Reposterio Pegaso

As I was walking down the street early Sunday morning, I peeked into a window and caught a real surprise. Christian Daniel Perez Lopez licking his mother’s spoon. It was full of frosting and it reminded me how I use to hang out in the kitchen when I was his age waiting for the spoon to lick after my grandmother had baked.

His mother, Ma. Guadalupe Lopez, was laughing. She found his antics as amusing as I did.

This tiny space is El Pegaso’s bakery and Ma. Guadalupe is the one that creates all the magic in the kitchen. 

El Pegaso, Corregidora 6, is one of my places to go for coffee and a pastry during the week. It’s full of Mexican folk art so you can’t help but be in good spirits when you walk in the door. After all, there are a lot of them hanging around in the likes of Fridas, Virgins and Skeletons. 

They are also known for their great desserts.

I stopped in this morning and saw the cake Ma. Guadalupe was making yesterday there in the dessert case. That made me smile…just like Christian Daniel Perez Lopez did yesterday morning.

San Miguel magic straight from the kitchen of Ma. Guadalupe and her son Christian Daniel? 

Do I believe it? Just looks at his face.

Buen Apetito!

Beer 201: Mexican Craft

I use to say that I've not had a good beer since my trip to Washington and Portland but since I've been in San Miguel, I've consumed more beer than I have in my entire life. 

If you’re counting, that would be the equivalent of about a case which in terms of beer drinkers is considered to be a light weight.

That’s me. It’s not that I don’t like beer it’s just that I haven’t had much exposure.

My interest in beer has peaked since I came to San Miguel not only because Mexico has always produced quality beers (even the average brews in Mexico are better than what you get in the states) but hiking the hills here can really make you thirsty. 

And, since I’m not always sure where the water comes from, beer is a great alternative.

In Mexico, the craft beer industry has been coming on strong and is not about to slow down. In fact, it’s scheduled for record growth again this year. With a variety of flavors that are not only smoky but also chocolate, herbal, bitter or even fruity, craft beers have hit the main stream in Baja, Mexico City and Guadalajara and here in San Miguel.

Lucky for The Beer Company owners - Architect Liz Garcia and husband and beer expert Jose Antonio Cabrera Cano - the enthusiast are not just a growing base of 30 something’s but a wide range of very sophisticated beer drinkers... of every age.

That would not include me but I’ve come a long way since I first posted the 101 on Beer back in October, 2011. 

My day with Liz and Jose Antonio was one for the books. In fact, I haven’t been on a beer binge since I was in my early twenties trying to out-drink the boys at the Beer Garden in Lake Chapala on Sunday afternoon. What did I know? Back then I was drinking what was recently rated the worst beer in Mexico – Tecate.

Jose Antonio had his own opinion on what was good and bad. Experience has moved him into the arena of beer professionals who really know their products. He needs to teach a class. 

In fact, he knew more about beer than I could ever hope to so I was paying attention. We did not agree on everything but that was my privilege as an uneducated consumer. Or so I told myself.

Insurgentes, brewed in Tijuana, is one of his favorites. In fact, Insurgentes came off with a big win at Cerveza Mexico with 3 out of 4 beers winning metals. La Lupulosa, an IPA won Gold, Brown, a brown ale won Silver and Nocturna, a black IPA won Bronze.  

Damian Morles, half of Insurgentes creative force, says his favorite beer pairing is their Nocturna with an oversized ribeye. That made me hungry and anxious to try some of the craft beers with other food pairings.

Auga Mala is another one of Jose Antonio’s favorites, an Amber ale made in Baja that sells for 56 pesos. Honestly, when I tasted the assortment of beers, it was hard to believe they were priced well below Mexico City. 

The difference between a Corona and a craft beer is astonishingly worth the extra money… especially for the added taste.

Auga Mala, a small microbrewery just 100 yards from the ocean in Ensenada, brews seven craft beers. All their names are related to the sea which I love. Auga Mala is the jellyfish that floats off the shores of Ensenada and Marea Roja was created back in 2005 when Ensenada experienced a massive red tide.

Marea Roja was described by beer experts as “bright amber with a soft amber head which leaves a fine filigree on the glass as it recedes. Its aroma of peaches, apples and honey is nicely balanced by its maltiness. Its flavor is in tune with its aroma.” Yikes, have I got a lot to learn.

Another one of his favorites was Lagunitas Pale Ale but that didn’t count. It's not Mexican.

A beer from La Cerveceria Hacienda was the first beer I tried and I picked it strictly on the label. I love Catrina, a symbol of Day of the Dead in Mexico, but the beer did nothing for me.

    Photo: Cerveceria Sagrada

While we’re on labels, Cervecería Sagrada has some of the best with a design inspired by Lucho Libre, Mexican professional wrestling known for its elaborate masks. It won Label of the Year at the International Beer Awards in Prague back in May of this year. This was the only craft that The Beer Company was out of.

One of my favorites was the Minerva Colonia Clara. Of course, it’s from Guadalajara so I might be slightly prejudiced. Minerva was also the fountain that I sat under every day to study when I was lived in Guadalajara. There is a long history here so I also selected it based on the name. In fact, I imagine that there are a lot of inexperienced beer drinkers who pick a beer based on the label or the name.

Minerva achieved notoriety among the brewers of the world by winning Gold at the World Beer Cup in 2010.

Jesus Briseno, one of Mexico's craft-brewing pioneers founded Cerveceria Minerva. He opened the brewery after he took a semester off from college to study at the Siebel Institute of Technology and World Brewing Academy in Chicago.

Hum…a Chicago connection. That may be another reason I loved the beer.

Cervecería Calavera is bottling eight beer styles, including seasonal beers such as its "Yule" Christmas beer. 

But look at the difference on the head of the Calavera and the Dos Aves after resting for awhile.

While the Beer Company’s tap and local craft beer Dos Aves was really delicious, making beer is a combination of both art and science. For instance Fat Dog, another local craft beer on tap, was a two year project and was in its third version before it ever hit their menu.

Speaking of holiday beers, The Beer Company will have a Christmas brew of their own. 

While I was there, brewmaster Mark Taylor came in with a pitcher of red for everyone to try. This was an early version of the holiday brew and the consensus was that it should be a little sweeter. Back to the microbrewery for round two.

So after tasting what seemed to be all of the beers at The Beer Company (not even close with a variety of over 150 available) what do I think of Mexican craft beer? 

With 140 more to go I figure I should wrap this up about September 15^th…just in time for the Mexican Independence day holiday.

Holiday? Did someone say holiday? Just another excuse to go back to The Beer Company so bring on the cerveza!

Salud and Buen Apetito!

Visit the The Beer Company at:

Ancha de San Antonio #17, Centro

San Miguel de Allende

Major Beer Festivals in Mexico:

International Beer Festival, Morelia – May

Baja Beer Fest, Ensenada - July

TJ Beer Fest, Tijuana – August

Cervefest, Mexico City - August

Beer Fest San Miguel de Allende - August

Expo Cerveza Mexico City – September (FYI, the 2-7^th. That’s today if you have not already booked your ticket!)

Beer Festival, Guadalajara - October

Craft Beer Festival, Cholula (Puebla) - November

The OD on Tacos

I’ll admit. I can easily OD on tacos and then do it all over again the very next day… even if I haven’t washed them down with multiple shots of tequila.

Chef Patricio Sandoval of Mercadito knows a thing or two about Tacos. In fact, you’re continually amazed every time he comes up with a new one. It’s always a masterpiece of multiple flavors and textures. His passion for tacos is unmistakable.

Chef Sandoval grew up in his father’s famous Acapulco restaurants (Madeiras and Villa Fiore) and a lot of his creative ideas come from his experiences shopping as a kid with his mother in the markets of Mexico. He has a remarkable resume along with the street smarts to go with it which makes him a one-of-a-kind chef.

His Tacos de Carnitas, Tacos de Camaron and Tacos Estilo Baja happen to be three of my all time favorites north of the border.

I can easily eat multiples of his version of pork carnitas and not feel guilty. After all, who counts calories when you cook something in lard? 

His delicious and spicy chiles de arbol coleslaw topped with peanuts gives the dish an Asian flair. I really like this Mexican-Asian fusion going on in his cooking. They are two of my favorite ethnic food groups.

Chef Sandoval’s Shrimp Taco recipe was the hit of the Aspen Food and Wine Festival and his recipe for Tacos Estilo Baja is the dish that put Mercadito on the map in New York City in the first place. This recipe also has a spicy slaw and can be used to top a number of other dishes including pulled pork. 

I swear, you’ll never eat regular slaw again after you taste these two versions.

The recipes look a little complicated. They are not. There are a few more steps to follow in each one but the results are well worth the extra fuss.

If you happen to be in Chicago, Chef Sandoval does cooking demonstrations at his restaurant and the next one is September 23^rd.

I’ll be home just in time to overindulge on his Tacos for the holiday season. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect time to overeat?

Good thing I quit counting calories December 1^st.

Buen Apetito!

TACOS DE CARNITAS

Michoacan style braised berkshire pork, chile de arbol coleslaw, toasted peanuts

Yields: 4 tacos

4 oz. berkshire pork carnitas (recipe follows)

4 ea., 6 in. corn tortillas

4 tbsps chile de arbol coleslaw (recipe follows)

4 tsps peanuts, toasted

4 tsps tomatillo pico de gallo (recipe follows)

In skillet, heat up carnitas until hot.

Place tortillas in serving plate, put carnitas on tortillas top of with coleslaw, pico de gallo, and with 1 teaspoon, on each taco, of toasted peanuts.

CARNITAS

½ berkshire pork shoulder, cut into large even pieces

½ onion, roughly chopped

4 ea. garlic cloves, whole

4 ea. bay leaves

3 qts lard

1 can evaporated milk

½ cup orange juice

In a large pot or Pyrex, place the pieces of meat. Add onions, garlic cloves, lard and bay leaves.

Add the evaporated milk and the orange juice, making sure the pieces of meat are completely covered by the liquid.

Cover in foil; put in 350 degree F oven and cook 3 to 4 hours, checking every hour.

CHILE DE ARBOL COLESLAW RECIPE

6 ea. chiles de arbol

6 tbsps oil

5 cups savoy cabbage, shredded

1 cup red cabbage, shredded

1 tbsp honey

2 tsps lemon juice

¼ cup peanuts, toasted

In medium pot, heat oil and add the chiles until oil has infused the flavor of the chiles and chiles are toasted. Their color will become darker.

In blender, place all ingredients except cabbages and blend until a salsa consistency has been achieved. If it is too chunky, add more lemon juice.

In large bowl, mix the salsa and the shredded coleslaws.

TOMATILLO PICO DE GALLO

2 cups tomatillo, medium diced

1 cups red onions, medium diced

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Making sure tomatillo is more visible than the red onion.

   Photo: Mercadito

TACOS DE CAMARON

Yields: 4 tacos

2 tbsps oil

1 tbsps garlic, chopped

3 tbsps red onion, diced

5 oz. marinated shrimp, roughly chopped (recipe follows)

2 tbsps chipotle puree

2 tsps lemon juice

2 tbsps butter

4 ea., 6 in. corn tortillas

4 avocado slices

Heat oil in a skillet. Lightly brown garlic then add red onion and sauté 30 seconds. Add shrimp. Let cook 1 minute.

Add chipotle puree and lemon juice then stir in butter and salt to taste. Balance sweetness/saltiness/acidity.

Place shrimp on tortillas and top with avocado slices, one slice per taco.

SHRIMP MARINADE

½ cup chipotle puree

¼ cup roasted garlic puree (recipe follows)

In bowl, mix chipotle and roasted garlic puree. Mix in shrimp and marinade until ready to cook.

ROASTED GARLIC PUREE

½ cup garlic, peeled and whole

Oil, enough to cover garlic

In a pot, put whole garlic and cover with oil about 2-inches above garlic.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer stirring once in a while to make sure garlic does not stick.

When garlic turns brown, strain oil and reserve, put roasted garlic in blender until smooth, adding oil if needed to make a paste like mixture.

    Photo: Mercadito

TACOS ESTILO BAJA

Makes 4 tacos

4 corn tortillas

4 ounces beer battered fish(recipe below)

Mexican cole slaw (recipes below)

Heat corn tortillas in a skillet.

Top each tortilla with beer battered fish and cole slaw.

BEER BATTERED FISH

4 ounces mahi mahi or other available fish

Salt to taste

Breadcrumbs, for dusting

Beer batter (recipe below)

Heat canola oil in a skillet or deep fryer until hot.

Season fish with salt then dust with breadcrumbs. Dip fish in beer batter then place in oil. Fry until golden brown.

BEER BATTER

1 1/2 cups bread mixture (recipe below)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-12 ounce bottle Negra Modelo or your favorite beer

2 cups water

Whisk all ingredients together until there are no lumps.

BREAD MIXTURE

4 cups day old bread, toasted and ground

3/4 cups flour

3/4 cups maseca

Combine all ingredients well.

MEXICAN COLE SLAW

1 cup Napa cabbage

3/4 cup pico de gallo (recipe below)

1/4 teaspoon minced onions and cilantro

2 tablespoons chipotle aioli (recipe below)

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon honey

Salt to taste

Toss all ingredients well and season with salt to taste.

PICO DE GALLO

1 cup red tomatoes, diced

1 cup white onions, diced

1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

CHIPOTLE AOLI 

12 ounces canola/olive oil blend

1-6 ounce can chipotles in oil

1 egg yolk

1 1/4 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt to taste

3/4 tablespoons honey

Blend 8 ounces oil with the chipotles in a blender. Beat egg yolk in a food processor then slowly drizzle remaining oil into yolk to create an emulsified base. Blend lemon juice, salt, and honey into mixture then slowly blend in chipotle/oil mixture until well combined.

The Battle of The Ahi Tuna Appetizer

I love the charred sashimi tuna that I use to get at Shaw’s Crab House in Chicago and I was on a mission to find it.

The recipe calls for starting with very fresh, sushi-grade ahi. You lightly sear the outside, leaving the inside raw. Yes, I did say raw. Don’t use a lower grade of fish for this recipe. The freshness and quality of the tuna is what makes the dish.

La Azotea has tuna that is served in a Jicama tortilla shell with fried leeks, mayo with chipotle and a tamarind sauce. 

The Restaurant on the other hand serves up a pepper crusted tuna tostado with avacado, crispy leeks and a chipotle crema.

Both were delicious and here’s how this competition shook out:

The Tuna: I like the ahi at The Restaurant as it was prepared more like a sashimi. It was raw. La Azotea’s was rare and I was not certain that theirs was even ahi grade.

The Base: Hands down La Azotea wins this category. Nothing beats the cool, refreshing taste of jicama.

The Sauce:The Restaurant wins this one as the crema was smoother and a bit more spicy than the mayo.

The Other Sauce: La Azotea takes the prize as the tamarind is what gives it all those distinct flavors and taste.

The Topping: Both dishes were topped with fried leeks. This was a tie. Also note that this is my new favorite toppings. I’ll use it on everything.

The Price: La Azotea was 40 pesos and The Restaurant was 135 pesos. This is a landslide for La Azotea. I thought that The Restaurants appetizer was a bit pricy although it was really filling.

The Added Ingredients: The Restaurant. The avocado make a great addition to the overall presentation and taste.

The Winner: A tie.

I hate ties but one was not exceptionally better than the other.

Both dishes are an excellent choice when you’re not really hungry for a big meal. 

That’s most of the time for me.

Buen Apetito!

Appetizer of the Week: The Restaurant’s Imperial Egg Rolls

Their Imperial Egg Rolls are made with rice wrappers just like they do it in Vietnam. To me, this was authentic. 

The shrimp and pork was stuffed inside and served with greens (to wrap your roll in), mint and a garlic ginger dipping sauce

The best thing was they are priced at 100 pesos and were large enough to eat as a meal instead of just an appetizer.

Buen Apetito!