Category: Travel

Templo de Santiago Apóstol: Tupátaro and the Painted Churches of Michoacán

The simple whitewashed facade of Tupátaro's templo (church) of Santiago Apóstol (St. James the Apostle) belies the intense beauty inside. Note the pale-purple orchids blooming in the tree at the left.

The evangelization of Michoacán's Purhépecha tablelands, where many of the state's largest group of indigenous people live, was realized during the 16th and 17th centuries. Religious and secular orders who came to New Spain during the earliest part of the Spanish Conquest worked ceaselessly to convert the native peoples to Christianity. In the 16th Century, Franciscan and Augustinian priests worked together with the first bishop of Michoacán, Don Vasco de Quiroga, creating 'hospital-towns' all along a route through the mountains and valleys of Michoacán. Today, that route is still known as 'La Ruta de Don Vasco'

Bishop Vasco de Quiroga, an intellectual student of Thomas Moore's Utopia, saw in the area that is now the state of Michoacán an ideal place to put Moore's social theories to work. In Michoacán, Quiroga found a thriving crafts-driven economy, a well-developed and organized community, and the opportunity to lead the indigenous to higher and higher goals of barter and commerce. Although Vasco de Quiroga had already founded a similar 'hospital' in Mexico City, he invested his entire life in perfecting the idea throughout Michoacán's Meseta Purhépecha.

The retablo (altarpiece) in Santiago Apóstol is made of carved wood covered with 23.5 karat gold leaf. The six paintings in the retablo, painted by a single artist in the 17th Century, are oil on canvas.

Michoacán's pueblos hospitalarios ('hospital-towns') were evangelized in a manner unlike that in other regions of New Spain. The term 'hospital-towns' refers to the founding of towns specifically for the purpose of offering hospitality to the stranger and religious education as much as physical care for the sick. Each of the several pueblos hospitalarios was built along similar lines: they included a convent, a church dedicated to a particular patron saint, a smaller chapel dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, and a huatápera (meeting place), which was the actual hospital and travelers' hostel. The huatápera was the heart of the complex and the church was its soul.

Religious architecture in the Purhépecha towns was characterized by the use of adobe brick and mortar walls and carved volcanic stone entryways. The roofs were originally made of tejamanil (thin pine strips) which were later covered with clay tiles. The jewel of the interior of the simple churches was the high ceilings. Either curved or trapezoidal, the entire wooden ceiling was profusely hand-painted by indigenous artists with images of the litanies of Mary and/or Jesus, with angels, archangels, and apostols. They are filled with symbols of medieval European Christianity adapted to the perspective of the native Purhépechas. Serving as decoration, devotion, and education in the faith, these churches and their ceilings, along with their finely detailed carved retablos (altarpieces), are some of the greatest artistic treasures of the region. Today, they are still an important part of the Route of Don Vasco.

El Señor del Pino (The Lord of the Pine), 18th Century crucifix venerated on the altar in Tupátaro.

For years, Mexico Cooks! has been fascinated with the Templo de Santiago Apóstol (Church of St. James the Apostle) in Tupátaro, Michoacán. The tiny church was founded by Spanish Augustinian missionary priests who arrived either with or soon after Don Vasco de Quiroga. Under the careful conservatorship of Mexico's INAH (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia), Santiago Apóstol is one of the small 16th Century churches in Michoacán that has been restored to its original glory. Frequently called the Sistine Chapel of the Americas, Santiago Apóstol of Tupátaro is one of the most important early churches of Mexico. INAH recently honored Mexico Cooks! with permission to photograph and write about this national treasure.

The highly revered statue of Santiago Apóstol (St. James the Apostle) stands at the left side of the church altar. Built on a platform made to be carried on townspeople's shoulders, the statue processes solemnly through Tupátaro every year on the saint's feast day.

The 500-year-old wood-plank floors, built over crypts, creaked as we entered the church and walked toward the altar.

Rays of sun semi-illuminate the six oil paintings of the retablo (altarpiece): the crowning with thorns, the flagellation, the way to Gethsemane, the prayer in the garden, the adoracion of the Magi, and, high above the rest, Saint James the Apostle on his horse. The angels on either side of Santiago Apóstol have mestizo (mixed race) faces; all six paintings were created by the same hand. The sense of antiquity and reverence are palpable in this early New World church.

Detail of alterpiece sections Santiago Apóstol (St. James the Apostle) and La Adoración (Adoration of the Magi).

The classic baroque carved wood columns of the retablo, covered with 23.5 carat gold leaf, are adorned with bunches of grapes, mazorcas (ears of corn), granadas (pomegranates), and the whole avocados which represent this region of Mexico. In addition, sculptures of four pelicans decorate the altar. The pelican, with its young pecking at its breast until blood flows from its flesh, is an early Christian symbol of Christ who nurtures his church with his blood.

Detail of the life-size pasta de caña crucifix, Templo Santiago Apóstol, Tupátaro. Pasta de caña, unique to the central highlands of Mexico, is made from corn stalk pulp mixed with paste from orchid bulbs. Shaped around a wooden or bamboo armature, the paste is allowed to harden. It's then carved, covered with gesso, and polychromed.

On the right of the altar stand carvings of the four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. On the left are four Doctors of the Church: St. Gregory, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, and St. Ambrose.

The wooden bóveda (arched) ceiling, entirely hand-painted by indigenous serfs in the 18th Century, is the most spectacular feature of the church. The paintings include the Passion of Christ, twelve mysteries (stories to meditate) of the lives of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, 33 archangels holding Christian symbols (one archangel for each year Christ lived on Earth), and other religious and secular symbols.

This archangel carries the three nails used to hang Christ on the cross.

Each of the archangels wears distinct clothing, has a unique face, and different wings. Each stands on clouds. In the photographs, you can see that the lower sections of each panel are flat against the wall; the next two or three panels form the beginning of the boveda, and the higher panels curve against the ceiling. Each individual archangel panel measures three to four meters high; together they span both sides of the length of the church, from entrance to altar.

This archangel carries a Christian flag.

This archangel carries a sponge on a pole and a vessel filled with vinegar. When Christ said, "I thirst,", as he hung on the cross, he was given vinegar to drink.

La Anunciación (The Annunciation), one of the mysteries of the life of the Virgin Mary. The angel is telling her that she will be the mother of God.

La Ultima Cena (The Last Supper), a mystery of the life of Christ. The food on the table is food found in this region of Mexico.

La Resurrección (the Resurrection).

The panels showing the mysteries of the life of Christ begin at the front of the church and move toward the altar; the panels showing the mysteries of the life of the Virgin Mary begin at the altar and move toward the front of the church. Watermelons painted on the beams between the panels represent the blood of Christ.

This panel is positioned directly over the altar. In the center is a dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit.

The ceiling panels and other paintings were painted directly on wood, using tempera paint made with egg yolks. Vegetable and earthen dyes color the 18th Century paints, which have held up very well for nearly three hundred years.

The front panel of the altar, unique in the world, is made of pasta de caña, linen, cotton, and silver leaf. The dedication inside the oval reads, "Se hizo este frontal par al el Santísimo Cristo del Pueblo de Tupátaro a espensas de sus devotos y dando sus limosnas siendo Eusebio Avila año 1765." ("This altar front was made for the Most Holy Christ of the people of Tupátaro at the cost of his devoted followers and giving alms, being Eusebio Avila year 1765.") The panel was recently restored by Pedro Dávalos Cotonieto, a local sculptor who specializes in pasta de caña.

The tiny church has an exquisitely beautiful museum. Juan Cabrera Santana, the church caretaker and our exceptionally knowledgeable guide, showed us its treasures.

Sixteenth century saint, Museo Santiago Apóstol.

La Santísima (The Holy Virgin Mary), fresco, Museo Santiago Apóstol.

Tupátaro, Michoacán town plaza.

Mexico Cooks! is grateful to INAH (the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia) and to Juan Cabrera Santana for their kind permission and guidance in bringing the Tupátaro Templo de Santiago Apóstol to our readers.

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

11 de April de 2009
Chocolate:: El Gozo de Un Manjar de Dios: Savoring the Ambrosia of the Gods

The tiny storefront with the hand-lettered sign Joaquinita Chocolate Supremo is at Calle Enseñanza #38 in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán.

In Pátzcuaro, the tradition of chocolate de metate (stone-ground chocolate) is still alive, personified by Sra. María Guadalupe García López. Doña Lupe, as she is called by everyone who knows her, continues the work started in Pátzcuaro in 1898. The family recipe for chocolate de metate was left to her as a legacy by her mother-in-law. Rightly proud of her hand-ground chocolate, Doña Lupe said, "I'm convinced that by now, just about everyone in the whole world knows about chocolate de metate, and everyone who tastes it falls in love with it."

Costales (huge burlap bags) of raw cocoa beans from the state of Tabasco. Doña Lupe stores the costales in a cool spot in her sótano (basement).

In Pátzcuaro, there are several home-based businesses which make chocolate that claims to be made on the metate, but its preparation and commercialization are not authentic. Doña Lupe says that Joaquinita Chocolate has no locations other than
her home. "Some of the chocolate makers here in town claim to be my
children or my grandchildren, but they're not. They're not part of
Joaquinita Chocolate." Joaquinita Chocolate is not only the best known, but is also completely authentic in its preparation.

From the sidewalk, the house is unprepossessing. It looks like most houses in the central part of Pátzcuaro: painted white, with a deep, ochre-red base. But come closer, step up to the door: you'll be stopped in your tracks by the rich fragrance of home made chocolate. Breathe. Walk in. You'll never learn the jealously guarded secret of Doña Lupe's recipe, but you'll taste one of the legendary treats of Mexico's past and present.

Lovely Doña Lupe is ready to drop a tablet of her chocolate semiamargo (semisweet) into a pitcher of near-boiling water, just as in the story, "Like Water for Chocolate". The molinillo (hand-carved wooden chocolate whip) beats the melted chocolate into a thick froth and it's ready to serve.

Chocolate was unknown to Spain and to the rest of Europe in 1519, when Cortés arrived on the shores of the New World. Moctezuma and the highly-placed leaders in his court knew its subtleties; Cortés was soon initiated into its delights. Mixed with vanilla and other spices including chile, xocolatl (shoh-coh-LAH-tl) needed to be mixed with water and beaten to a heavy froth before being consumed unsweetened. Europeans quickly discovered that a bit of sugar took away the bitterness and enhanced the flavors of the new drink. Before long, chocolate was the rage of Europe as well as a near-addiction for Europeans in the New World.

The process of making chocolate estilo Doña Lupe (Doña Lupe-style chocolate) starts with the finest beans from the state of Tabasco, in southern Mexico. Doña Lupe says that the seed (what we usually call the cocoa bean) has to be the best, or else the chocolate loses its texture and its flavor. She won't use a lesser bean.

Toasting cocoa beans over a wood fire requires constant stirring. The fogón is shaped like a horseshoe to accommodate the cazuela.

While the carbón (natural wood charcoal) heated on the fogón (raised fire ring), Doña Lupe talked about making chocolate de metate. "First we take as many beans from the costal (large bag) as we need for the day. Normally, I make 20 to 30 kilos of chocolate tablets every day.

"Next I clean the beans, taking out any small stones, any leaves–anything that would adulterate the chocolate" Doña Lupe dipped into the huge bag of cocoa beans and put them by handfuls into an harnero (strainer), sifting through them as she poured them through her fingers, shaking the strainer to get rid of any tiny impurities. She put the cleaned cocoa beans into a cazuela de barro (deep clay cooking vessel).

The large aluminum pot in the foreground holds ground cocoa beans that shortly will become a smooth, rich masa de cacao (sweetened chocolate for tablets).

Doña Lupe's chocolate kitchen, in the lower level of her home, is furnished with traditional petate (woven reed) mats for warmth, while the room where the costales of cacao beans are stored is kept cool to preserve the beans.

Doña Lupe grinds cocoa beans the old-fashioned way, using a metate and mano. A small fire (under the metate) keeps the metate and the cocoa beans hot during the grinding process.

The chocolate, ground smooth, rests in a wooden batea (shallow oval bowl).

Doña Lupe uses a metal mold to form the sweetened soft chocolate into individual tablets. The top of the tablet of sweetened soft chocolate is scored into four quarters with the metal round to the left in the photograph.

The tablets air-dry in the warmth of the chocolate kitchen. The tablets that are scored in half are chocolate amargo: unsweetened chocolate. Both chocolate semiamargo (semisweet chocolate for making hot chocolate) and chocolate amargo sell well.

When the chocolate is completely dry, Doña Lupe packages it in pink paper. A packet of sweet chocolate contains nine tablets. A packet of chocolate amargo contains seven.

She glues the label to the package and the chocolate is ready to sell.

This hand-embroidered tablecloth in Doña Lupe's dining room depicts cups and pots of hot chocolate, as well as the saying, "Chocolate Joaquinita, Industria Casera Desde 1898" (Cottage Industry since 1898).

Mexico Cooks! would love to know the proportions of chocolate, sugar, and cinnamon that Doña Lupe uses to make her chocolate tablets, but then she wouldn't have a secret recipe. We contented ourselves with buying a package of chocolate amargo (for baking) and a package of sweetened chocolate (for preparing hot chocolate). When you're in Pátzcuaro, be sure to stop in at Joaquinita Chocolate Supremo for your own supply of traditional chocolate.

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

4 de April de 2009
Panza Llena, Corazón Contento (Full Stomach, Happy Heart)
Frijoles boil in a clay pot on the fogón (on-the-ground cooking fire). The fire ring is the wheel rim of a truck, the wood is what was available. The clay pot ensures old-fashioned flavor and Mexico Cooks!' interest in the cooking process ensured old-fashioned hospitality. "Come back at 1:30," the cook told us. "The beans will be ready and I'll make some tortillas."

Twenty or more years ago, Mexico Cooks! ate a once-in-a-lifetime meal in Mexico. Simplicity itself, the comida (midday meal) consisted of steamed white rice piled with home-grown sliced bananas, homemade fresh cheese, frijoles de la olla (beans in their pot liquor, freshly cooked as in the photo above), and hand-patted tortillas, hot from the comal (griddle). That meal, served in an outdoor kitchen, was our introduction to Mexican tradition, authenticity, and hospitality, all on a level we had never known before.

Food, shared with friends and acquaintances, brings us together in elemental hospitality. Food and the sharing of it in Mexico have, since earliest times, given rise to wonderful dichos (sayings) from the kitchen.

This hand-embroidered tablecloth is on display at Pátzcuaro's Museo Regional del Arte Popular (Regional Folk Arts Museum). Every saying sewn into the cloth is a dicho de la cocina. Mexico Cooks! will publish an article about this beautiful museum on April 18, 2009.

Quoting a dicho de la cocina always brings a smile. Here are a few favorites:
- Mujer que guisa, se casa a prisa. (The woman who cooks is soon married.)
- A comer y a misa, a la primer llamada. (To eat and to Mass, go at the first call.)
- Mejor llegar a tiempo que ser invitado. (It's better to arrive on time than to be invited.)
Rich or poor, people always invite others to share their table. It's seriously offensive to refuse an offered meal.
- Al que nace para tamal, del cielo le caen las hojas. If you're born to be a tamal, your corn husks will fall from heaven.
- Come a gusto y placentero y que ayune tu heredero. Eat what you like and at your pleasure–let your descendants fast!
- Cuando el ratón está lleno, hasta la harina le sabe amarga. When the mouse is full, even flour tastes bitter to him.
Red pozole, made with pork, chiles, and nixtamal (processed dried corn), is one of Mexico's most comforting meals. For a wonderfully rich recipe, try this one from our friend Rolly's favorite cook, Doña Martha.
- Desayunar como rey, comer como príncipe y cenar como mendigo. Eat breakfast like a king, eat at midday like a prince, and have supper like a beggar.
- El hambre es la buena, no la comida. Hunger is the good thing, not the food.
- El que parte y comparte, se queda con la mejor parte. The one who cuts and serves the food gets the best part.
Uchepos de leche are a regional Michoacán specialty served for breakfast or supper.
- Fuchi… ¡quiero más! It's AWFUL…give me some more!
- Gástalo en la cocina y no en medicina. Spend it in the kitchen, not on medicine.
- Invierno buen tiempo para el herrero, el panadero y el chocolatero. Winter's a good time for the ironworker, the baker, and the chocolate maker.
Mexican sopa de pan–bread soup–is hearty with shredded chicken, sliced boiled eggs, olives, raisins, capers and roasted tomatoes.
- La comida entra por los ojos. Food comes in through the eyes.
- La paciencia es amarga, pero sus frutos son dulces. Patience is bitter, but its fruits are sweet.
- La venganza es dulce al paladar, pero amarga para la garganta. Vengance is sweet in the mouth, but bitter in the throat.
An outdoor kitchen is still common in rural areas of Mexico. This one is lovely, dressed in soft blue paint and flowers.

Later this year we'll have a look at more dichos de la cocina–kitchen sayings–and kitchen-related photos from Mexico Cooks!.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.
28 de March de 2009
Rabbit Cook-A-Thon in San Miguel de Allende
Antique wooden crosses grace the light-filled comedor (dining room) at Rancho Casa Luna, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico.

Three ranch-raised rabbits, ready to prepare in the professional kitchens at Rancho Casa Luna.

A few months ago, Mexico Cooks! 'met' (in that 21st Century virtual way, via a social networking website) Dianne Kushner, owner of the fabulous Casa Luna bed and breakfast hotels and newly opened Rancho Casa Luna (for weddings, private parties, and cooking classes) in San Miguel de Allende. As it turned out, Dianne and I had a number of real-life friends in common. Dianne invited Mexico Cooks! to Rancho Casa Luna to cook with some old friends as well as with some new friends.

Three teams of professional chefs and their assistants made the menu plans: rabbit, grown at Rancho Casa Luna and cooked in a variety of ways. We chose a Mexican recipe, a French recipe, and a Spanish recipe and were happily surprised by a fourth recipe for a Moroccan tagine.

Billie Mercer, Judy McKnight, and Dianne Kushner worked as chef's assistants. They're wearing their team aprons, embroidered with flags of Mexico, France, and Spain. Each of the teams decided to cook in an unfamiliar cuisine, just for the exercise. Mexico Cooks! was eager (and a little nervous) to be in charge of a French recipe.

It was hard to drag ourselves away from relaxing on the terrace at Dianne's heaven-on-earth.

Rancho Casa Luna is perfectly designed for lounging on the terrace, watching the earth spin slowly from daybreak to its last purple light. Nevertheless, Ruth Alegría, Ben, and Billie (the Mexican team); Henri, Jessica, and Dianne (the Spanish team), and Judy and I (the French contingent) gathered at eleven o'clock Friday morning to start hopping (you should forgive the expression). We had nine ranch-raised rabbits, what looked like a ton of fresh vegetables, and every pot, pan, spoon, and knife you can imagine.

A few of the ingredients for the Spanish rabbit preparation. The photo shows about a quarter of the enormous bunch of gorgeous fresh rosemary that Henri and Jessica cut to bring for their dish.

Our teams of chefs and assistants prepared other dishes to accompany the rabbits. By team:
- Mexico: cold crema de chile poblano (creamed chile poblano soup) with minced apple, the Moroccan rabbit tagine, fresh mango pie. Team Mexico prepared Conejo en Chile (Rabbit in Chile)from Diana Kennedy's Mexican Regional Cooking, pp. 74-75.
- Spain: parsleyed new potatoes, braised acelgas (Swiss chard), salad of grated carrot, cilantro, and jugo de limón
- France: fresh green beans with diced fresh red pepper, mixed-greens salad with caramelized walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette.
Jessica and Henri Moyal of San Miguel de Allende (with Dianne as their assistant on Team Spain) sliced and diced, chopped and peeled–and peered intently at the recipe for their rabbit.

Team Spain's rabbit, browning perfectly, had marinated overnight in balsamic vinegar.

Ben Wenske formerly owned the Tuba Garden restaurant in San Francisco, California. He was one-third of Team Mexico for the rabbit marathon. Judy of Team France is stealing secrets as Ben hands a recipe to one of the other teams.

Lapin aux Pruneaux, French rabbit with prunes, is ready for the oven.

Moroccan rabbit tagine, ready to bake.

Rabbit Tagine
(courtesy Ziryab Mediterranean Grill, San Francisco, CA)

Ingredients
16 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons paprika
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 rabbit, approximately 1.5 kilos, cut in 8 pieces
3/4 cup olives, black or green
1 1/2 lemons, sliced thin

Procedure
In a food processor, finely chop garlic, cilantro, and parsley. Transfer to a bowl. Add onions and the next nine ingredients; mix well. Add rabbit pieces, olives, and lemons; toss. Cover and chill for at least two hours and up to one day.

Pre-heat oven to 450°F. Put rabbit and seasonings in a large ovenproof pot. Add 1.5 cups water. Cover and bake until rabbit is cooked through, approximately one hour. Serve from baking dish or transfer to a warm platter.

Billie surveys the peaceful dining room at Rancho Casa Luna, waiting for the arrival of massive amounts of food and happy cooks.

At last! The nine of us sat down for comida (main meal of the day) at about four in the afternoon. That's Dianne Kushner, with her back to us; to her left is Henri Moyal, then Judy McKnight, then the top of Ben Wenske's head, Jessica Moyal, Ruth Alegría, and Ned and Billie Mercer. Mexico Cooks! took the photo. Our meal started with Ruth's chilled crema de chile poblano.

One dinner plate, completely loaded! We had almost enough food. If the truth be known, we could easily have fed 20 or more guests, in addition to our teams of cooks and assistants.

The rabbit cook-a-thon was an amazing combination of old friends, new friends, work, and fun. Thanks to our generous and welcoming host Dianne Kushner at Rancho Casa Luna, to the openness, warmth, and spirit of sharing in the kitchens, to laughter and good people and best of all, to great eating.

We're planning to produce more events–teaching, cooking, eating–and Mexico Cooks! would love for all of you to participate. Let us know when you'd like to come to our newest outpost in San Miguel de Allende and we'll let YOU know all the details.

Looking for a tailored-to-your-interests specialized tour in Mexico? Click here: Tours.
21 de March de 2009
Comida Mexicana para La Cuaresma: Special Mexican Food for Lent

Tortitas de papa (potato croquettes, left) and frijoles negros (black beans, right) from the south of Mexico are ideal for a Lenten meal.

Catholic Mexicans observe la Cuaresma (Lent), the 40-day (excluding Sundays) penitential season that precedes Easter, with special prayers, vigils, and with extraordinary meatless meals cooked only on Ash Wednesday and during Lent. Many Mexican dishes–seafood, vegetable, and egg–are normally prepared without meat, but some other meatless dishes are particular to Lent. Known as comida cuaresmeña, many of these delicious Lenten foods are little-known outside Mexico and some other parts of Latin America.

Many observant Catholics believe that the personal reflection and meditation demanded by Lenten practices are more fruitful if the individual refrains from heavy food indulgence and makes a promise to abstain from other common habits such as eating candy, smoking cigarettes, and drinking alcohol.

Atole de grano, a Michoacán specialty made of tender corn and licorice-scented anís, is a perfect cena (supper) for Lenten Fridays.

Lent began this year on Ash Wednesday, February 25. Shortly before, certain food specialties began to appear in local markets. Vendors are currently offering very large dried shrimp for caldos (broths) and tortitas (croquettes), perfect heads of cauliflower for tortitas de coliflor (cauliflower croquettes), seasonal romeritos, and thick, dried slices of bolillo (small loaves of white bread) for capirotada (a kind of bread pudding).

This common Lenten preparation is romeritos en mole. Romeritos, an acidic green vegetable, is in season at this time of year. Although it looks a little like rosemary, its taste is relatively sour, more like verdolagas (purslane).

You'll usually see tortitas de camarón (dried shrimp croquettes) paired for a Friday comida (midday meal) with romeritos en mole, although they are sometimes bathed in a caldillo de jitomate (tomato broth) and served with sliced nopalitos (cactus paddles).

During Lent, the price of fish and seafood in Mexico goes through the roof due to the huge seasonal demand for meatless meals. These beautiful huachinango (red snapper) come from Mexico's Pacific coast.

Chef Martín Rafael Mendizabal of La Trucha Alegre in Zitacuaro, Michoacán, prepared trucha deshuesada con agridulce de guayaba (boned trout with guava sweet and sour sauce) for the V Encuentro de Cocina Tradicional de Michoacán held in Morelia in December 2008. The dish would be ideal for an elegant Lenten dinner.

Capirotada (Lenten bread pudding) is almost unknown outside Mexico. Simple to prepare and absolutely delicious, it's hard to eat it sparingly if you're trying to keep a Lenten abstinence!

Every family makes a slightly different version of capirotada: a pinch more of this, leave out that, add such-and-such. Mexico Cooks! prefers to leave out the apricots and add dried pineapple. Make it once and then tweak the recipe to your preference–but please do stick with traditional ingredients.

CAPIROTADA

Ingredients
*4 bollilos, in 1" slices (small loaves of dense white bread)
5 stale tortillas
150 grams pecans
50 grams prunes
100 grams raisins
200 grams peanuts
100 grams dried apricots
1 large apple, peeled and sliced thin
100 grams grated Cotija cheese
Peel of one orange, two uses
*3 cones piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar)
Four 3" pieces of Mexican stick cinnamon
2 cloves
Butter
Salt

*If you don't have bolillo, substitute slices of very dense French bread. If you don't have piloncillo, substitute 1/2 cup tightly packed brown sugar.

A large metal or clay baking dish.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Toast the bread and spread with butter. Slightly overlap the tortillas in the bottom and along the sides of the baking dish to make a base for the capirotada. Prepare a thin syrup by boiling the piloncillo in 2 1/2 cups of water with a few shreds of cinnamon sticks, 2/3 of the orange peel, the cloves, and a pinch of salt.

Place the layers of bread rounds in the
baking dish so as to allow for their expansion as the capirotada cooks. Lay down a layer of bread, then a layer of nuts, prunes, raisins, peanuts and apricots. Continue until all the bread is layered with the rest. For the final layer, sprinkle the capirotada with the grated Cotija cheese and the remaining third of the orange peel (grated). Add the syrup, moistening all the layers little by little. Reserve a portion of the syrup to add to the capirotada in case it becomes dry during baking.

Bake uncovered until the capirotada is golden brown and the syrup is absorbed. The bread will expand as it absorbs the syrup. Remember to add the rest of the syrup if the top of the capirotada looks dry.

Cool the capirotada at room temperature. Do not cover until it is cool; even then, leave the top ajar.

Try very hard not to eat the entire pan of capirotada at one sitting!

A positive thought for the remainder of Lent: give up discouragement, be an optimist.

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

14 de March de 2009
Torito de Petate, February 2009: Carnaval en Morelia!

Morelia's 2009 Festival del Torito de Petate starred "El Michoacano" featuring Fuente Las Tarascas (the Tarascan fountain).

Morelia's annual Festival del Torito de Petate (literally, festival of the little bull made of woven reeds) ushers in Carnaval here in the city. These little bulls are hardly little, and are hardly made of woven reeds. Some measure as high as five meters (more than 15 feet) and weigh in at more than 110 kilos (nearly 250 pounds). Built today by group members from Morelia's working-class neighborhoods, the danza del torito de petate stems from dances that date back as far as 1586, shortly after the Spanish conquest of the New World.

The towering Torito Azteca incorporates inventive components of pre-hispanic design. You can see the little bull's red eyes, white nostrils and red tongue near the bottom center of the photograph.

This intricate guacamaya (macaw) measures at least five meters tall. A strong young man carries the heavy torito on his shoulders and performs a several-minute-long dance. Cheering crowds and a tumultuous local band urge him and his costumed companions to ever faster spins.

Children absolutely love the Festival del Torito de Petate. The little boy on the left is wearing a horse costume held up by suspenders. He's whipping his steed in more and more frenzied circles. The taller boy in the center has a bull costume mounted on his shoulders; Mexico Cooks! could only capture the bull's umm…tail…as the boy whirled to the music.

Sixty neighborhoods participated in the 2009 edition of Morelia's Festival del Torito de Petate. Mexico Cooks! watched the line of elaborately colorful creatures as it formed alongside Plaza Valladolid; the giant toritos were accompanied by crowds of whoop-it-up well-wishers, cheerleaders, and frenetic dancers.

Mexico Cooks! asked this young man why his face was painted half orange, half black. "It matches our torito," he explained.

"I represent the devil, but you know it's not for real. It's just for the toritos dance."

Little ones perched high up on Dad's shoulders for a great view.

Every age celebrates Morelia's Carnaval. The toy this elderly woman is holding is also a torito de petate. Strolling vendors set up all over Plaza Valladolid hawk these little toritos to the crowd of thousands.

Here's information about the 2008 Festival del Torito de Petate, along with a lot more pictures. Plan to be here in Morelia during Carnaval next year! We'll expect you on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday for this exciting party.

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7 de March de 2009
El Ex-Convento de San Francisco de Asís (The Former Monastery of St. Francis of Assisi), Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán

The sun-filled inner patio of the Ex-Convento de San Francisco de Asís (former monastery of St. Francis of Assisi) in Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán.

Twenty-seven years ago, Mexican friends took Mexico Cooks! to Tzintzuntzan for the first time. We toured the crafts market, the pottery market, the church atrium, and its three churches. That day, for the first time, we visited the 17th Century Christ figure known as the Santo Entierro (the Holy Burial).

The legendary Santo Entierro is displayed in a glass coffin. The faithful believe that his limbs continue to grow. At the left-hand end of the coffin, the extension added for his feet has a US bill taped to the glass; there is more US and Mexican currency inside the coffin, along the lower front edge. The figure's toes are once again reaching their limits.

After visiting these sites, my companions guided me to the Ex-Convento de San Francisco de Asís. We briefly toured the patio, where the walls, decorated with unfortunately deteriorating 18th Century catechetical frescoes, amazed me. Over the course of nearly 30 years, I've visited the Ex-Convento many, many times, especially to see the frescoes.

These are the partially restored portales (colonnades) which enclose an inner garden of the Ex-Convento. Construction lumber braces the arches on all four sides of the building.

Within the last few years, the Ex-Convento has begun renovation. The monastery building, designed and initiated in 1530 by Spanish architect (and Franciscan friar) Fray Pedro de Pila, has fallen into disrepair over the last 450 years. Currently owned and managed by the community of Tzintzuntzan (including Father Serafín Guzmán Rivera, the parish priest; Abel Martínez Rojas, the mayor, and a counsel of townspeople headed by the Secretario del Consejo, Profesor Filiberto Villagómez Estrada), the Ex-Convento is being restored little by little as funds for the work are collected. Suffice it to say that collections are slim in this rural Mexican town. A Mexican foundation, Adopte Una Obra de Arte (Adopt a Work of Art), is making it easier for both small and large donors in Mexico and the rest of the world to be aware of and help pay for this important restoration effort, among other efforts on behalf of other historical sites.

This 16th Century statue of St. Francis of Assisi stands in the entrance to the Ex-Convento's cloister. The Franciscan order opened the Ex-Convento de San Francisco in Tzintzuntzan; it was the first monastery in the state of Michoacán.

Alfarje–openwork wooden Moorish panels built by the early Spanish settlers–decorate the four corners of the cloister ceiling. The alfarje is in the process of restoration.

Restoration of the frescoes around the cloister is a slow and costly process requiring expert attention. Rather than re-paint missing parts of the frescoes, only the remaining portions of the paintings are restored as they are uncovered.

Seven catechetical panels, originally painted in the 16th Century, depicted the sacraments of the church. Three panels remain; this fresco represents the sacrament of marriage. The 16th Century frescoes were over-painted in the 18th Century, as you can see by the participants' dress.

The sacrament of Holy Oils. These frescoes were painted to offer visual illustration of some tenets of the Roman Catholic Church to indigenous people who could neither read nor write, whether their own language or the Spanish of the conquistadores.

The sacrament of Extreme Unction.

Mexico Cooks! was astounded to learn that the Ex-Convento restoration consists of far more than the cloister, the colonnades, and the frescoes. When Secretario del Consejo Filiberto Villagómez Estrada and volunteer docents Victoria María Moreno and Patricia Gabriel Prado opened an unnoticed door, our jaws dropped to see the partially restored kitchen, refectory, and upstairs hallways of the original building.

Decorated with beautifully hand-made Tzintzuntzan cups, plates, and pots, the kitchen takes on a magical aspect as golden early afternoon sunlight pours in its windows.

A kitchen wall niche filled with simple, richly glazed Tzintzuntzan cazuelas, some filled with deep maroon dried chiles, basks in the glow of sunlight. These rooms, elegant and austere, are not usually open to the public, as their contents have not yet been classified.

Locally grown fruits and alcatraces (calla lilies) grace this low table surrounded by painted rush-seat chairs. Burnished and painted ollas de barro (clay cooking pots) rest on the floor to the right.

Patricia Gabriel Prado (left) and Victoria María Moreno (right), volunteer docents, guided Mexico Cooks! through the cloister level of the Ex-Convento. They are wearing women's ropa típica (typical clothing) for a Purhépecha fiesta. Their long aprons are intricately hand-embroidered in cross stitch, as are their blouses.

Dating to the 16th Century, these wooden doors lead to the monastery's original refectorio (dining room).

If you are planning an event in this part of Mexico–a private party, a wedding, a meeting–the rooms of the Ex-Convento are available for rent. All rental stipends are donated to Adopte una Obra de Arte for the continuing restoration of the building. Please email Mexico Cooks! if you'd like to contact the Foundation.

Adopte una Obra de Arte maintains a Spanish-language website where you can see all of the restoration work supported by the organization: Adopte una Obra de Arte.

We are grateful to Secretario del Consejo Profesor Filiberto Villagómez Estrada and Lic. Tania González Mendoza, Coordinadora del Centro Cultural Comunitario "Tzintzuntzan", for their kind permission to visit and photograph the Ex-Convento de San Francisco de Asís. Mexico Cooks! sincerely hopes that our readers will take a serious interest in the continuing restoration of this 16th Century work of art and architecture.

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

28 de February de 2009
Fiestas del Señor del Rescate in Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán

The entrance to the Templo de San Francisco (St. Francis Church), Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, during the February 2009 fiestas patronales (patron saint's festivities) honoring El Señor del Rescate (the Lord of Rescue).

The indigenous community from four regions of Michoacán (the Zona Lacustre [Lake Pátzcuaro Zone], Cañada de los 11 Pueblos [the Ravine of the Eleven Towns], Ciénega de Zacapu [marshlands of Zacapu], and the Meseta Purhépecha [Purhépecha tablelands]) arrives each year during the week prior to Ash Wednesday to give homage to their patron, El Señor del Rescate (the Lord of Rescue). Not only do the Purhépecha gather from the four regions, people come from as far as Monterrey in Mexico's north to Oaxaca in Mexico's south. Cars and trucks with license plates from neighboring and distant Mexican states park side by side next to vehicles from Texas, California, Minnesota, Virginia, New York, and a dozen other states north of the USA border.

Bishop Vasco de Quiroga and other 16th Century Spaniards are credited with introducing limas to Mexico and Michoacán. Notice the round shape of this citrus fruit and the nipple of skin at its blossom end.

In the Atrio de los Olivos, crowds picnic, dance, and buy or sell artesanías (arts and crafts) and regional foods in the shade of ancient olive and cypress trees.

The Atrio de los Olivos (Atrium of the Olive Trees) of Tzintzuntzan's Templo de San Francisco, ordinarily a
peaceful, meditative, park-like setting, fills with the biggest
home-grown excitement of the year. Booths with traditional regional foods, particularly tamales de trigo (wheat and piloncillo [brown sugar] tamales, similar in taste and texture to bran muffins) and limas (a citrus fruit virtually unknown outside Latin America). Sweet, not sour; round, not oval, the lima can be eaten out of hand or squeezed to prepare agua fresca de lima.

El Señor del Rescate: Tzintzuntzan's venerated Lord of Rescue. The original 16th Century painting burned in a church fire in 1944. It's said that the paint colors of this painting, a copy, are taking on the deep burnished tones of the original painting.

From the 16th to the late 19th Century, St. Francis of Assisi (the patron of the Franciscan order) was celebrated as the patron saint of Tzintzuntzan. Late in the 1800's, the church sacristan found an old painting of Jesus hidden away in storage. The town was under siege by a measles epidemic, and the sacristan begged permission to make a vow: if prayers to this image of Jesus put a stop to the epidemic, the sacristan himself would throw a town party, a huge party, in gratitude for the granted favor. That party is today's Fiesta del Señor del Rescate, still going strong after more than 100 years.

The fiesta is what's known in liturgical terms as a 'movable feast'. It's celebrated during what is known in other towns across the world as Mardi Gras or Carnaval–the last blowout party before Ash Wednesday and the abstinence of Lent's forty days. Here in rural Michoacán, El Señor del Rescate takes precedence over Carnaval.

These traditional Tzintzuntzan clay pots, for sale at the fiesta, are for cooking beans. Look closely and you can see Mexico Cooks!' pink blouse reflected in the pots' high glaze.

This huge, thick cazuela de barro (clay cooking vessel) measures approximately 45 centimeters (18") across the top, plus the handles. The cazuela came home with us and is already on display in our kitchen.

Before we even entered the church atrium, we heard the joyous sounds of a band. The music, from classical to the most current Mexican pop favorites, plays nearly non-stop for three days or more. It's tempting to stop and listen before going to the church, but as we heard a woman say to her adolescent children, "Primero le echamos una visita y después venimos a escuchar la música!" ('First we pay him a visit [to El Señor del Rescate] and then we come listen to the music!')

All of the bands are paid by contributions from various members of community organizations, including two groups paid by the local government offices. Traditionally, about a month before the events, the parish priest names several couples as a commission to help oversee the fiesta; these couples must have been married for 25 years before the current year's fiesta. In addition, townspeople who live 'away'–usually in the United States–send dollars to offset the cost of other bands and general costs.

The fragrance of gorditas de nata (cream hotcakes, about 3" in diameter) baking on a comal (griddle) is all but irresistable. Delicious cream, sugar, and vanilla cakes, combined with the magic of a sun-dappled afternoon at a fiesta, always make Mexico Cooks! stop to get'em while they're hot.

These little girls had to be wheedled, but ultimately they let Mexico Cooks! take their picture. They're dressed for la Danza del Señor del Rescate, which represents the fight between good and evil. The dance features a number of characters: queens, angels, and demons. Traditionally, girls wear beige, yellow, or white dresses, a red cape (which represents the robe Christ wears in the painting), and a crown. The devils, of course, represent evil. The angels represent a barrier that the devils can't pass. During the dancing, the devils jump out at the crowds to make jokes and scare children.

All day, every day of the fiesta, bells ring in the church to keep evil forces away. Hundreds of devoted pilgrims–some creeping the length of the church's center aisle on their knees–enter the Templo de San Francisco to give thanks, to ask for a personal miracle, or to be blessed by a crown placed on their heads with a prayer. The crowns represent both the blessings of Christ who has rescued the faithful and a petition for redemption.

We'll surely go back next year to Tinztzuntzan's Fiestas del Señor del Rescate. Plan to join Mexico Cooks! in celebrating these traditions.

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21 de February de 2009
Traditional and Modern Ceramic Arts in Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán: Manuel Morales, Ceramist

The belltower of the Templo de Nuestra Señora de La Soledad (Our Lady of Solitude, the "new" church, built in the late 18th-early 19th Century), is visible from almost anywhere in Tzintzuntzan. Typical crafts from Tzintzuntzan and other nearby towns are available in the marketplace just outside the churchyard.

Mexico Cooks! often travels the forty minutes from Morelia to Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, to visit friends. At one time the seat of the Purhépecha kingdom, the town is still rich in the fascination of ancient tradition and its modern interpretation. Tzintzuntzan, which translates from the Purhépecha language to 'the place of the hummingbird', attracts a new kind of hummingbird these days: the tourist. Arriving singly or in groups, the tourist dips into Tzintzuntzan for shopping, just as the hummingbird sips a flower, and just as quickly flits away.

Best known for its Purhépecha Noche de Muertos (Night of the Dead) celebrations, Tzintzuntzan is also an artisans' center. Clay pots, adornos de popote (straw decorations), wood, and hand-embroidered textiles fill the marketplace and shops.

Pottery decorated with green flora and fauna on a black background is indigenous to Tzintzuntzan.

Tzintzuntzan is one of many Michoacán towns sustaining a living tradition: alfarería (pottery making). Clay is abundant in the Michoacán hills and many Purhépecha dedicate their lives to creating both utilitarian and artistic pots. Tzintzuntzan's traditional glaze colors and designs are unmistakable.

About 50 years ago, Miguel Morales popularized Tinztzuntzan's vajilla (dish sets) glazed in white and dark brown. Designs on these two bowls include ordinary local sights: the burro carries firewood, the fish are from Lake Pátzcuaro.

Mexico Cooks! grows rosemary, mint and geraniums in these Tzintzuntzan macetas tradicionales (traditional flower pots). China (CHEE-nah) decided she'd get in the picture.

These and many other olive trees, planted by Bishop Vasco de Quiroga
soon after the Spanish arrived in Michoacán, continue to flourish In
the huge atrium of Tzintzuntzan's Ex-Convento de San Francisco (Former
Monastery of St. Francis).
Three churches anchor the west side of the atrium: the oldest is the Capilla Abierta de la Concepción
(Open Chapel of the Conception), built in the early 16th Century.

Cerámica Tzintzuntzan nestles in the farthest corner of the church atrium. If the bicycle is leaning on the front of the taller (workshop) and the padlock is missing from the hasp on the door, the workshop is open and you might find Manuel Morales at his potter's wheel.

Luis Manuel Morales Gámez, Tzintzuntzan native, artist, and master potter, has created high-fired ceramics for 25 years. His family has worked clay for five generations. Manuel Morales and his father, Miguel, a traditional potter who switched from wood-fired kilns to high-fired ovens, worked together until his father died in an accident.

In 1982, Manuel Morales'
father, Sr. Miguel Morales, received a government subsidy which made it possible to purchase an
electric-powered wheel and the only gas-fired kiln in the village. Under his father's tutelage, Manuel began to
work in clay at the age of eight. Later
Manuel studied painting and graphic design at the University of Michoacán in Morelia,
where he was influenced by the great Mexican painters Diego Rivera, David Siqueiros, José Clemente Orozco, Rodolfo Tamayo, and Pablo Picasso. He
studied the ancient cultures of South America and Mexico, and in particular his own Purhépecha culture, incorporating into his own work ancient symbols found on the yácatas (pyramids) just outside the village.

Green ware ready to be glazed.

This large vessel, similar in shape and size to the one Manuel Morales is holding in the photo above, is ready to be fired.

Manuel returned to
Tzintzuntzan and began to create pottery which reflects
his own world view, a view which integrates past and present and expresses the
vitality, soul and spirit of his village.
His greatest inspiration comes from the natural world, in particular the
lake where since childhood he has watched the unchanging rituals of fishermen
as they set sail at dawn or under the full moon, in expectation of their return
with a full catch.

Finished pots ready for sale. Each of Morales' pieces is unique and the ochre, black, and deep blue colors are particular to his work.

There are few Mexican potters who have achieved the level of accomplishment that Morales enjoys. His work, sold in a very few exclusive Mexican shops, is often shipped to Europe and the United States for sale. The pots Morales sells at Cerámica Tzintzuntzan are occasionally seconds, pieces with tiny defects that are all but invisible.

"Making pottery always has a component of risk," Morales mused when Mexico Cooks! visited him last month. "After three months of painting bowls, platters, vases, and other pieces, I have enough work to fire. Once the pots are in the kiln, all you can do is pray. Sometimes the pieces that have required the most work before firing come out with a crack, or the glaze runs, or some other surprise happens that makes the pieces useless. When clients place special orders, I always tell them that we won't know the results until the firing is done and I open the kiln. Of course we hope for the best, but we never know."

Some of his best pots have regularly won top prizes at Mexican competitions. So much of his current work is made to special order that he now has little time to make pots destined solely for competition.

Manuel Morales' signature on the small bowl (middle front) in the photo above.

In addition to the Cerámica Tzintzuntzan pottery available at Morales' workshop in the church atrium, pots are usually available at the Casa de Artesanía in Morelia, at a few select shops in Pátzcuaro, and at Colección Herlinda Palacios, Independencia #227 in Tlaquepaque, Jalisco.

Manuel Morales is the fifth generation of his family to fire pots in Tzintzuntzan. The legacy continues, however, with his son and his three young daughters. Born and raised in Tzintzuntzan, they have clay in their blood and are already making pottery.

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14 de February de 2009
Feliz Aniversario (Happy Anniversary) to Mexico Cooks!

Sweetheart, you are my passion–I love you!

Mexico Cooks! celebrates its second anniversary this week. Two years seems on the one hand to be just a blink in time. On the other hand, we feel like we've known you forever. This week is a rerun of some of our favorite photographs, along with links to the posts where they originally appeared.

This beautiful child from Uruapan, Michoacán, originally appeared on April 14, 2007.

Pan dulce mexicano (May 5, 2007) is one of Mexico Cooks! most-viewed photos.

Day of the Dead in Morelia (November 24, 2007).

Tamales, tamales, and more tamales! December 22, 2007. The blackberry tamales in the photo are sweetly delicious for dessert or breakfast.

Hammocks swinging in Chiapas, April 12, 2008. Several weeks before and after this date were devoted to San Cristóbal de las Casas and its surrounding area.

The three-article series about Mexico Cooks!' adventures in Guadalajara with the newspaper El Mural (June 21, 28, and July 5, 2008) was filled with recipes and fun.

The Feria del Chile in Queréndaro, Michoacán. We'll be going back in August or September 2009.

Mexico Cooks! is already eager for the VI Encuentro de Cocina Tradicional de Michoacán–and it's not until December 2009. Revisit the V Encuentro, held in December 2008, for a taste of what's to come.

We're so greatful to all of Mexico Cooks! readers. From the first article in February 2007 to the honor of being named #1 Food Blog in the World by the illustrious Times of London, you've given us your time, your loyalty, and your comments. The next year will be filled with all the best of Mexico–because, we all know, Mexico Cooks!

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7 de February de 2009