Mexico Cooks! Photo courtesy Cynthia Martínez, Restaurante San Miguelito, Morelia.

On a hot spring day in Uruapan, Michoacán, Magda Choque Vilca, field coordinator of Argentina's Proyecto Cultivos Andinos, delights in a cooling paleta de aguacate (avocado ice pop).

Two of Michoacán's best known products are the avocado (we're the world's largest avocado grower) and the macadamia nut. This chilly and refreshing mousse, unique to Restaurante Tony's–(Morelos #183, Col. Morelos, Uruapan)–combines both delicacies. The creamy white macadamia bottom layer supports the pale green avocado top layer. It was absolutely delicious.

A metate y mano (volcanic three-legged flat grinding stone and its 'rolling pin') on display at the regional museum at Uruapan's La Huatápera. La Huatápera originated in the 16th Century. Nearly five hundred years ago, Bishop Vasco de Quiroga created the building as a hospitality center for the Purhépecha people.

For the Ruta de Aromas y Sabores tour, La Huatápera once again became a hospitality center. Tables along the portales (covered terraces) around the building held tastes of regional treats: ceviche de trucha, guacamole, paletas, and much more. Brought by Restaurante Tony's, these avocados were halved horizontally, the meat partially removed and then mashed with cream cheese, spices, and stuffed back into the avocado shell and decorated with these charming faces. The parsley eyebrows especially tickled me.

Restaurante Los Mirasoles in Morelia hosted the welcome dinner for the Michoacán portion of the Ruta de Aromas y Sabores tour. Executive chef Rubí Silva Figueroa pulled out all the stops to make the meal a high-end version of Michoacán's regional foods. Seated at a table with food professionals and journalists from Europe, South America, and the United States, Mexico Cooks! explained the food. It was, as one friend said, a comida didáctica–a teaching meal! Photo courtesy of Los Mirasoles.

Paracho, Michoacán, is known as Mexico's guitar central, but it is also famous for weaving, embroidery, and other artisan work. Michoacán's Secretaría de Turismo (state tourism department) had arranged for a small tianguis artesanal (artisans' street market) for our tour. Among the items on display and for sale were rebozos (long rectangular shawls) woven by the famous reboceros de Aranza (rebozo-makers of Aranza). Finely loomed and beautifully patterned and colored, each of these dressy cotton rebozos take anywhere from two weeks to a month to complete.

We had a marvelous time on the tour! Left to right: Lic. Elizabeth Vargas Martín del Campo, director of the Politécnico de Guanajuato; Chef Patricia Quintana, executive chef, Restaurante Izote, Mexico City; Sacha Ormaechea, Restaurante Sacha, Madrid, Spain; Olivia González de Alegría, Director General, Instituto Gastronómico de Estudios Superiores, Querétaro; Cynthia Canela, owner, Restaurante San Miguelito, Morelia; and Mexico Cooks!. Photo courtesy of Cynthia Canela.

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10 de July de 2010
Casa Limonchelo, Morelia: An Oasis in the Heart of Downtown

Just a few of the fresh seasonal fruits and house-squeezed juices from the full breakfast buffet at Hotel Limonchelo B&B, Morelia. Other breakfast treats on the fruit bar include yogurt, granola, nuts, and honey.

A few weeks ago, our friend Sheila Velazco mentioned that she had found a new hotel in downtown Morelia that we just had to see. Last week, Sheila invited Mexico Cooks! to join her for breakfast at Casa Limonchelo Bed and Breakfast in Morelia's Centro Histórico (historic downtown).

It was a great day to be in downtown Morelia. Just for the day, the Centro Histórico was closed to vehicular traffic; our taxi dropped us two blocks from the hotel and we ambled the rest of the way under blue skies and bright sunshine.

The young Duarte family opened Casa Limonchelo in April 2010. Raúl Duarte Ramírez, who trained as an architect, was actually born in this late 17th Century house that he and Susana Carrasco, his wife, now run as a bed and breakfast.

A view of the gift shop at Casa Limonchelo, which features some of Michoacán's regional products–candy, jewelry, and hand-made souvenir items.

Raúl Duarte grew up just down the street from the 225-year-old building. Ten years ago, as a young single man, he moved into a few upstairs rooms in the old building. During the years of his architectural studies, he grew more and more concerned about signs he noticed of the slow deterioration of his family home. His main preoccupation became the restoration of the historic house.

INAH, Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, closely monitors the restoration of homes in Morelia's Centro Histórico. Even though the restoration and minor remodeling of Casa Limonchelo was primarily cosmetic, INAH's strict regulations for historic preservation governed Sr. Duarte's work.

A covered terraza (terrace) surrounds three sides of the sunny
central patio at Casa Limonchelo.

After Raúl and Susana married, they continued to live upstairs while they dedicated themselves to the work on the house. Opening the hotel became their joint dream. Due to their hard work and determination, they have been able to open the hotel sooner than they expected. Even so, they say that more amenities will be added to the public rooms and the guest quarters as time goes on.

Furnished in typical highly decorative late-17th Century style, the sala principal (guest living room) is elegant but relaxing and comfortable.

The charming bed and breakfast has nine guest rooms, a large, comfortable living room, two patios, a cozy bar, and a small gift shop specializing in Michoacán's regional products.

One of the two double-sized guest rooms at Casa Limonchelo. Susana Carrasco took charge of all the hotel's decoration and added everything that was, as her husband said, 'the woman's touch'. The B&B also offers free wireless Internet service to all guests.

One of the six Casa Limonchelo guest rooms suitable for one person or a couple.

The nine available rooms at Casa Limonchelo:
Six individual rooms:
–1 person…….400 pesos
–2 people…….500 pesos
One double room:
–2 people…….500 pesos
–4 people…….700 pesos
These seven rooms share bathrooms.

One individual room with en suite bath:
–1 person……550 pesos
–2 people…….650 pesos

One double room with en suite bath:
–2 people……700 pesos
–4 people……950 pesos

All beds in all rooms are double bed size. All prices include a full breakfast every day of each guest's stay. All prices are as of May 2010 and are subject to change without notice.

The dining patio at Casa Limonchelo. Cheerful umbrellas offer plenty of morning shade. Breakfast the morning that Mexico Cooks! was at the bed and breakfast included a guisado (prepared hot dish) of chicken and potatoes, aporreadillo (a dish of eggs, cecina [spicy dried beef], and broth from Michoacán's Tierra Caliente [hot lowlands]), beans, house-made salsa picante (hot table sauce), freshly made hot tortillas, a variety of seasonal fresh fruits and juices, and bread brought oven-hot from a nearby bakery.

The delicious fresh-baked bread offered at the bed and breakfast.

Little Raúl, age two and a half, with his father, arquitecto Raúl Duarte Ramírez.

This new bed and breakfast offers a terrific and inexpensive option for a stay in Morelia's Centro Histórico. Whether you're coming from out of town or have more guests coming than your Morelia home can accommodate, Casa Limonchelo is super-comfortable, and close to all of Morelia's main tourist attractions. Its guest rooms are set far enough back from the street that normal city noise will not intrude on your times of relaxation or sleep. The owners are charming and willing to go the extra mile to please their guests. You'll have a great time here.

Casa Limonchelo Bed and Breakfast
Avenida Madero #742
Col. Centro
Morelia, Michoacan, México
Casa Limonchelo
Tel: 443.232.2114

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for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click
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29 de May de 2010