Product review: Starbucks Via instant coffee

At times, especially with desserts, a recipe calls for coffee.  I don't like how depending on how you brew your coffee the results in the recipe can change.  You also need to account for the water content in the coffee used, and while the coffee may be strong, in effect you are still diluting the mixture.  This is where using an instant coffee can work well - you add the coffee flavour and omit the water.  The problem now is that most instant coffee is crap.  

Starbucks Via is an exception.  Served just as coffee, you may not even notice a difference with fresh brewed.  Now to switch to cooking - let's take a custard as an example.  Say you know the perfect ratio of yolks to cream for the texture you want, if you want to make a coffee custard, you now have to do some fancy footwork to account for the added coffee.  If you use Via, you can make your custard as usual, then dissolve the coffee into the custard to the flavour you like (it dissolves beautifully) with virtually no effect on the final structure.  An added bonus with respect to custards, Via is less acidic and less likely to break the emulsion (I've seen it happen using espresso).   

I still have my regular coffee for drinking at home, but like to keep at least a few packs of Via around  for cooking.  You can get it sent straight to you home if you like.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Recipe: Pizza dough

Who doesn't like pizza?  It's one of the most loved foods around and even better if you make it yourself.  Homemade pizza also makes for a great interactive theme party - everybody will show up, everyone will want to try their hand at the dough, and if you have a good selection of toppings, there's no telling what crazy and delicious concoctions will result.  My brother-in-law Luis and I teamed p on this for a party and it was a roaring success - at one point we had a bacalao pizza, and the last one of the night had cheese rolled into the outer crust.  What I really like about this dough is that you can have a thicker crust if you like, but if you want to have a thin crust, you can roll this out super thin, and once it bakes up, as long as you don't have a ridiculous amount of toppings, the crust will hold straight without flopping (a major flaw in many thin crust pizzas).  This recipe is the basic dough - by all means take the liberty of adding in some fresh chopped herbs or cracked pepper to really jazz it up.  We mixed this up old school on the table, but you can use a mixer if you want to speed things up.

You will need:

500g                   flour (plus some for bench work)

33g                     fresh yeast (or 11g active dry)

10g                     sugar

5g                       salt

30ml                   olive oil

270ml                 warm water

Method:

 - bloom the yeast in the warm water with a bit of the sugar

 - mix the flour, salt and the rest of the sugar

 - make a well on the table with the flour

 - add the oil and the bloomed yeast water into the well

 - using your fingers and moving in a circular motion, start swirling the liquid

 - gradually expand the circle to incorporate the flour

 - once all the flour is incorporated, knead the dough

 - add any flour necessary to get the dough to a smooth ball

 - place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let proof to double the size

 - punch down the dough, and depending on the size of pizza and crust thickness, cut into 2, 3, or 4

 - roll the balls and let proof again

 - lightly oil your pizza pan

 - roll out your dough to the desired size and thickness

 - transfer to the pan

 - dock the dough  

 - dress it up

 - bake at 350F - 400F depending on thickness (higher temperature for thin) for about 10 - 15 minutes

 - dig in

pepperoni stuffed crust pizza

Recipe: Agua de avena (oatmeal water)

Another surprisingly refreshing drink I came across in Mexico was agua de avena, or oatmeal water.  I expected something similar to a horchata, but it wasn't milky at all - it was closer to a lime-aide and really delicious.  The oatmeal gives it a really hearty character, which in turn is mellowed by a bit of sugar, then made refreshing with lime juice.  What's more is that between the oatmeal and the lime juice, you're getting a nice bit of nutrition too.

You will need:

2oz / 57g / 1/2C          rolled oats
1/2C                            sugar (or to taste)
1qt / 1L                       water
1                                  lime (or to taste)

Method:

 - bring the sugar and water up to a boil
 - drop in the oats, cover and let sit for an hour
 - strain
 - chill completely
 - serve with fresh lie juice

Restaurant review: El Parian

I'm not sure if this really counts as a restaurant review or cantina review, but I'm not starting a new category - you can get food and drink here and that's enough.  Our hosts in Guadalajara said we had to come here for a couple principle reasons - it's one of the best places to see Mariachis and drink tequila (two of the three things you MUST do in Guadalajara), and it's the largest cantina in the world - ok, I'm intrigued.  Set in a grand old building with a garden courtyard in the Tlaquepaque area of the city, El Parian is actually a cluster of cantinas all co-operating as one.  

Depending on the individual section you sit in, the food is "standard" for Guadalajara - which means it is pretty great for bar food anywhere else in the world.  What stands out will be the very impressive menu of tequilas.  Think Mexico is all cheap?  Work out the exchange on some of the premium varieties on the bottom of the list.

The setting is fantastic, open air, trees, and a great building in itself.  The entertainment is just what you came for, roving bands of mariachis for hire - at times four or five playing simultaneously around the courtyard.  A few times a day, the central bandstand fires up with the main band along with a nice review of regional music and dance from around the country - you came for a taste of culture right?  Sure, on the surface, it seems a bit touristy, but with good friends, tequila and mariachis you can't help but have a great time.  Go to the main plaza in Tlaquepaque and it's just southeast - look for the big sculpture of the mariachi, and it's the big building behind.

Recipe: Tejuino (fermented corn drink)

As we were enjoying our travels in the state of Jalisco, we kept coming across people selling tejuino - a delicious and refresing drink made from masa and seasoned with lime juice and a inch of salt.  It seemed a bit of a curious combination for a drink at first, but after we had tried it, we were game every time.  It is made with the same masa used for tortillas and tamales, but if that's a bit tricky for you to get, you can substitute cornmeal, but you will want to strain it as it is a lot coarser than masa.  If you can't get piloncillo, you can more or less substitute by weight with brown sugar, but pull back a bit and add a touch of molasses. Tejuino also comes in either femented or fresh forms.  Fresh can be ready in a few hours, but the fermented version needs up to three or four days at room temperaure to be ready (depending on your local climate).  A nice serving variation is to make a lime zest and chili salt to rim your glasses with.

You will need:

1kg                corn masa

1kg                piloncillo

3L                 water (at least)

3                    limes (at least)

to taste          kosher salt

Method:

 - put the piloncillo in a pot with the water and heat to melt

 - mix the masa with the syrup (you can use a blender if it's easier)

 - juice two of the limes and add to the mix

 - if fermenting, cover with a cloth and leave at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, then refrigerate

 - if serving fresh, cool the mix down, then transfer to the fridge and let it develop at least a few hours
 - with both versions, remove from the fridge and add water if you want a thinner consistency
 - season with fresh lime juice and salt
 - serve over ice in a lime and chili salt rimmed glass (optional)

Restaurant review: La Chata (Guadalajara)

So there we were in Guadalajara, the clock is ticking, we need to eat a Torta Ahogada, so where do we go?  Really, you can pretty much get one almost anywhere here, but Ismael suggested we go to La Chata to get our fix.  Conveniently located near the centro historico, it was an easy stop for lunch after a nice walk around town.  This isn't a small place, but they keep it packed and maintain a line out the sidewalk at most times - must be pretty good.  What especially touched my heart was being offered a complimentary beer (not some pansy-ass virgin cocktail) once we got to the indoor section of the line.  La chata is known as well for pozole and platillo jaliscence (a fried chicken dish), but we came for the tortas.

What is a torta ahogada?  It translates to "drowned sandwich", reminiscent of a pambazo, but mostly for the fact that the sauce is on the outside of the bread.  Done properly, there is a specific type of crusty bread used (birote) that holds up well to being sauced.  Inside is sliced or chopped roast pork (usually leg), then the whole thing is smothered in a spicy sauce.  La Chata's sauce is available in a toned down version probably better suited to visitors, but if you want you can get the "original" sauce (we drizzled some over the top of our tortas) for the real experience - be warned, it will rip your face off.  Depending on your sense of public cleanliness, this is most likely a knife and forker to eat.

Get your sandwich on.  Or whatever you fancy.  Find La Chata at Avenue Corona 126.

yea baby!

Culinary tourism: Guadalajara

On our way back to Mexico City, we made a stop in Guadalajara to have a look around and spend some time with a friend who used to live in Vancouver.  There are a few expressions that keep popping up with reference to Guadalajara - one is that to know Guadalajara is to know Mexico.  This isn't as arrogant as it sounds, rather a case of wholesome pride in your hometown - politically, Guadalajara has figured very prominently throughout Mexico's history, and culturally, Guadalajara has produced some of those things that have come to symbolize Mexico to the rest of the world - sombreros, mariachis, the Mexican hat dance, and the almighty tequila.  This leads to the other expression, which is that if you go to Guadalajara, you MUST listen to mariachis, drink tequila, and eat a torta ahogada (more on that to come) - well, if I have to I guess I will, I don't want anyone to get upset.

As for eating in general in Guadalajara, it seems pretty clear to me that you might need a year or two to really find all the gems here.  The good news is that if you are only here for a short stay, the odds of you stumbling upon a great meal are outstanding.  There are countless restaurants and cafes set up in beautiful colonial buildings - as a big fan of architecture, this is a giant bonus to a nice meal.

Of course, to sample the street food is to really get into it.  From a Canadian background, I've always been impressed at the variety of meats that you'll find offered as tacos in Mexico (lending to my theory that tacos, chapatis, pitas and all forms of flatbread worldwide are possibly the most perfect food).  Guadalajara seems to have taken things even further.  I've had tacos of cheeks, tripe, tendon, tongue, eyeball, heart, crickets, brain, and other more common cuts.  What first caught my eye in Guadalajara was a stand offering tacos de labio - lips!  By now it seems kind of obvious, but at that point I had never come across it in all my visits to Mexico.  We were actually doing quite a bit of eating while sightseeing, and I kept seeing these lip tacos offered after I had just eaten.  It became a mission that before we left the city, I had to leave room for one.  Finally, on our last night, our friend Ismael took us to his local guy, and lip tacos was only getting started!  I had my lip tacos (tender, juicy, and a bit deliciously fatty) and one of what translates to "the back of the tongue" (as you might expect, very similar to tongue and no less tasty).  Along with the usual large variety of meats on the menu were also tacos of ear, tail, nose, udder, lung and horn - horn!  How do you even do that?  I was fighting a bit of a cold, so I had to be satisfied that I completed my quest for the lips, but cudos buddy!  All these chefs up north bragging about "nose to tail" cooking still have a bit to learn.  Go Guadalajara!  Viva!

Recipe: Chicharrones - sous vide and traditional

No trip to Mexico is complete without digging into some chicharrones at some point.  When you go to the market, look for the giant sheets at the butcher shop.  If you are lucky, you might get a chance to watch them fry it - it usually involves a very large and often seemingly unstable vat of hot oil and some fearless guy manipulating the large pieces of skin with a long set of tongs or a couple sticks.

drying skins

There a variety of ways to make chicharrones, some from fresh with bits of meat on it, and others just purely puffed pork skin, but today we're going to focus strictly the puffed skin since it is a little more involved.  This is primarily a technique, so don't worry about a recipe so much, just remember that at the initial cooking stage, you have the opportunity to introduce some aromatics into the process, and therefore into the final product.  If you happen to have just cooked up a belly, you can just jump straight to the scraping and drying stages as you have already cooked and brought some flavour to the skin.

You will need:

pork skin

lime juice (to taste)

aromatics (optional)

kosher salt

Traditional method:

 - depending on the size of your equipment, cut the pork skin into manageable pieces
 - wash the skin under cold water
 - place the skin in a pot of cold water seasoned with lime juice and salt and any aromatics you want
 - bring up to a simmer and cook for at least an hour until the skin is very tender
 - remove the skins from the water
 - strain the broth and keep as a pork stock
 - scrape the fat off the skins as much as possible
 - dehydrate at 40C / 104F, or in a low oven, or air dry (that's how the butchers do it)
 - when the skin is dry and hard turn on the deep fryer or get a pot on the stove ready
 - bring the oil to 177C / 350F
 - drop the pieces in the oil and agitate until they puff
 - turn over to make sure they are puffed all over
 - drain on paper towel and season with kosher salt
 - eat (Carla would say with a generous squeeze of lime and Valentina sauce)

Sous vide method:

 - again, cut the skin into manageable pieces and wash under cold water
 - season the skin lightly with salt, lime juice, and any spices you like
 - lay flat in the vacuum bag with any aromatics
 - set the bath to 65C / 150F
 - cook for about six hours
 - remove from bath and take the skin out of the bag while still warm
 - scrape the fat off
 - dehydrate / dry out until the skin is hard
 - bring the fryer or a pot of oil up to 177C / 350F
 - fry the skin until puffed
 - drain, season, and serve

this guy is something of a rock star

Culinary tourism: Boca de Tomates (Puerto Vallarta)

While we were in Puerto Vallarta, Carla and I came across a heavy recommendation to check out Boca de Tomates - it turned out to be one of the most unique dining experiences ever.  We had been out on the boats saying hello to the humpback whales when we were told about it - the other passenger literally pointed at it, "see that green patch on the beach, go there".  

What happens at Boca, is that there is a cluster of restaurants, pick one.  The special at these places is the fresh catch priced by the kilo.  Here's the kicker, once you order the special, you go back to the kitchen, look in a cooler, and pick out the fish that you want to eat - pick according to how many are eating because you are getting the whole thing.  They will then take your fish to the back, clean it and set it on a rack and slowly roast it over a fire.  You go back to your table, have a beer, enjoy the view and listen to some wandering mariachis - what's not to like?  And yes, it's delicious.

Boca de Tomates is around the bay to the north of Puerto Vallarta just past the airport, but it's a little trickier to get there.  If you have a car, great, just follow the bay around, go past the airport and find the dirt road heading toward the beach.  By bus, catch the one that says "Juntas - Boca" - they aren't very frequent, and we ended up catching a cab for the short ride.  Once you have gone down the dirt road a bit and see a fenced off creek area, stop and look for crocodiles - you're on the right track.  Our cab driver advised us to be careful if swimming at the beach near the creek mouth - sound advice absolutely.  For getting back, it's simply retracing your steps - if you are catching the bus back, ask someone at the restaurant to let you know when it pulls up - you don't want to have to wait for the next one.

Culinary tourism: Puerto Vallarta

Carla and I thought it would be a nice idea to take baby Isabella to her first tropical beach, so off we went to Puerto Vallarta.  I had never been myself so I was excited too, but at the same time I'm wary of well known places because I hate feeling like another gringo tourist.  Maybe it was a bit slow season, but it was encouraging to see more locals than expats on the streets.  I expected to see monster nightclubs on the beach, but more importantly, I was especially pleasantly surprised at the quality of street food.

Of course, being a seaside town, you'd better be able to get some great seafood, but it was the street vendors who really took it to the next level.  We had found a nice hotel in the old town on Madero, which also happened to be one of the major streets for carts - so as soon as we dropped our bags off, we went for an unbelievable strolling dinner.  The meat, seafood, and salsas were all so delicious and fresh - at every spot too.  We would just hit one guy, try something, then move on to the next guy.  We'd make our way down to the beach, hang out a bit, then work our way back.  Don't get me wrong, we got to a couple restaurants during our stay, and they were very nice, but the best memories came from plastic chairs on the sidewalk.

Restaurant review: Ideal bakery (Mexico City)

Mexico has a love for pastry shops, and the Ideal bakery is one of the best.  Set in a beautiful old building, a visit here let's you admire some great colonial architecture while indulging your sweet tooth.  This place is pretty much always busy, so the rotation on the product is fantastic - when we were in ther last, the poor guy working in the shop could barely put down a tray of "besos" before it was cleaned out.  We usually go for a nice selection of pastries, but Ideal has great rolls and breads and can handle anything all the way up to elaborately themed wedding cakes.  Even if you are just there for some pastries, give yourself some time - the selection is colossal, and if you see an empty spot, it probably belongs to something really good and will get replenished in a few minutes.  And don't forget to admire the room and balance those calories with a little culture.  Happy hunting!

Culinary tourism: Le Merced (Mexico City)

Now, as a cook with a love for the pastry shop, Le Merced is a mandatory stop every time I'm in Mexico City.  As with most markets, most anything for day to day life can be found here, with one huge exception, the kitchen area.  This section of the market can and will outfit you with just about anything you could possibly need for cooking, at home or in a restaurant.  Full size deep fryers, industrial crepe skillets, taco carts, replacement burners for your gas stove - these are among the larger items you'll find.  These are a little larger than what I'm usually shopping for, but always interesting to check out.  Where I find gold is in the pastry related shops.  Bunuelo forms and countless molds of all shapes and sizes, uniquely themed cutter sets for intricate garnishes or cookies.  When we were down one year before Dia de Los Muertos, I stocked up on really cool sugar skull and gelatin molds.  This year, we picked up a really nice comal for home and a replacement blade for our blender at a great bargain.  Definitely a must see for cooks, especially if you are visiting around a major holiday.  Get off the metro at Merced,  look around the market until you see great masses of stainless steel, and you're there.

Product review: Tortilleria Yasmin (Mexico city)

Tortillas - they're a beautiful thing.  So simple, but can be taken in so many directions depending on your mood.  As the guero son-in-law, I've come to appreciate the position tortillas enjoy in everyday life in Mexico.  They can be a key element in a celebratory meal, or they can take a back seat and function as table bread, just to nibble on or sop up some extra sauce on the plate.  Whatever the case, I've also noticed that people are loyal to the tortillerias they go to - I've seen great debates in the family over who makes the best and I've taken long car rides out of the way just to get to the right one.  As an outsider, it's hard to appreciate these subtle differences - compared to the tortillas we get at home in Vancouver (which aren't all that bad), all the tortillas are good.  Picking a taco stand that makes it's own tortillas is a whole different issue altogether - hands down yes!  On this last trip, we sat down to a meal, and I actually noticed something different - I had to ask (translated from my Spanish) "These tortillas are amazing!  Did you change tortillerias?"  They had.  Of all the tortillas I've eaten over the years, nothing has ever come so close to being so tender, fresh and flavourful.  You can bend and fold these in any direction and they just don't crack, yet they are so soft and can hold in a saucy mix like no other.  I made them show me where it is, and it's actually on the way from one abuela's house to the other's.  Out of sheer excellence, I'm sharing them with you, because if you happen to be in Mexico city, and happen to be near the Rodeo area, you will be hard pressed to find a better product.  I couldn't actually find an address, but they are on calle 32, just off Ernesto Uruchurtu by a door or two.  Find it!

Restaurant review: Pujol

This year Carla and I had the pleasure of trying another of Mexico City's top restaurants - Pujol, headed up by Chef Enrique Olvera.  Along with Biko, Pujol boasts a position on the San Pellegrino list of the top 50 restaurants in the world (#36 in 2012).  Whereas Biko drew upon its Basque roots, Pujol is undeniably all about Mexico - but don't be fooled, the level of innovation in the presentation of the classics is extremely high while maintaining a very traditional feel.  One of the things that struck me the most was the hoja santa tortilla - upon presentation, you can only see the masa of the tortilla, but the underside has the leaf of the hoja santa fused to it.  As we usually do, Carla and I went for the tasting menu - here's how it went.

 The amuse bouche:  roasted baby corn with corn husk mayonnaise, a miniature aguachile, and a tea of corn and ancho chilis.

 Souffle with celery, lemon and coriander cream (inside) and caviar.

 Beef tartare tostada with alfalfa and serrano chili.

 Fish ceviche taco with hoja santa tortilla and beans.

The hoja santa side of the tortilla.

 Fried frog leg with chayote squash, cauliflower puree and poblano chili sauce.

  Squash blossom tamal with epazote xikil pak sauce and queso fresco.

 Suckling lamb taco with avocado and green pea puree, tomato and hoja santa sauce.

 Yucatean pork confit with raisin and cumin mole, almond, tamarind and clauliflower.

 Roasted baby banana, zested macadamia nut, chamomile, cacao and cream.

Thyme biscuit, lemon gelatin, pulque sorbet, cookie soup and white chocolate.

Guava sorbet, worm salt, and mezcal flambe.

Chocolate mousse with citrus cream.

We were also met at the door on our way out with some stellar mignardaise.

And there you have it.  As expected at this level, service was excellent, but the restaurant maintained a very relaxed and casual atmosphere.  They are very accommodating if you need English translation, just be aware that some local culinary terms just don't translate well.  Book in advance as most nights do tend to sell out.  Find Pujol at Francisco Petrarca 254 in Polanco, Mexico city.

Culinary tourism: Mercado San Juan (Mexico City)

So you got out to the Central de Abastos and experienced the mother of all markets, but where do you go if you are putting on a special meal and need a few ingredients that fall under a more "European" gourmet category?  If you happen to be around the Alameda or Centro Historico, pop into the fantastic Mercado San Juan and try to not come away with something exquisite.  

On the surface, it seems like another of countless markets around the city and you might pass it by, but venture in, and the world is at your feet.  This Market has set itself apart because almost every vendor inside is some kind of specialist in some sort of imported or specialty goods.  Premium Spanish jamon and some of the finest charcuterie around?  Easy.  Some of the finest cheeses Europe has to offer?  Right here.  Even if you just wanted to see what a wild boar looks like, you just might find it.  Specialty fruits and vegetables - the selection brought in from Asia is especially impressive.  By now you'd expect some beautifully fresh seafood and poultry, and you're bang on.  Heck, maybe you just want to pop in for an Italian coffee and look at giant bags of morel mushrooms while eating a nice pastry.  You couldn't go very wrong with that.  Find it at Ernesto Pugibet 21 between Luis Moya and Buen Tono and treat yourself.

Recipe: Guava atole

cut, seed and cook the guavas

Guavas are among my favorite fruits, and the in-laws know that few things make a nicer for me than the smell of a guava atole brewing when I walk in the door from the airport.  On this trip, I was greeted with the aroma of a basket of fresh ripe guavas on the table - far from a disappointment as it meant I got to make the atole.  Don't be put off by the fact that cinnamon gets blended right into the mix - the cinnamon sticks in Mexico tend to be much softer, and once cooked up, blend in just fine.  If you are using the harder variety, you my want to simply steep the cinnamon, or buzz it up in a coffee grinder beforehand.

puree

You will need:

12                  ripe guavas

2                    cinnamon sticks

2L                 water

90ml              cornstarch

210ml           white sugar

500ml           milk

make the slurry

Method:

 - wash the guavas, cut them open and scoop out the seeds

 - take 250ml of the water and one of the cinnamon sticks and cook the guavas up like a marmalade

 - blend everything together really well, then strain

 - take the rest of the water (cold), and make a slurry with the cornstarch

 - heat the slurry up in the pot with the other cinnamon stick to thicken

 - add the pureed guava 

 - add the sugar

add the puree

 - add the milk

 - bring back up to heat and serve

add the sugar and milk

Product review: Minerva beer

Tipping the odd cerveza when you are down in Mexico is fairly par for the course, but I always try to steer away from the Coronas - not that there's anything really wrong with Corona, but it just seems so much the standard for foreigners, plus I like something a little darker anyway, like a Negra Modelo or Victoria.  On this latest trip, I was told that the small brewing industry has been making some advances since our last trip down.  A trip to the local store isn't quite the craft-brewing buffet we enjoy in Vancouver, but a larger selection is always encouraging.  

On this trip, I was introduced to Minerva, a beer hailing from Guadalajara, and a real treat.  Beautiful colour, robust flavour, and a rich creamy head, this is a "real beer" that can stand up with the cream of the crop.  I'm not going to attempt to place it in a particular rank among the world classics, because beer depends on mood and personal taste, but I can say that this perfectly hit the spot.  If you are on vacation, it's always nice to lend a hand to some of the little guys for a change, and Minerva is well deserving if you want to try something different.

Culinary tourism: Central de Abastos (Mexico City)

One of my favorite things to do in Mexico City is to take a trip to the Central de Abastos - food-wise, there are few experiences like it in the world.  Central de Abastos qualifies as one of the largest markets in the world, we're talking a colossal network made up of a bunch of full sized warehouses and organized more or less like a mini city - really, the "aisles" are more appropriately referred to as streets.  I once ventured out to "cover" the whole market by walking every section, and it took me hours - what's more, this was only the interior, spilling out into the covered area outside, you'll find smaller vendors from individual farms.  

Central de Abastos is where larger stores in the city come to do their shopping, but it is completely open to the public as well.  Yes you can find just about anything here, but the food is where it gets magical.  There are a few shops dedicated to strictly to selling cilantro - I just walk in, close my eyes and smell.  The cheese merchants are mouth-watering, and the shops dedicated to chilis and spices will rock your senses (this is where we picked up the smoked jalapenos to make Abuela's chipotle).  This may be one of the only places you'll ever see huitlacoche still on the corn cob, and other select products like huazontle (the plant amaranth comes from) can be found in such quantities you'd think they were as common as broccoli.

a tortilleria and taco stand all in one - beautiful

As you spend a few hours exploring this monster market, make sure to stop at some of the stands for a bite to eat - these guys have no excuse but to serve up the freshest vittles.  For entertainment, watch for the crew of guys pushing a large palette up one of the ramps and follow them - when they reach the top, the lead will start to whistle wildly as they approach the opposite ramp, and the palette's crew can do little else but help steer as it careens downhill.  Needless to say, if you hear the whistling - heads up and clear the way - you  don't be anywhere in the middle of the ramp when it comes down (but you'll definitely want to watch!).

Recipe: Traditional egg nog

Here in Mexico, the Christmas season extends to January 6 for the celebration of the Reyes, the three kings who came to see Jesus.  Since rompope is so similar to egg nog, I thought it would be nice to make a traditional egg nog to have with our Rosca de Reyes bread.  My dad is responsible for bringing this frothy, delicious treat into our family's holiday tradition, so being my first Christmas as a dad myself, I thought I should keep things going - even though it will be some years before Isabella can tip one.  The original recipe called for equal parts white rum and Canadian rye, but finding rye in Mexico City wasn't working out and I went with all rum.  I went with a nice bottle of dark Appleton in an effort to find a bit of a middle ground to the original flavour - the result?  The family couldn't get enough of  the "Canadian Rompope".  I was hoping to hang onto a bit for a late night nipper, but alas, it was all gone.  This will make 30 5oz portions.

You will need:

12                   egg yolks
12                   egg whites
250ml / 1C     sugar
750ml / 3C     dark or spiced rum
500ml / 2C     cream
1L / 1qt          milk
pinch              salt
as needed       fresh grated nutmeg

Method:

 - separate the eggs and beat the yolks
 - add the sugar and cream really well
 - very slowly, add the rum to the yolks while beating
 - cover and chill overnight
 - add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat to medium firm peak
 - whip the cream to a medium firm peak
 - stir the milk into the yolk mix
 - fold in the egg whites
 - fold in the cream
 - chill one hour
 - serve with a pinch of nutmeg to garnish

Recipe: Pozole

Pozole is the classic Mexican full meal in a soup, but it is also one of the great social dishes because aside from eating the soup, you doctor your own bowl up, then you are preparing your tostadas throughout the meal.  You can rest assured you will get a good portion of vegetables in the process as well.  If you want to go all out and make it especially healthy, you can go the extra step, chill and remove the fat cap from the broth after cooking the meat, but it's not generally done unless the  pork produces an excessive amount of fat - even then, some will be left in the soup for flavour.  This recipe is a full party size - we made this for New Year's Eve and fed nine with leftovers for lunch.

You will need:

For the soup:

1/2                head of a pig (get the butcher to cut into at least 3)

2.7kg            hominy corn 

1                   onion

1                   bulb garlic

to taste          kosher salt

For the salsa:

as needed      chiles de arbol ( they aren't too spicy, so you can use a lot)

to taste          kosher salt

to taste          oregano

For the rest:

1 head           iceberg lettuce (shredded)

1                   onion (small dice)

1 bunch         radishes (small dice)

as needed      oregano

as needed      tostadas (nine of us needed 2 commercial sized bags)

500ml            crema (sour cream will work)

500ml            crumbled queso fresco (a mild and soft feta will work)

Method:

 - put the pork in a pot and rinse with cold water

 - cover with cold water,add a pinch of salt, and start on low heat

 - peel and cut the onion in half and add it in

 - peel the outer layer off the bulb of garlic and add it in

 - wash the hominy corn and add it in

 - bring the whole mixture up to a simmer and cook until the meat is cooked and the corn is tender

 - turn off the heat and let cool a bit

 - fish out the onion and garlic and set aside

 - fish out the meat and set on a plate

 - pull the meat apart while warm - any thin cartilage can be chopped up
 - for the salsa, trim up the chiles de arbol and simmer in some salted water
 - transfer to a blender, add in a bit of your porky onion and garlic, blend and season with salt and oregano
 - to serve, put a portion of the meat in a bowl and ladle the broth with hominy over top
 - at the table, dress the soup with the shredded lettuce, oregano, salsa, chopped onion and radishes
 - spread some crema over the tostada and top with the queso fresco
 - provecho!