Calenda Restaurant and Bar's Formula For Margarita Magic

The team of mixologists at Calenda Restaurant and Bar inside Hotel Nena created the most amazing Margarita. In fact, so amazing that it won the CASA 2013 6th Annual Margarita Contest in San Miguel.

I know. I just had just one.

It is the perfect blend of sweet, savory and spice and included such things as chipotle, mandarine, pineapple juice, tamarind and an infusion of piloncillo (Azúcar mascabado) and guayaba and then smoked with copal.

It was served to me in a skeleton head smoking however it was ice cold when I drank it. It was by far one of the most unusual Margarita I've had since I've been here.

It was also strong. I was back to being a one Margarita girl...or was I? Suddenly I found myself dreaming about making the perfect, award winning recipe for next year.

Blame it on the copal!

Buen Aptetio!

Footnote: The more I learn the better they taste....

You don't have to go out for a good Margarita. You can make it at home.

The tequila Queen is changing up her basic formula for Margaritas just slightly and adding an ounce of Liqueur.

I had two well-qualified tasters tonight who agreed this was one of the best Margaritas they have tasted.

Formula: The base is tequila and lime juice with two modifiers: Cointreau and simple syrup.

The ratio 2:2:1:1 or 2 parts tequila, 2 parts lime juice, 1 part Cointreau, and 1 part simple syrup.

Tequila: Use only 100% agave tequila.

Although most people swear by Blanco a Reposado will also bring out the roasted agave flavors.

For this taste test, I used what the bartenders at Hotel Sautto use - some of the least expensive (87 pesos a bottle) and oldest (1879) made tequila in Mexico: Orendain Tequila Blanco.

Lime juice: Fresh-squeezed only. In Mexico I use the small, Mexican limes that come off the trees in my back yard. They are much sweeter and less acidic. 2 ounces = 6 limes.

Liqueur: I have yet to taste a Margarita made with Grand Marnier that I love and only use Cointreau or the Mexican version Controy.

Why Cointreau? It is not very sweet and has an intense bitter orange flavor.

Simple Syrup:

In Mexico, I buy Madrilena Jarabe Natural. In the states I make it from scratch.

2 parts sugar

1 part water

Bring the water to a boil. Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water, stirring constantly.

Once the sugar is dissolved completely, remove the pan from the heat. Do not boil for too long or the syrup will be too thick. Allow to cool completely and thicken. Bottle. To prolong the shelf life add a little vodka.

Cecina

Cecina is unique in that it's cooked with salt and exposed to the sun. The technique originated in Yecapixtla, Morelos where the Cecina Festival is held every October.

Remember, you have to prepare it on a sunny day... which is almost every day in San Miguel.

You’ll also find it inside Tuesday Market where a taco is served up with the chopped meat, fried onions and topped with a pile of French fries. I had it a second time last week and liked it better than the first time I tried it. Perhaps everything deserves a second try.

Get a good butcher because you need very, very thin cuts of meat.

Cecina is literally hung out to dry so get your clothespins out. You'll need about 20 of them.

Buen Apetito!

2 lbs of Beef Steaks

4-5 tablespoons of Lard

Vegetable Oil

Salt

Sprinkle a little over 1 oz+ of salt on both sides of the beef. Sprinkle uniformly.

Place the beef in the sun and let them "cook." Don't be guided by time but by color. The time will also depends on the humidity. When the beef is "light brown" it is ready.

Turn the beef and repeat but don't overexpose the beef to the sun.

Also, if you don't add the appropriate amount of salt the beef will turn green and you'll have to toss it. Remember, I don't eat green!

Bring the beef into the shade and hang the cecina so they aerate and dry.

Call it a smear by covering both sides of the cecina with lard.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add a little vegetable oil.

Fry the cecina on both sides for about 4 minutes until they are well cooked.

Chop and serve in a fresh tortilla with fried onions. Top with french fries and salsas.

Mixiotes for Breakfast.

I'm eating a late breakfast today. A trip down Canal to El Pato (Calzada de la Estacion 175) and I am in my own little version of food heaven.

Hopefully third time's a charm (see previous posts) because their food is as good as many of the better restaurants in town. It's also as good as my mother's pot roast and I've actually never said that before.

Mixiotes is a specialty dish from Hidalgo where owner Jose Luis hails from. The little bundle of lamb that is cooked in broth and spices has such a rich taste that even I wouldn’t try to duplicate it…that is until I get a few episodes of cooking in an underground pit under my belt which, like I said before, will not be any time soon.

Jose Luis also never buys a lamb that is over 6 months old so the food is consistently rich and sweet.

The last time I was there, I did not however find it too rich to have a second helping.

That will be the case again today. I know that already.

Buen Apetito!

The other half of the story...

I know a few things about Don Day. Do you?

Don Day scores his paella by counting the number of ingredients? True or False?

Don Day has been coming to SMA since 2004 and has been blogging here since 2010. True or False?

Don Day loves beer and sings like Kenny Chesney. Or was it that he sings along with Kenny Chesney? Never mind. You know enough already.

Like most Canadian's in San Miguel, Don Day travels in a pack. What else would you call "The Gentlemen Who Do Lunch" or his "little sewing circle?"

If I were one of them - and I am not as it is clear that there are no women allowed - I would follow Don Day to lunch too. After all, he knows where to eat.

Did I mention however that sometimes you are required to consume "unmentionable cuisine" (remember the post on montalayo) just to feast at his table? You have to be an "Andrew Zimmerman type" just to keep pace.

Lord knows what you'll be eating next Thursday when he finds some obscure, out-of-the-way hole-in-the-wall. Pan fried worms and pig stomach tacos? I guarantee you one thing though...he'll surprise you. He's that kind of guy.

With 28 blog posts under his belt this year - everything from "In Praise of Redheads and Burritos" to "Who Has the Best Buns in San Miguel", I will admit that he's got a following. I am one of them.

I was first hooked by his post on "60 Scrumptious Things to Eat In San Miguel" which was sent to me by two of SMA’s true foodies: Pat Carter and Carol Jackson. I was new in town and didn't think anyone could come up with a list that long. There was everything on the list from Bavette with bottarga to Torchon de foie gras. Now it is a point of reference when I want something out-of-the-ordinary to eat.

Did you know he's tried just about everything here and if he hasn't found it, his wife cooks it for him? Here's a little secret though. Mrs. Don Day, who is one of the best cooks on the planet, like me could not get her Kitchen Aid in her suitcase when she came down to San Miguel. I would hate to think what she would be whipping up if it had fit.

So when Don Day sent me a note a few weeks back to join him at Tuesday Market, I could not resist. This is a guy who loves food as much as I do and blogs about it to anyone who will listen.

Besides, he's married. It's not like this was a "date"or anything. But it was... kind of sort of.

 

Don Day is a food blogger. A very funny one at that so I know he'll be a little less annoyed about me reaching over him to steal a piece of his lunch and wouldn't go crazy when I tell him that he can't order the same thing as I do...but he did anyway. The man is also a bit cheeky.

Speaking of cheeky, you got all the details on his blog about that day even down to the part about eating cheeks, brains and eyes. I could have done without the eyeballs but I didn't tell him that. You see, I'm a bit cheeky myself.

I got the bright idea that devouring a plate of brains would make me smarter. Little did I know the entire "date" would set me on the hunt for pork cheeks (this was another one of his challenges although he is now blessed with the mission of finding beef cheeks) that would place me in Comonfort at 8AM on a cold February morning for the second time in a week...this time via the Flecha Amarilla not having a clue where I was going.

Tell me now. Do you think they made me any smarter?

I wouldn't tell him that I agree with almost everything he writes or that just as I was making notes to go to Le Cochon qui Saute he did a post on them. You know how ad men are. Just crazy enough to invite a Mexican-French born chef over to his house to cook coq a vin for 11 of his rat pack friends.

In another 3 years talk to me again. Don Day will probably still be teaching me something about the food in SMA that I didn't know ... like Brain Tacos do make you smarter if you eat enough of them AND wash them down with a good bottle of tequila.

Salud and Bon Apetit! 

The Mutual Admiration Society has left the House.

Follow Don Day at http://dondayinsma.wordpress.com/

SMA Shorts

Always have: a Plan B

Clever use of: silverware

Thankful for:

A Fireplace and a sweater

A clear blue sky every day

Hansen's Specials:

I ordered Osso Bucco ( I ate the entire plate it was that good) which I thought was the only special I hadn't tried at Hansen's but as it turned out I had missed one - Fried Eggplant - the special for Thursday.

Happily coming back for another round next weekend.

Pork Butcher in the house?

What I couldn't find in San Miguel? Pork Cheek

Where I did find it: Comonfort

Loved this little butcher shop right in the town square.

Conclusion: Always give the treasured cheeks to the best cook in the bunch- Mrs. Don Day! Thanks Sharon. They were a work of art.

Fiber Feast

Candelaria: Week Two

Mexican healthy

The Restaurant's New Appetizer:

Yakitori grilled pork belly and duck livers skewers with scallions and organic greens.

Verdict. Delicious especially if you like duck livers. Two thumbs up for the grilled pork belly. A little too heavy on the dressing.

The Restaurant's New Dessert:

Pecan, bourbon and butterscotch bread pudding with vanilla ice cream.

Verdict: Really good but nothing better than the Burnt Caramel Ice Cream Sundae.

Market finds:

Chicken Gizzards/35 pesos a kilo/Tuesday Market

My Italian neighbor use to invite 6 of us over every Sunday for Chicken Gizzards.

She would slow cook them in a pot of water with lots of pepper.

Wishing now I had her recipe.

Missing:

Good Hash Browns

Mac and Lobster

Ultra- thin chocolate chip cookies

Favorite Civil List Post:

One of my favorite San Miguel eateries is now offering rides, to and from the restaurant! Yesterday, each table had a place card announcing transportation from your home to Milagros and return.

Los Milagros Restaurant Bar

Relox 17

152 00 97 (call for a ride)

Between the Jardin and Mesones

Billionaires Bacon

1 lb. bacon

1½ cups light brown sugar

Separate strips of bacon and blot dry with paper towels. Put sugar into a wide dish. Coat both sides of bacon in sugar, firmly pressing sugar into each strip. Lay bacon out on sheet pans as coated. Cook bacon in a preheated 425° oven, turning once, until browned and lacquered, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled sheet pan to let cool.

Sorry… NOT SHARING!

MX/ Home of the 35 Peso Margarita?

Popped into MX, San Francisco 8, to check out the menu and the rooftop dining room.

Surprised to find a 35 peso Margarita on the menu only to realize after I ordered it that it had little or no tequila in it. I would much rather have a Margarita with legs (so you can crawl home) and pay a little more...especially if I'm going to take in all the calories.

Heard this restaurant has the most fabulous chef and the Mixiote MX with organic rabbit is amazing. Stay tuned.

Butter, Butter and More Butter...

PANNOS, a new bakery located at Stirling Dickinson, #52, in San Antonio is on to something.

It was not the beautiful Lebonese pita bread but the butter cookies that got my attention. Tasted a lot like the cookies my grandmother use to make. In fact, I had to eat 4 of them just to find that out.

It opens at 10 AM but go early. She is selling out of everything...especially the butter cookies. I plan to buy them all!

Real Japanese: Healthy, Fresh and $

Delica Mitsu

49 Calzada de la Luz

Colonia Guadalupe

Wednesday - Monday 12-7

Closed Tuesday

What's not to love about really good food at a great price? This is my new go-to spot. It's amazing what really fresh ingredients create.

I had the Bento - 2 Selections: 45 pesos

Asian Spinach Salad with carrot, jicama w Asian Sesame Dressing

Fresh Spring Roll w chili sauce

My friend Marcia had the Bento - 3 Selections: 65 pesos

Hijiki Japanese Seaweed Salad

Fried Curried Rice Ball

California Sushi Rolls

They also own Delica Mitsu in Guanajuato.

Stashing Sweets for My Sweet. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Buen Apetito!