Healthy Mexican?

I'll be the first one to admit that I'm a blue cheese and bread type of girl. When it comes to counting calories, I'm the last one to tally up the count.

Plain and simple... I like to eat.

I'm also the first person to take that 110+ step walk up to the Tuesday Market as opposed to hopping in a cab. I want to wear off the calories before I actually eat them.

Thank goodness Mexican dishes are prepared with loads of fresh produce, protein-packed beans, fiber-filled tortillas, and nutritious spices like chilies, cinnamon, and cumin.

All that aside, I'm into things like Queso Fundido having survived the University of Guadalajara on pizza plates of melted cheese, baskets of warm tortillas, green sauce and a salt shaker.

I could also never get enough of the local Oaxacan cheese. How can you possibly get healthy with all this good cheese around? Don't expect me to answer that as I order a double dose of ranchero on my flautas.

Here in San Miguel, I can feed any indulgence I happen to crave. Sourcing an addiction is easy. Close your eyes, pull out the pesos and Abra Kadabra it's yours!

Like pickles. They're healthy but unfortunately I like mine deep fried and dipped in aioli.

Turkey Burgers? I've got to have mine with an overload of extra crispy French fries on the side.

Popovers? Certainly not when you eat the whole pan.

And how do you take all the fried goodness out of a cemita? I'm not giving them up so discussing it is just a waste of time.

So is everything fried unhealthy? Not for your social life. 

Take frying won tons when people are standing around eating them as fast as you can get them out of the  frying pan. Truth be told, I've eaten over 20 of them myself in one sitting...of course strictly for the social aspect of eating.

I forget sometimes that San Miguel is a town compared to the city of Chicago because there isn't one thing I haven't found here besides russet potatoes...and I do miss russets because they feed my Poutine addiction.

But San Miguel is full of healthy options. Ask any of my friends who worry about it far more than I do. They can probably tell you what's healthy on the menus of all of San Miguel's best restaurants.

Me? Well obviously I haven't been paying attention but I can tell you where to get the best Carnitas, Mixiotes and Barbacoa in town and even hustle you up to get some.

In fact, that's usually where you'll find me. First in line the eat.

So when the local food police show up shouting healthy what's the first thing they want you to give up? Gorditas of course. Geez. 

Unhealthy? Gordito means "little fat one" in Spanish but it's also a term of endearment. Me? I wouldn't be giving them up any time soon.

You can do the fruit, yogurt, granola and honey at Hotel Matilda.

  

You can go for the Jicama Tacos at La Azotea.

You can try the bean soup at Provecho.

Me? I'm still dreaming about flautas and wondering how I can take all the bad out of something that is so darn good.

Buen Apetito!

La Parada...the best 4 star meal in San Miguel?

La Parada, at Recreo #94, has a chef that is Cordon Bleu-trained and a native of Peru.  I can tell you now that's a great combination because this was one of the best meals I've had in San Miguel.

Alexandra Gutt worked in Naples, Florida and the Cayman Islands before coming to San Miguel. The menu she created is Peruvian with international accents. It's limited but the food is superb.

In fact, if I had my eyes closed I would have sworn I was sitting in a 4 star restaurant in downtown Chicago...it was that good.

La Parada’s most popular dishes include their Ceviches which are "cooked" with Leche de Tigre which is a marinade of lime, onion, chile, and garlic. I had the salmon with snow pods, seaweed and cucumber. I got the small portion (35 pesos) and it was the perfect tease.

Main Courses? Yes, there were two.

The Higaditos Asaltados -Chicken Livers are stir-fried with soy sauce, chile paste, and a chile cream sauce and served with fries and a side salad. Even if you don't love chicken livers like me you should get an order because they did not taste like liver.

The Ribs - Costilla de Cerdo were marinated in mirin and soy and served with garlic mashed potatoes and a Sautéed Salad which in my opinion was the best hot salad I've had. It was a combination of snow peas, green beans and corn stir fried and had the perfect crunch. The rib meat was fork tender and the sauce was slightly caramelized. Talk about melt in your mouth good. But then, I've always been a fan of caramelization. It's the epitome of stovetop alchemy.

When I ordered the Crema Helado for dessert, I expected ice cream but it came with a topping of caramelized crunchies and bananas and was so delicious I no longer had the "guilts" for ordering a dessert. See, doesn't take much for me to not feel guilty anymore about eating...especially dessert.

Of course, I could not have a Peruvian meal without a Pisco Sour. Made with their in-house fruit infused piscos, mine was an infusion of orange, tangerine, chicha morada, ginger, pineapple, pepper, lavender, grapes, and berries. Chicha Morada is a juice made of Jamaica, pineapple, orange, cloves, cinnamon, and apples.

This was no ordinary drink and I would make one at home but I'm sure it would be lacking without the in-house infused Piscos.

Last fall, Conde Nast Traveler named Lima the Culinary Capital of South America so it's only fitting that you should indulge in all the great foods of Peru in what they named as the Best City of the World...San Miguel de Allende.

Buen Apetito!

SMA Shorts

Cravings:

Dumplings: The Restaurant

An appetizer I can polish off as quickly as I can order another.

Caprese Salad: Hansen's

A side to share although it's so good you'll be tempted to keep it all to yourself.

On a missions to find: Cheek meat. Preferably beef.

Two trips to Comonfort and I found pork cheeks.

You'll be surprised where it ends up. Stay tuned.

The hunt continues.

Missing:

Backyard BBQ

Russets

Ripe tomatoes

A good steak

Sweet Surprises:

Sugary coffee at the local Oaxaca Street Festival

Mezcal Amores at the Artisan Market

Finding Roberto Vazquez Lugo, Executive Sales with Mezcal Amores at this art fair was a treat...especially since he was giving out free pours of some of Mexico's best Mezcal.

Works of Art:

Floor cloths by Joy Wesson

Mexican collages by Shiobahn Bryne

Street art

Old doors

Candelaria

Don’t: Play with your food

Too lazy to make: Mole

BnB Bliss:

Dos Casas:

Elegant boutique hotel down the street from my house ( Quebrada 101) where you can dine on a selection of European fusion dishes created by Chef Gustavo Calderon.

The dining room is beautiful, cozy and intimate. This is the spot to take someone special.

Tasting:

Michael Coon's Oaxaca...Pack my bags! After another night at Casa de Cocinas, I can't get to Oaxaca soon enough.

What's not to love with a menu of Panuchos with Spicy Chicken, Chilorio-Beef Shoulder with Red Onions, Arroz y Frijoles and Chocolate Bread Pudding? I'm still dreaming about it! 

In fact, I'm still dreaming about all four of the culinary experiences I've had at Casa de Cocinas.

Two more are on my calendar for February.