The Amazing Comida Corrida

I adore comida corrida.

For the past few months, while I have been studying Spanish near my husband's workplace, whenever he asked me what I wanted to eat for comida* (lunch), I would always tell him I wanted to go to my favorite comida corrida restaurant.

Before I get too carried away with the awesome deliciousness of this style of eating, I should explain a few things.  First, comida corrida, literally meaning lunch run, refers to a meal where the courses are brought out successively.  It is more or less the same idea as a fixed price menu (prix fixe), but much cheaper and very, very popular here.

Almost on every street you can find comida corrida places.  Usually they have a sign out advertising their specials or their very inexpensive price ($3 to $8 USD).

Here are a few shoots from my favorite Comida Corrida Restaurant.

This restaurant specializes in coffee, more on that later, and have very strong feelings about fair trade coffee.  So, on the left you can see their "coffee bar."

Agua of the Day: Lime Watermelon

A comida corrida meal typically comes with the fruit water of the day (Aqua Fresca), tortillas or bread, a soup, a rice or pasta, and one main dish, followed by tea, coffee, or dessert.

Here, everyday they serve Chicken Consume and a different soup.  For any broth-based soup in Mexico, I highly recommend adding lime and salsa to taste.  But for a pureed soup, like the one below, we just added some salsa.

Fun fact, in Mexico a creamed soup means pureed, not that a milk product was added to it.

Cream of Bean Soup

 For the rice or pasta dish, I would also recommend adding a little salsa.  It makes it extra delicious.

Rice

For the main courses, there are normally several options, divided among different price points.  This restaurant always has a vegetarian option, as well as, several chicken, meat, and fish options.

Ismael's trusty standby is Carne Asada, while I tend to try something different each time.  This day I had Chicken Thigh in Grape Sauce - an non-traditional but surprisingly delicious take on sweet and salty cooking.

Carne Asada - Grilled Beef

Chicken Thigh in Grape Sauce

Now, we finally, finally made it to the very best part of my meal.   Remember how I said this place was known for coffee?  Well, at the end of the meal you have the choice of dessert, tea, or Cafe de Olla.  Trust me, it is not a hard decision to choose Cafe de Olla everytime (especially since I can persuade Ismael to get the dessert, if it looks good.)

Cafe de Olla is a slight addiction of mine - I am always on the look out for places that are selling it.  It is a traditional type of coffee that is cooked in a pot (olla) with cinnamon sticks and a dark brown sugar called piloncillo. If you like sweet coffee, it is hard to beat a good Cafe de Olla.

Cafe de Olla

Enjoy!
Kim

* I find the word "comida" a bit confusing as it can mean food or lunch.

For those that have to know what the menu said in Spanish...

Menu 2-2-12

Consume (Chicken Soup) or Cream of Bean Soup

Hawaiian Rice or Pasta with Beets

Carne Asada (Grilled Beef)
Muslo en Salsa de Uvas (Chicken Thigh in Grape Sauce)
Cochinita Pibil (Pork)
Tortitas de Ejote (Green Beans and Egg Crustless Quiche)
Milanesa de Pollo o Res (Thin, breaded & fried Chicken or beef)
Pechuga de Pollo Asada (Grilled Chicken Breast)
Strudel de Espinacas (Spinach filled Bread)
Chile Hojaldrano: Queso o Carne (Pepper with Cheese or Beef)
Arrachera (Grilled Beef)
Pescado Asado, Empanizado o a la Menta (Fish Grilled, Breaded or with mint)
Muslo Asado (Grilled Chicken Thigh)

Menu Includes:
- Bread or Tortilla
- Aqua de Sandia-Limon
- Coffee, Tea, or Dessert

Niño Dios

Something I did not get a chance to blog about earlier this year is that between Dia de Los Reyes Magos (January 6th) and Dia de la Candelaria (February 2nd) the custom is to dress the baby Jesus (Niño Dios) from the Nativity scene.  Then on February 2nd, the people take the Niño Dios to church with them.  This apparently corresponds to when Jesus was presented in the Temple 40 days after his birth, as recorded in Luke 2:22-24.

When you go to the market during this time period, it is very common to see women carrying a basket holding their Niño Dios in order to buy clothes for it.  This is a really big industry during this time of year - even smallish towns have 20+ vendors selling the clothes and accessories.

Of course the first thing you need is a Niño Dios and, if you do not have one from your Nativity Scene, you can easily buy one.  They come in a wide variety of sizes and colors.

Then you can decide what "type" of Niño Dios you want - or you can choose to pick out the clothing on your own.

Of course you can also buy a little "throne" for the Niño Dios.

And a basket, if you did not bring one with you to the market.

Notice the African- style Niño Dios

 

While I find the tradition to be fascinating (I mean really, what is not to love about elaborately dressed dolls?), I do find it a bit disturbing.  While the basic idea is Biblically-based, reenacting parts of Jesus's life, the connotations with choosing what "type" of Niño Dios is have and that it is verging on idol-worship make me a bit uncomfortable.  A Christian friend of mine, who is married to a Mexican man, found it particularly disturbing how the doll was treated in the house by her family members.  When they took the Niño Dios to the church on February 2nd, the priest centered the sermon that night on how the Niño Dios was only a representation of Jesus, and not something to be worshiped.  So it seems that she was not the only one to have problems about how the doll is treated in the Mexican culture.

Something to think about...
~ Kim

Dia de la Candelaria ~ 2 de Febrero

Welcome to the day I am calling Christmas for Tamale sellers - the 2nd of February.

As you may remember from my post on Dia de Los Reyes Magos, on January 6th everyone buys and eats a large, slightly sweet bread called Rosca de Reyes (pictured below) that contain little, plastic dolls.

If you happen to find one of these dolls in your piece of bread (or even uncover one that is still technically within the Rosca), you then are obligated to buy everyone Tamales on February 2nd, which is today.  As I uncovered two dolls and my husband one, a few days ago we went a Feria de Tamales in Coyoacan (a part of Mexico City) to scope out what they had to offer.

Before we get too far into this, I wanted to go over the two general categories of tamales: those wrapped in corn husks and those that instead use banana leaves.

Corn Husk wrapped Tamale

Banana Leaf wrapped Tamale

 A tamale is prepared by smearing a corn mixture called masa on a leaf wrapped, filling it with a combination of salsa, meat, peppers, or cheese, and steaming it until cooked.  In the US, I was only familiar with the tamales in corn husks, which tend to be thick, fluffy, and contain lots of little air holes.  However, since living here, I have tried and fallen in love with tamales cooked in a banana leaf, frequently called Oaxcan Style Tamales.  These Oaxcan Tamales are thinner and denser with more of a chewy consistency.  I really, really like them.

As long as we are going over basic tamale information, you should also know the three most common flavors of tamales are Verde con Pollo (Green Salsa with Chicken), Mole con Pollo (Mole sauce with Chicken), and Rajas con Queso (Poblano Pepper and Cheese).  Of course there are many, many others (as you are about to see) along with a wide variety of sweet tamales.  Yes, you read that right, sweet tamales.    

Shrimp Tamale with Nopales in Green Salsa

Tamale with Zucchini Flower, Mushrooms, Corn, Cheese in Green Salsa

Tamale of Morita Chile with Slow-Roasted Pork

Tamale of Purslane in Green Salsa with Chicken

Tamale of Blackberries with Cheese

Tamale of Anis with Mole and Chicken

Sweet tamales are still fairly new to me.  Sadly, my first experience with them a few months ago was regrettable and since I have not been very interested in trying them.  In was only at this fair that I even realized that sweet tamales have many different flavors, like the Blackberries with Cheese shown above.  A friend who went with us bought and shared with us a chocolate tamale - it was dense with a uniform chocolate flavor that reminded me of a brownie.  I thought it was pretty good.  So I am excited about carefully trying out a few of this style of tamales, making sure not to repeat the one I had the first time.

I must tell you that traditionally tamales are sold with something that I even like slightly more than tamales (and trust me, I am crazy about Oaxacan Tamales), it is called atole.  For me good atole is an amazing culinary experience.  And trust me, this only applies to good atole.  Bad atole is really, really scary.  Atole is a drink thickened with maize that comes in a wide variety of flavors including Chocolate, Guava, Milk with Rice, Sweetened Goat's Milk, Strawberry and more, with Guava being my current favorite. 

This typical set-up of large pots are for keeping hot the tamales and the atole

So, if you have a chance, today is a great day to try some tamales!  And if none are being sold around where you live, it is always a good time to visit Mexico.

Happy Tamale Eating!

~ Kim

Feasting on Scraps: Cantaloupe Seed Water

When I first moved to Mexico, I, of course, was trying to cook delicious and fabulous meals for my new husband.  As cooking is my sweet spot (and the one thing I really felt I was contributing to the relationship - as I did not speak Spanish, understand the culture, nor was I making money), I would get rather annoyed when Ismael would come into the kitchen and ask me why I was throwing away parts of the food.  I, of course, felt like he was questioning how I was preparing the meal.

The first time this happened, I was trying to make a mock BBQ Loaded Potato that Ismael had fallen in love with in Texas.  The cut of meat I had cooked had a lot of chewy bits in it and, as I was not used to eating those parts, I had picked them off to throw into the "Organic Waste" (yes, in Mexico City you need to separate your waste into organic and inorganic items.)

The conversation went like this:
Ismael: "What are you doing with this part of the meat?"
Kim: "I am throwing it away - it is not good."
Ismael: "That is the best part of the meat!"

We ended up adding the nerves back in and I had to agree with my husband - it was delicious.

The second time, I was preparing mashed potatoes for dinner.  Ismael came by and asked what I was doing with the potato skins.  I told him that I wanted a smooth version of mashed potatoes and so had removed them.  He was still staring at the pile of potato skins, asking what I was going to do with them.  I told him I was going to throw them away (once again into "Organic Trash.")  He just replied that his mom made a really delicious dish with them that he would show me sometime.

Seriously - I thought was were having a communication problem.  Potato skins do not really equal delicious meal in my mind.

The third time, I had cut up some cantaloupe as part of our breakfast.  Ismael asked me what I had done with the cantaloupe seeds.  I looked at him blankly and said I had thrown them away - he said "Oh, my mom makes a really, really, really delicious aqua fresca (fruit drink) from them.  It is so delicious - I will show you how to make it sometime."

You would think that by now I would have caught on to the trend, but really - I just could not imagine something delicious made from cantaloupe seeds.  Anyone else have any great recipes for Cantaloupe Seeds?  (Silence.)  That is what I thought.

But eventually my husband did show me how to make the Cantaloupe Seed Agua Fresca (Horchata de Semilla de Melon) and it was really, really, really delicious.  So if you happen to love cantaloupe and are looking for something delicious to do with the seeds (after all, I know you do not want to waste any perfectly good food), this recipe is for you.

The first few times I made this drink I figured it would really make a difference in the drink if I added a little bit of the cantaloupe's flesh along with the seeds.  I have since realized that it is really just the seeds that are so rich in cantaloupe flavor giving this drink it it's deliciously fresh flavor.

Horchata de Semilla de Melon (Cantaloupe Seed Aqua Fresca)
1 Cantaloupe
4 Cups Water
3 to 6 TB sugar

Assemble your ingredients along with a cutting board, large knife, blender, sieve, and bowl.

Carefully cut the cantaloupe in half.

Scoop out the seeds and any juice into a small bowl.  If don't want to make the Aqua Fresca now, it will keep tightly covered in the refrigerator for a few days.

Add the cantaloupe seeds, your initial level of sugar, and water to the blender.

Blend for several minutes to pulverize the cantaloupe seeds.   Taste and add more sugar as needed.

Strain through a sieve into a pitcher or other container that is easy to pour from.

Pour the aqua fresca into tall glasses filled with a few ice cubes to enjoy this very, very, very delicious drink.

As for the cantaloupe flesh, might I suggest serving it with lime wedges?  This combination has vastly increased how much I enjoy this type of melon.

I love this drink for breakfast, but it is also tasty for lunch or whenever you want a slightly-sweet, fruity treat.

~ Kim

Dia de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day)

Welcome to the most highly anticipated day of the year for the children of Mexico: El Dia de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day).

While in the US, children receive their gifts on Christmas from Santa Claus, here in Mexico it is the Three Kings (the ones who brought presents to Jesus) that bring them gifts on the evening of January 5.  (However, Mexican children from well-off families can ask for presents from both Santa Claus and the Three Kings.)

As far as how to tell the Three Kings them how good you have been and which presents you would like - what could be better than sending your message by balloon?

On the days leading up to Dia de los Reyes Magos, the streets are filled with vendors happy to help you send your message to the Three Kings.  Children write their messages, tie it to the bottom of the balloon, and then release it at anytime before they go to bed on the night of January 5th.

It is also popular to take pictures with the Three Kings.  Traditionally, one of the three is always from African descent.  As few foreigners live in Mexico, this role is frequently portrayed through the use of make-up.

The night before Dia de los Reyes Magos the custom is to have hot chocolate along with Rosca de Reyes - a large just slightly sweet bread with candies figs and fruit paste placed on top.  

Hidden in the bread are tiny plastic figurines of babies, with the size of the Rosca determining how many can be found within it.  Each person cuts their own piece and, if they find a baby in their piece, they have to buy tamales for that group on Dia de la Candelaria (February 2nd).

Of course, of the 5 baby figurines found in our Rosca, I found two of them.

Then, once the children have gone to bed, the adults head off to one of the hundreds of street markets filled with toys and games, set up just for this night.  It took us over two hours just to walk thur one of the local ones set up near my in-laws' house.

Each of these markets is enormous and very, very crowded, containing everything a kid could desire: DVDs, CDs, video games, stuffed animals, dolls, bicycles, scooters, clothing, and lots of candy.  

In a tradition similar to that in the US of Santa Claus filling stockings hung on the mantle with small toys and candy, in Mexico it is popular to give children stockings filled with candy on this day.

Receiving gifts is so important for this holiday that families without much money will pawn things to be able to afford gifts for their children.

As this was my first experience with this holiday, Ismael bought me a balloon and told the vendor that I was going to write a message to the Three Kings asking for a gift.  She looked a little embarrassed and kept on saying no, surely I was not going to (this is, after all, only a holiday for kids.)  While I did not write them a note, they kindly dropped by my house and gave me a cat stuffed animal.

I think I like this holiday.

~ Kim