A Cure For The Common Cold

Summer colds can make you feel miserable. I had one just last week. Not a minor one but the kind that keeps you home, in bed and looking for a cure using every remedy out there. 

Nothing worked...not even Decongestants, pain relievers, Advil, antihistamines, even chicken soup, warm socks and bee pollen. Then I remembered my Mexican standard. The one thing that makes me feel better the instant I have it.

Think back to the last time you had a great meal. You know, the kind that leaves you wondering when you can go back for more. The long trip down Canal to El Pato (Calzada de la Estacion 175) was just the beginning of my recovery.

It was early morning and the day was just beginning for the many vendors opening their tiendas all the way down Canal. They greeted me with smiles and the offer of fresh fruit and Atole. Many call Atole the traditional Mexican comfort drink. I passed on it this morning.

When you're sick, you need your Mama and I was headed for a breakfast that reminded me of my mother's cooking.

 It was like going home when I turned into the parking lot of the little palapa and saw Pilar and Jose Luis. They gave me a huge hug which was the best medicine of all.

As always, they moved my table from inside the restaurant out into the morning sun. A mega-dose of sunshine was also part of the cure. I was starting to feel better already.

I took one little bite of the lamb that had been cooked all night in broth and spices and knew I was on my way. I now had a Mexican comfort food to fall back on the next time I was feeling this bad.

I savored the experience as much as the Mixiotes.

Buen Apetito!

SMA SHORTS 8/16/2014

How do I shop?

I don't go to the store with a shopping list. I go to the store, see what ingredients look the freshest and then make my list.

Finally: real BBQ!

Diablo Panzon, at 94 Salida a Celaya, is a Cafe Rama property that boasts a wall-to-wall Argentinean grill and dishes out BBQ that is cooked to absolute perfection.

You can easily recognize that 'Cafe Rama style... mismatched furniture and the unusual style of artwork on the walls. It's a very comfortable environment to dine in and just cozy enough to lose track of how many margaritas you've actually consumed in the past hour.

I enjoyed the Cowboy Pork Chop, a small mixed salad, rice that combined both wild and white with mangos and dried cranberries and a full ear of corn. Whatever was in the mayo made this Elote a new favorite. You also get complimentary fava bean dip with tortilla chips.

This generous plate of food was just $149 pesos and is the same price as their salmon.

Why have sauce when you have BBQ this good? I would ask for it without the BBQ sauce next time because it took away from the flavor of the meat.

Put this one on your go-to list. It's a keeper. But then, anything involving grilled meat is a keeper.

Speaking of Pork Chops...

I grabbed a 4:00 PM lunch at the new OBOS Restaurant at 11 Cuna de Allende. Part of the Fat Mermaid and Chuleto Cocina International in Zihuatanejo, this somewhat pricy restaurant has a not-so-typical menu which includes a shrimp flambé on the high end for $305 pesos.

Since I was just coming off the Diablo Panzon pork chop, I ordered it again. This one was $175 pesos of thick-cut pork smothered in a mushroom gravy that was both rich and delicious. It was served with potato slices, spinach and carrots. Slightly French but also reminded me of a good, old-fashioned roast.

While I was there, a deluge of rain came down - a repeat of the flood we had last week- and within minutes the waiters were furiously sweeping the rains away from the front door. I also lost my outdoor seat which is the majority of the restaurant's space. In fact, there are only 2 tables inside the restaurant.

The service was good and I would definitely go back. Save it for a special occasion though instead of a rainy day.

THANKS for the Photos...Wish You Were Here!

Huevos Rancheros Burger... The Rockit Bar, Chicago

Kayt Nelson at Sloppy Joes. Jealous!

Crab Cakes from Andrew Zimmern

As many of you know, good crab cakes are hard to find here in San Miguel.

Solution: make them at home!

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 large egg, beaten

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked over

20 saltine crackers, finely crushed

1/4 cup canola oil

Lemon wedges, for serving

In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce until smooth.

In a medium bowl, lightly toss the crabmeat with the cracker crumbs. Gently fold in the mayonnaise mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Scoop the crab mixture into eight 1/3-cup mounds; lightly pack into 8 patties, about 1 1/2 inches thick. In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the crab cakes and cook over moderately high heat until deeply golden and heated through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the crab cakes to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Make Ahead: The crab cakes can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight.

My New Favorite Addiction: Juice...A NonAlcoholic Conga Recipe

6 Oz OJ

4 Oz Pineapple Juice

1 Oz Grapefruit Juice

Dash Grenadine

Blend and serve over ice.

Rosa Cookies...

I've eaten a lot of Mexican cookies but none like these Rosa shaped cookies...a gift from Cesar's wife...and much like my Scandinavian grandmother's rosettes.

Add a few more miles to the daily running routine and pass me another cookie, please. They're addictive!

El Cafe de La Mancha

Recreo 21A

Owners Paloma and Christian are passionate about good coffee. Espresso, Cappuccino, Latte, French Press, or Japanese Vacuum - they have it all...including a Chemex (a Yama Cold Brew Drip Tower)... A Melitta Dripper (for German coffee) ...the Ibrik = Turkish Coffee and the Aeropress which Paloma explained is the equalivent of making espresso with your hands.

This was the best Italian Cappuccino I've had in a long time.

This place is tiny and comfortable. Best to go in the afternoon after the AM crowd is at work.

Go in this week and wish them a happy one year anniversary.

Are you measuring?

Of course. No shortcuts in pastry: It's a science!

Queso Fundido Macaroni and Cheese

No surprise that I liked this Mac and Cheese because Queso Fundido is one of my favorite Mexican feasts.

Recipe by Sonia Mendez Garcia

5 ounces Mexican chorizo

1 large poblano pepper

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

1½ pounds extra sharp, white cheese, shredded

1½ cups Mexican crema

8 ounces small pasta shells

½ cup crushed, taco flavor Doritos chips

½ cup panko bread crumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

Canola or olive oil spray

Set the top shelf in oven to about 10 inches from top broiler. Preheat broiler for 5 minutes. Preheat a nonstick medium pan to medium/high heat for 3 minutes. Place the poblano pepper on a foil-lined baking sheet. Cook under broiler, turning when needed, until the skin blisters on most sides. Never leave the broiler unattended. Cook the chorizo in nonstick pan for 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer chorizo to a plate lined with paper towels, set aside. Remove poblano from oven and let it cool in plastic storage bag or in between a clean kitchen towel.

Combine the milk and heavy cream in a glass bowl or large measuring cup. Heat in the microwave for 35 to 45 seconds just to heat slightly, set aside. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook for another minute. Whisk in the milk mixture, add the nutmeg, mustard, salt and pepper. Cook on low/medium heat, without boiling, for 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add 1 pound of the shredded cheese, reserving the remaining cheese. Stir just until melted, cover and remove from heat.

Combine the crushed "Doritos" and panko bread crumbs in a bowl, set aside. While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside. Remove the blistered skin, stem, and seeds from poblano pepper, then dice. Spray a 13 x 9 pan with canola or olive oil. Add the cooked pasta, white cheese sauce, Mexican crema, chorizo, poblano pepper. Stir gently to combine. Top with remaining shredded cheese, panko and "Doritos" mixture. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for at least 20 minutes before serving. Yields up 8 servings.

Note: The macaroni and cheese is much easier to serve if you let it cool slightly. If you like it even more cheesy, add another cup of your favorite shredded cheese! Cover and keep in refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Delicious Salad but Swimming in Dressing?

Always ask for your dressing on the side.

When making dough, freeze the butter and grate it into the dry ingredients.

Why? You'll handle the cold dough less, resulting in a more flaky product.

Get your skin back to feeling baby-soft with this easy home-recipe for Sugar Scrub:

Granulated sugar

Extra-virgin olive oil

An essential oil of your choice

Put one cup of sugar in a bowl and add one-third cup of olive oil and 10 drops of an essential oil of your choice.

All Sugar:La Pulga...

Cooking 101:

To get into the mood for cooking, I put on some Music and pour myself a large glass of wine.

On the Road Again...

Next week: Guanajuato.

Everyone has told me that Guanajuato is not a great food city so don't expect good food. Sounds like a challenge to me!

September: Back to Mexico City.

Our favorite food city in Mexico. New twists on some old standards...and a few surprises along the way.

Stay tuned…

Buen Apetito!

The Best Meal in San Miguel?

I booked two more dinners at Michael Coon's house. I was missing good Asian and was tired of making it at home. I also wanted to get some new ideas on cooking with Tequila. Both dinners were at Casa de Cocinas in July.

If you don't know Michael, he's the former Travel Director and co-creator of the Culinary Institute of America's World's of Flavor tours. He now owns and operates The Inside Route. He's also happens to be one of the best chefs in San Miguel. Just ask anyone who has dined at his table.

Michael has a passion for both food and travel. You get a sense of it when you sit down, take your first bite and then wonder what backstreet in the world inspired this recipe.

On the menu tonight: Asian…

I booked this dinner back in 2013 but I decided to go anyway. Last year’s dinner was so fantastic I didn't mind doing it all over again.

I was surprised when I got there that it was an entirely new menu. But that's Michael. He would not prepare the same thing twice. That's one of the things I love about his meals. That and the fact that the meal is always a surprise.

For instance, he might say he's making an alder smoked jalapeño stuffed with cheese but when you get there, it's also stuffed with shallots and crab and is wrapped in bacon and served with a shaved beet, tomato jam and tequila Serrano chile jam. Every dish is complex and layered with flavors.

His dinners are filled with interesting people. You never know who you're going to run into like my friend Melissa who met one of Michael's assistant chefs that night who was also an Alice Waters Chez Panisse alumni.

So what did we eat?

Okonomiyaki (my new favorite dish)

This is a Japanese pancake with cabbage and shallots topped with crispy pork belly, bonito flakes, Japanese mayo, bull dog sauce and toasted nori.

Pok Pok Wings

Marinated in fish sauce and Garlic sweet water...twice cooked then stir fried with sweet chili paste and fried garlic.

These looked complicated but they are more time consuming than anything.

We liked the recipe so much and recently found it online.

8 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup Vietnamese fish sauce (Phu Quoc or Three Crabs brand)

1/2 cup superfine sugar

2 lbs medium-size chicken wings (about 12), split at the joint

Vegetable oil (for frying)

1 cup rice flour

1/4 cup tempura batter mix (Gogi brand)

1/4 cup water

Optional: 1–2 tspnaam phrik khao soi (roasted chile paste, for “spicy wings”)

Marinate:

Chop garlic finely, sprinkle salt, and chop together for about 15 more seconds.

Scrape into a small bowl, add warm water, and let sit for a few minutes.

Pour through a fine sieve set over a bowl, and use the back of a spoon to stir and smooth garlic against the sieve, reserving leftover garlic.

Add fish sauce and sugar to bowl and stir until dissolved.

Place chicken wings in a separate large bowl, add 1/2 cup of fish sauce mixture (reserve the rest in the refrigerator), and toss well.

Cover and refrigerate wings for at least four hours, or overnight, tossing every hour or so.

Fry:

Heat 3/4-inch vegetable oil in a small pan over high heat and add reserved garlic.

Reduce heat to medium-low, fry until garlic is lightly golden brown, about 5 minutes, and transfer to paper towels to drain (set aside until final cooking stage).

Transfer wings from refrigerator to a colander in the sink and let drain for 15 minutes.

Stir together rice flour and tempura mix in a large bowl and toss wings until coated well.

Pour enough oil into a wok or Dutch oven to completely submerge the wings, about 2 inches, and bring oil to 325 degrees (measure with a candy thermometer).

Fry wings in two batches, gently knocking them against the bowl before adding to the oil.

Cook each batch until evenly golden brown, about 10–12 minutes, prodding every few minutes.

Transfer wings to paper towels to drain.

Finish:

Add 1/4 cup water to the reserved fish sauce mixture.

Combine 1/4 cup of the water–fish sauce mixture and half the chile paste (if you are using it), bring to a full boil in a nonstick wok, and reduce for about 45 seconds.

Add half the wings and toss every 15 seconds, until a caramelized glaze coats the wings, about 1 minute.

Add 1 tbsp of the fried garlic, toss well, and cook about 30 seconds longer.

Rinse and wipe out wok, and repeat with the next batch of wings.

Serve wings with pickled vegetables, cucumber spears, and herb sprigs.

Korean Short Rib Tacos

Short rib in lettuce cups, rice noodles, kimchi, cucumber relish, snow peas, and Asian pear.

Pork Dumpling Ramen

with shiitakes smoked corn,carrots and criminis.

Ice Cream

Coconut milk ginger and kaiffir lime ice.

The meal awakened, astounded, captivated and satisfied me through every course. It all worked well together and was the best Asian food I've had since I came to San Miguel.

So how do you top this one? With a little alchemy and a lot of tequila...

Having been a Tequila aficionado for most of my life, I was fascinated with the menu for Michael's dinner "Cooking with Tequila."

I'll admit, in the early years, I was one of those people who thought tequila was only good for doing shots. It wasn't until later, when I worked in the tequila industry with Cesar Mascorro Perez, that I discovered quality tequila. Like Herradura, one of Michael's favorites.

This tequila girl had already worked up an appetite...and a thirst although I did not drink that night because I didn't want anything to interfere with the taste of the food. The menu boasted some pretty superb tequila combinations.

First off the famous alder smoked jalapeño stuffed with cheese, shallots and crab. Wrapped in bacon. Paired with snookered goat cheese-tequila blanco, garlic, olive oil goat cheese, wrapped in crushed toasted almonds and served with shaved beet, tomato jam and tequila Serrano chile jam. The tequila Serrano chile jam was the essence of this dish.

Gazpacho Macho

Tequila infused tomato and roasted red pepper juiced, minced cucumber, yellow pepper, orange and yellow carrots, cherry tomatoes, crushed almonds with cilantro, basil and olive oil. I loved the chunky texture of this dish and the beautiful overtone of Leo's ( the vegetable guy in front of Luna de Queso) miniature tomatoes.

Tequila Lime Chicken

Sound ordinary? Think again because this chicken was smothered with Tequila, lime, garlic, shallots and olive oil with tequila reduction sauce, served with cabbage and red onion tangy Asian slaw and tequila vinaigrette tossed green beans.

And to wrap it up? A delicious Almond Tequila, lemon and orange zest cake with whipped tequila cream.

From the first plate until my final bite of this rich Almond cake, the meal was another one of my favorites. Each component was so well thought out and perfectly executed. It took tequila to a whole new level for me.

But that was no surprise because all 7 of the meals I've had at Casa de Cocinas have been among the best here.

Is dinner at Casa de Cocinas becoming a habit? Ask me next month. I've already booked my reservation.

Buen Apetito!

To get on Michael's mailing list for dinners,classes and tours, email him atinsiderroute@aol.com.