mmm... fiber!

speaking of refreshments, here are some others i've tried recently.

few sundays ago, laura and i went on a day trip with some Mexican friends of ours. after few hours of pondering prehistoric agricultural systems, we needed a break from the sun and translating.

so we went to nearby Guachamontones and stopped by what seemed like someone's house.

we walked into the couryard, and along with some cacti, grass and random plastic chairs, there was a table all set up under the thatched grass roof with trinkets and interesting refreshments.



in the Coronoa bowl, there sits the pina (heart) of agave. the agave plant looks like an aloe vera plant gone mad, and is what is used to make the streotype Mexican liquor - yes, you've guess it, tequila.

this agave plant, however, was not destined to make someone drunk but to work their colon. it's like eating a sweet potato, but very fiberous. you chew strips of this product (sorry i don't remember the name at the moment) and get some of the subtle, sweet, slightly-fermented 'meat' out of it. most of us will have to discard 90% of it as it's too tough, unless you like to chew and churn, not unlike our hooved friends who were hanging out nearby.



and here's me spitting out the stuff after a taste. mmm... fiber!

stay tuned for part II of "gastronomic adventures in the Guachamontones hut": pulque and tequino (sorry but i gotta stop procrastinating and get some work done!)

snow of the carafe

it's been awhile since i updated the blog. where did February go?

all in all, it's been a good month of good eating.

the rain clouds have moved on and it's been getting hot, so i've been eating a lot of nieve de garrafa (it's a plausible excuse, is it not?). homemade ice cream, churned with old-fashioned ice cream maker, nieve de garrafa is not unlike the one i make at the museum to demonstrate the art (and the pain) of making ice cream. as these are commercial versions, however, they use larger metal tins, also lined with salt and ice on the outside layer to bring down the temperature of the ice cream mixture down. instead of cranking a handle though, the mixture is plunged in vertical motion to churn the ingredients. there are a number of flavours, and so far, i've tried:

• lime (which is like the lime sorbet we get at home minus the incredible hulk green food dye, a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. as esther says, 'you can't go wrong with lime/lemon flavours.')
• pinon con cerise (pinenuts with marachino cherries that is thickened with condensed milk)
• mamey (a fruit that looks like an avocado, but with a brown skin and orange flesh with black seeds; tastes like a watery persimmon)
• yoghurt (it takes like what you'd expect it to)
• vanilla (yellower in colour but good none the less)
• etole (it's a frozen, sweeter version of the corn snack i described earlier)
• coco (with chunks of coconut and yes, more condensed milk flavour)
• tequilla (yes, you heard it right - it's sorbet without milk products, so has a clean, sweet taste with a hint of the liquor which it's made with).

the texture is very smooth, so you can't pick out the grains of ice for the most part. nieve can be found on the street carts, markets, and nieve shops. they are sold for about 12 pesoes for chico (a mini cup that holds about 200-300ml) but i always regret not getting a grande instead as it disappears much too quickly.

tacos... and more tacos

there are a lot of different types of tacos in mexico. i mean A LOT.

you can get any kind of meat you'd like, and depending on where you go, there is a combination of different types of salsa (hot sauce), fresh lime wedges for squeezing, pickled and fresh vegetables, cilantro, fresh lettuce, grilled peppers, and much more.

exhibit a: fish taco



i first saw this particular taco stand within my first week at guadalajara. there were over 20 people, either lining up to order or busy eating. sadly, i couldn't join them as i had to catch the bus. naturally, i returned in a few days to check it out.

it's one of the larger and more popular stands i've seen so far. first, you line up to order and pay for your taco (between 10-20 pesos depending on your order). you pick up your food on a plastic plate lined with plastic bag and proceed to the toppings cart. it's got at least 30 different types of hot sauces, fresh and grilled vegetables, chilies, and coleslaw. there's even an outdoor hand washing station for the patrons, and huge pots with plants to 'mark off' the 'restaurant' boundaries.

these guys only do seafood, and you can get fish, shrimp, fake crab, real crab (as in the entire body of the crab), and other seafoodie things i didn't understand - all of which are battered and fried up. for 12 pesos, i got one fish taco, which wasn't very big. but once i piled on the fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, coleslaw, roasted habernero (hot!) peppers, pickled peppers (sour and spicy - just right), and two different types of hot sauces, it piled up. my single fish taco with all the toppings was much higher than my friend's two fish tacos (which is what you see). yes, i got a little greedy.

exhibit b: ahogada and bean taco

ahogada means "drowned". i had a pork sandwich, literally drowned in a mixture of runny tomato sauce and equally runny and red hot sauce. the other plate has three bean tacos with the same treatment. the lovely hand you see there is about to squeeze some lime juice, which kicks it up to another notch as emeril would say. the bun is a little crusty so i had to wait a little while for the sauce to drown the sandwich. the result: a messy yet satisfying 15 minutes of chewing, savouring and licking fingers. There were also fresh radishes included, which i chewed on in between bites of the mexican (and the better) version of the sloppy joe sandwich.

i love street food

when i was in ecuador, i got very sick from eating 'interesting' street food. i was dependent on gatorade and cipro for three solid days, not to mention being bed-ridden for half a week. it's not that i didn't learn my lesson. i just need to be more cautious and eat only from the most popular vendors, that's all.

i went for a walk with my roommate and we were determined not to spend money. but low and behold, the food vendors were out, just in time for the sunday church goers coming out of the evening mass...and us. what's in the red cup? look carefully at the items in front of the lady.

first, kernels of boiled corn go into it. then a layer of sour cream. then powdered cheese (don't ask me what kind but it was salty and sprinkly, a bit like feta cheese but drier). then if you'd like, you can get a squeeze of fresh lime juice and some chili powder (i said 'si, como no' of course). then repeat the layers. the big jar is full of mayo, which you can get in lieu of sourcream.

you eat this with a spoon, and it's a mixture of the suble sweetness of corn, tart lime juice, salt from the cheese, and of course little bits of chili to make you want to eat it over and over again.i got a little cup (for 12 pesos) and it was surprisingly filling.

i did not eat dinner that night.

it's always about the food

yes, it's true. food is and always has been a priority in my life. i don't have a lot of clothing or fancy gadgets - because i spend all of my money on food. as my sister says, i literally eat my money away.

but then again, she loves food too. and so do my friends. and my parents. is it really my fault if i am surrounded by people who truly enjoy buying, eating, making, and talking for hours about food? i am not talking about enjoying dining out on odd special occasions, but being obsessed with finding the best lemon curd, making the perfect cream puff, eating cinnamon hearts year round, and designing vacations around food festivals and hot spots (you know who you are).

anywho, the passion (sounds better than the 'o' word) for food is what is driving me to write this. do read the beethoven joke though. yes, you can expect corny jokes and other random stuff here and there.