Tag Archives: cuisine

Penland School Cooks in Oaxaca

Posted on Thursday, February 19, 2015 | Comments Off

We will be going back in time this week. A few days ago our participants from Penland School of Crafts gathered at Casa de los Sabores, the cooking school operated by chef Pilar Cabrera Arroyo.

Our menu focused on mezcal including a flaming skewered pineapple and shrimp dish that went up in flames before we ate it. The pineapple chunks were soaked in mezcal so the natural sugars ignited instantly. They were accompanied by a salad featuring tiny tomatillos that we ate raw.

Pilar has been preparing great food for a long time. Her La Olla Restaurant is well known in the city for using organic ingredients that are artfully prepared. Because our study tour focuses on Oaxaca arts and artisanry, food is an important ingredient in the Oaxaca mix.

Pilar is also very knowledgeable about the artesenal process of cultivating and distilling mezcal, too. Before we sat down to the meal we participated in preparing, we enjoyed a four-flight mezcal tasting that began with young espadin. She explained the different varietals, aging process and the rising cost of the smokey beverage based on escalating international interest.

First, it’s important to smell. Then, take a first sip and let it go down your throat slowly. At the end of your drink, suck on an orange slice dipped in worm salt (sal de gusano) for a perfect finish.

After the memelitas with squash blossoms and queso fresco, and after the chicken with mole amarillo, we ended with an incredible flan.

With a beautiful table and an array of complex tastes, we were more than satisfied. Oh, and I forgot to mention a shopping trip to the Mercado de la Merced before the class started to pick up essential ingredients.

I work with local experts and guides to put together an unusual and intimate view of Oaxaca, her art, food and culture. I am not a tour guide but an expert at award-winning university program development. If you organization has interest in a program such as this one, please contact me.

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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Food & Recipes, Photography, Travel & Tourism, Workshops and Retreats

Tagged Casa de los Sabores, class, cooking, cuisine, culture, food, La Olla Restaurant, markets, Mexico, Oaxaca, organic, Penland School of Crafts, Pilar Cabrera, tour, workshop

Masterpiece of Mexican Cuisine and Symbol of Independence: Chile en Nogada

Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2014 | 1 comment

It’s a Chile en Nogada kind of day here in Puebla, Mexico, where it was first prepared by Augustinian nuns, so they say, to honor the birthday of General Augustin Iturbide on August 28, 1821, who orchestrated Mexico’s independence from Spain on the same date.

I ate one Chile en Nogada today here at El Mural de Los Poblanos. One s not enough. But, lo, I won’t be here long enough, gone by the time you read this! No second day for a second helping.

History notes that it took Iturbide less than a year to secure independence after he put together a three-part coalition of liberal insurgents, landed nobility and the church who had been in-fighting for ten years. He formulated The Three Guarantees: Freedom from Spain, Religion (Catholicism only) and Union (all Mexicans treated as equals).

Iturbide translated The Three Guarantees into the Tri-Color Mexican flag — green, red and white — and added the Aztec symbol of the eagle perched on a cactus to build upon the past. The city is decorated to honor the occasion and the Chile en Nogada season.

The nuns created the Chile en Nogada to honor the man who created the first Mexican independence. The dish is tri-color: A beautiful poblano chile stuffed with minced pork, fresh fruit, pine nuts and savory spices (green), topped with a fresh walnut and cream sauce (white) and garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds (red).

Today, chile en nogada is THE seasonal dish in Puebla. It is a culinary masterpiece along with the other masterpiece of Puebla origins, mole poblano. Every restaurant tries to capitalize on the popularity of this famous dish.

Chile en Nogada is available fresh only from July to September when pomegranates are ripe, peaches and apples are in season, and mild poblano peppers are prolific.

No restaurant does it better than El Mural de Los Poblanos. I’ve been coming here for years and the preparation, presentation and taste never wavers from excellent. Paired with Casa Madero 3V red wine from Coahuila, Mexico, this meal was cien percento (one hundred percent) Mexicano.

Chef Lisette Galicia’s Chile en Nogada is stuffed with a picadillo of pears, apples, pine nuts, raisins and ground pork, seasoned with hints of North African spices that point to Spain’s Moorish history. It is a perfect combination of sweet and savory. The version here is a sweeter nogada sauce, a counter-point to what I tasted the week before at Mexico City’s Azul Historico, where two sauce versions, one sweet, the other savory, were available on the menu.

Now, it’s off to El Norte for a while. Hasta pronto. I’ll be dreaming of you, Mexico.

1 Comment

Posted in Cultural Commentary, Dining and Lodging, Food & Recipes, Travel & Tourism

Tagged Agustin Iturbide, Chile en Nogada, cuisine, El Mural de los Poblanos, food, history, Independence, Mexico, Puebla

Tour Puebla, Mexico: Cooking & Culture, From the Humble to the Divine

Posted on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 | Comments Off

August 13-18, starting at $895 per person double occupancy–

Chiles en Nogada Cooking Class
Sumptuous Dinner Party in a Private Historic Home
Elegant Dining and Neighborhood Eating
Flea Market and Antique Shopping
Museums, Churches, Archeology, History

Puebla, Mexico, is a short two hours from Mexico City by bus direct from the international airport. It is one of my favorite Mexican cities and I often stop here going to and from Oaxaca. It is the home of Talavera tile, Cinco de Mayo, Mole Poblano, chiles en nogada, and cemitas. It has a weekend antiques and flea market that draws crowds, gilded churches, Baroque architecture with pastel and tiled facades topped with white plaster meringue, great chefs, outstanding restaurants, and ancient archeological sites. At 7,000 feet altitude, visitors enjoy moderate temperatures year ’round, even in summer!

Your five night, 6-day visit includes:

5 nights lodging in a lovely, highly rated historic center hotel
guided visits to famed, certified Talavera ceramics studios
visits to extraordinary museums like Museo Amparo
chiles en nogada cooking class in a private home featured in Mexicocina with market tour, and lunch
sumptuous candlelit dinner that evening presented by our cooking teachers/hosts
gourmet dining and neighborhood/market fare experiences
time on your own to explore the incredible weekend antique/flea market
in-depth visits to archeological and religious sites of Cholula and Tonantzintla
Plus, lots more.

Puebla is Mexico’s fourth largest city, cosmopolitan without being overwhelming. It is relaxed, accessible, and easily experienced in several days. Known as the ‘City of the Angels’” or Angelopolis, Puebla, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was founded in 1531 as a purely colonial Spanish city built from the ground up—not on top of an existing indigenous temple — at the trading crossroads between the port of Veracruz and Mexico City. More than 5,000 Baroque-designed buildings date mostly from the 16th century and are covered in handcrafted Talavera.

Puebla is also about shopping! The highlight is Talavera pottery. And, there are many other local crafts: Tree of Life clay figures, bark paper paintings, woven and embroidered textiles from the Sierra Norte, red clay cooking vessels and dinnerware, and unique onyx and marble sculptures. You can find these and much more at the traditional markets, the stalls that line Puebla’s beautiful plazas, and at the weekend flea and antique market.

Puebla is known throughout Mexico for its excellent cuisine, a blend of pre-Hispanic, Arabic, French and Spanish influences. There are many outstanding Tesoros de Mexico-rated (Mexico’s highest) restaurants, and we’ll be dining at a few!

We’ll also go to Cholula, an indigenous village just outside Puebla with the world’s widest ancient pyramid, Quetzalcoatl. The Spanish built the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de los Remidios with its amazing 24-carat gold basilica atop the pyramid. On a clear day you can see snow-capped Popocatepetl, an active volcano, showing off his powerful plume.

Preliminary Itinerary:

Day 1, August 13: Travel to Puebla, check-in to our historic center hotel
Day 2, August 14: Chiles en Nogada Cooking class with market tour & lunch, followed by sumptuous private dinner
Day 3, August 15: Cholula archeology site, Tonantzintla church, and Talavera de la Reyna ceramics
Day 4, August 16: Antiques and flea market, museums, market lunch
Day 5, August 17: Gallery hopping and shopping, fine dining
Day 6, August 18: Departure

Our stops will include:

Antique market & Barrio del Artista
Museo Amparo
Talavera galleries and shops
Tonantzintla Templo de Santa Maria
La Purificadora Hotel, an architectural wonder, designed by Ricardo and Victor Legorreta
Uriarte and Talavera de la Reyna ceramics studios

We include private transportation on a day-trip to Cholula, Tonantzintla, and Talavera de la Reyna ceramics studios.

Transportation to Puebla: Puebla is easily accessed by Estrella Roja first class bus direct from the Benito Juarez International Airport (Terminal One and Terminal Two) and from Oaxaca on ADO. If you are coming from the U.S. be sure to reserve your round trip air travel to/from Mexico City. When you register, we will give you complete “how to get there” information.

What is Not Included:

meals, snacks, alcoholic beverages
entrance fees to local museums/attractions
transportation to/from Mexico City
transportation to/from Puebla
mandatory international health/accident insurance
tips for hotels, meals and other services

Cost:

$895 per person double occupancy, shared room and bath
$1,195 per person single occupancy, private room and bath

Reservations and Cancellations

A 50% deposit will guarantee your spot. The final payment for the balance is due on or before July 1, 2014. Payment shall be made by PayPal. We will be happy to send you an itemized invoice.

Please understand that we make lodging and other arrangements months in advance of the program. Deposits or payments in full are often required by our hosts. If cancellation is necessary, please tell us in writing by email. After July 1, no refunds are possible. However, we will make every possible effort to fill your reserved space or you may send a substitute. If you cancel on or before July 1, we will refund 50% of your deposit. We ask that you take out trip cancellation, baggage, emergency evacuation and medical insurance before you begin your trip, since accidents happen.

Required–Travel Health/Accident Insurance: We require that you carry international accident/health/emergency evacuation insurance. Proof of insurance must be sent at least two weeks before departure. If you do not wish to do this, we ask you email a PDF of a notarized waiver of responsibility, holding harmless Norma Hawthorne and Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC. Unforeseen circumstances happen!

To register, email us at normahawthorne@mac.com. If you have questions, send us an email. We accept payment with PayPal only. Thank you.

This workshop is produced by Norma Hawthorne, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC. We reserve the right to modify the itinerary.

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Posted in Cultural Commentary, Dining and Lodging, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture, Pottery, Travel & Tourism

Tagged antiques, art, chiles en nogada, Cholula, class, cooking, cuisine, culinary, culture, flea market, Mexico, museums, Puebla, Talavera, tour, workshop

New Oaxaca Restaurant, Pitiona, Dazzles

Posted on Monday, August 22, 2011 | 6 comments

Pitiona: Cocina de Autor has just arrived onto the Oaxaca dining scene like a shooting star ready to dazzle the most discerning fan. Shooting stars burn out, but I am going to wager that Pitiona will establish itself like a celestial planet around which foodies will gravitate.

I was walking down Calle 5 de Mayo recently and noticed this little gem tucked away in a narrow space across the street from the venerable and elegant Camino Real Hotel. Her front windows were thrown open and I could admire the winding staircase, resplendent bar, crisp white table cloths, tables set with polished wine glasses and flowers, and handmade pottery chargers waiting for the diners to arrive. I filed it away as ambience worth exploring to see if the food matched.

Later that night, we were inundated with a rain storm and our plans to walk several blocks to a favorite restaurant were put asunder. Now, Pitiona to the test, as the restaurant was located only a block from Las Bugambilias where we were staying.

It did not disappoint. Unfortunately, I was so busy admiring the tasteful minimalist decor and snacking on homemade organic blue corn tortillas and smokey salsa rojo that I forgot to take many photos. Or, maybe it was that near-perfect Margarita before the glass of excellent Mexican Cabernet Sauvignon. I was captivated by the food.

Grilled sea bass with fresh chard, yellow salsa, garnished with wafer of ginger flavored crystallized sugar

By high-end Oaxaca dining standards, the prices are comparable to others in this category — Casa Oaxaca, Los Danzantes and to some extent, La Biznaga. Be prepared to spend $16-22 USD per entree, $8 USD for a good bottle of wine, $6 USD for a Margarita tradicional with fresh lime juice. The young chefs in the small second floor kitchen beamed when we applauded their culinary efforts. Well worth the price if you are on vacation.

Handmade clay chargers & coasters add flair

Pitiona: Cocina de Autor, Calle 5 de Mayo #311, Centro Historico, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, phone 951 514 4707, website: www.pitiona.com

Calle

6 Comments

Posted in Dining and Lodging, Oaxaca Mexico art and culture

Tagged blogsherpa, cuisine, food, Mexico, Oaxaca, Pitiona, postaweek2011, restaurant

Recipe: Fresh Peach Mango Tomato Salsa for a Crowd

Posted on Sunday, July 24, 2011 | 2 comments

Thinking of Oaxaca and Guelaguezta this week? There’s no better flavor or memory of Mexico than using fresh tomatoes from the garden for salsa. I had a couple of peaches and mangoes ripe ready and needing to be eaten. Plus, Stephen had harvested a couple of huge purple-red tomatoes from the organic garden plot yesterday. Time to make some salsa. And, I had enough ingredients to make enough for a crowd or to eat through the week atop whatever: roast chicken, pinto beans, salad, blue corn tortilla chips.

Bonus: lesson on how to cut a mango!

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes
2 peaches
1 large mango
1 Vidalia onion
cilantro or basil
Salt to taste (I like sea salt)
1 T. olive oil
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 T. Valentina hot Mexican sauce
juice of one lime

Stand mango on short end and using a serrated knife cut in two halves. close to flat pit. You can feel the pit as you cut.

Score each half like a crossword puzzle grid or checkerboard. I use the tip of a sharp paring knife. See the flat pit behind the tomato?

Fold the scored mango half back as you see in this photo above.

Cut the cubes from the skin and put into your mixing bowl. Cut the peach in half, remove the pit, and cut into 1/2″ cubes. Add to bowl.

Using a serrated knife so you don’t lose juice, slice and cube the tomatoes into similar 1/2″ cubes. Cut the stalk end off the onion. Peel away the skin. Leave the root end in tact. Cut through the onion in a cross-hatch checkerboard up to the root. Stand it on its side and slice through. This will give you uniform dice.

Add the tomatoes and onion to the bowl. Stir.

Dice cilantro to yield 1/4-1/2 cup. (You can substitute fresh basil, if you prefer.) Add salt, starting with about 2 t. and taste. Add the dried red pepper and Valentina. Add lime juice. Stir. Taste. Correct the seasoning. Finish with olive oil, stir and refrigerate for at least one hour until flavors blend. This yields about 5 cups of salsa.

Enjoy! Buen Provecho!