Hieronymous Gherkin Exposed

I come from a family of picklers. My Mother is a pickler, my Uncle Irwin is a pickler; I'm a pickler too. We come from a long line of picklers stretching back across the Atlantic to the shtetl.

Our First Time...

Our First Time...

...in México was a crazy road trip, with 3 of us crammed into a Datsun King Cab pickup, in March, 1980. 

This post is about caves, but it's also about food, but most of all, about our first vist to the impressive area of Cuetzalan, Puebla, Mexico.

We motored down over several days from Mountain View, Arkansas, to join up with cavers renting a mouse infested house in the traditional Sierra Norte town of Cuetzalan, Puebla. The rent per person per day was 50¢ US. Or maybe that was for the two of us.

Remembrances of Things Karst

For those of you interested in the esoterica of cave explorations, I have started a blog, "We Once Were Cavers." The introduction, The Adventure Begins has been posted, with remembrances of things karst soon to follow.

There will be limited references to food, but they do occur.

Saludos,

 Don Cuevas

Return to La Mesa de Blanca

La Mesa de Blanca July 11, 2010

Seven of us went in two vehicles to the Mesa de Blanca in Ziracuarétiro.

We left Pátzcuaro in a downpour. For Doña Cuevas and I, this was our second visit; the first was in March.

On passing the Ziracuarétiro toll station, the skies were clearing.

When we drove into the restaurant parking lot, David’s car found the special broken Coke bottle waiting for his brand new tire, which blew out in an explosive rush.

We entered the restaurant, and the line of lovely waitresses waiting arose in greeting. I felt I should ask one for the honor of a dance.

The Fabulous Asian-Mexican Fusion Food Fiesta

A few of us, Camille, Peter and I, among others who frequent the Mexican Kitchen Forum of Mexconnect.com were chatting about this and that some months ago. "Sergio Gómez" started the topic of "Fusion food". We then got the idea to get together in the Pátzcuaro area this summer when Camille was visiting, and cook and enjoy some Asian dishes.

The challenge is to make the dishes with the available local, Mexican ingredients. I'd promote the idea of finding common ground in both Mexcan and Asian dishes, that would would fuse in a harmonious way. Obviously, this approach is not for purists nor traditionalists. We just wanted to have fun and eat some delicious foods together.

Visitamos La Ciudad de México a Las 42 Años. Parte 3

Well, amigos, it's time for the Mexico City wrap-up.

 We stayed over an extra night a the Hotel Milán, so that Doña Cuevas could rest and recover from her lingering illness.

She was eating Bimbo toast and drinking KaoPectate and Pedialyte, but I had an appetite.

Fortunately, there are many dining options close by.

A recent addition is El Diez, an Argentinean style steak house and sports bar, located on the corner of Álvaro Obregón and Orizaba, Colonia Roma Norte.

The Big Fútbol match was in progress on the several big TV screens inside, so to escape the pervasive bbbbzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!, I sat at a sidewalk table.

Ordering was simple. I chose a 300 gram Bife de Chorizo, $199 MXN, which is a nice, juicy cut of beef.  Other cuts, such as vacio or arrachera, were considerably less. It came with a simple salad, already dressed with a mustardy vinaigrette. There were small bowls of chimichurrí and a spicier red sauce in two small bowls. Decent bread was served, but one bolillo at a time. It was hard to get my harried young waiter's attention. I had a nice glass of a red wine, but can't for the life of me recall the oeniphiliac details. I'm a failure at Wine Appreciation 101. Maybe it was a Malbec or Merlot. I also had an agua mineral.

The steak was excellent and perfectly cooked to my taste, the salad fine, but I wished that they had thrown on some Papas Francesas. But that was an extra, at a whopping $45 pesos Mexicanos. At La Parilla Argentina, Calle Manzanillo # 81, Colonia Roma Sur, the PFs are included, but the meat is much less tender. It's also a far calmer place, also. But it's a 30 minute walk from the Hotel Milán, so El Diez was nearly perfect.

A couple of street kids wandered by and asked if they could have a piece of my steak. I decided to give them some, wrapped in doubled napkins, but I supplemented my meal with an Empanada de Carne, filled with picadillo. It was just "o.k." but not recommendable. (The best empanadas de carne, although considerably smaller, are from Alejandro the Roving Pastry Man in Pátzcuaro.)

The street scene was entertaing, including a two man band playing (somebody's) favorites, and great looking chicas walking by and some sitting at a table near me.

So, in the end, the meal was $314 or so, for one, and that put it in the $$$ category. But, you could also get a big hamburger for under $60, or some Argentine pizza, sold by the meter and half meter.

El Diez Col. Roma, one of several branches of the small chain, is a casual fun spot for a meal. It can get very crowded at times, especially on the weekend.
(Sorry, no pictures because no camera.)

My Ratings:
Food: *** 1/2

Service: *** 1/2

Price: $-$$$$

Ambience: Buzzzzzzzzzzing; sports bar.

El Racó, Mexico City

El Racó, a Catalán restaurant, located at the north end of Parque México in the lovely Colonia Hipódromo-Condesa, was the dining highlight of our recent visit to Mexico City.

I'd spent some time studying the online menus of what it bills as "cuina del mar y muntanya". I incline more to mar than muntanya, so I was attracted by the fish specialties, notably the signature "Huauchinago a la Sal". It's a a brilliantly simple dish, depending on the freshness of the fish for its success rather than complex sauces. But back on the muntanya, there was tempting Magret de Pato en Salsa de Chocolate". What to think of rare duck breast in a sauce of chocolate? Our friend, Ron, was to find out.

Visitamos La Ciudad de México a Las 42 Años. Parte 2

Let's pause here for a cafecito and pan dulce break and return in another episode. 

In our previous episode, the three gastronomic adventurers had just visited the Dragon del Oro Tienda China, and were in need of a a caffeine fix.

Visitamos La Ciudad de México a Las 42 Años. Parte 1

We just returned from a visit to the U.S. where we attended a wedding of our grandniece and her childhood sweetheart and a visit to my side of the family in New Jersey. (The food there is another story entirely.)

On our return to Mexico City, we rendezvoused with our friend, Ron Granich, a man of distinguished tastes and very high standards of quality, in the realm of food, and even more specifically, in regard to a properly made demitasse of espresso. He has referred to himself, in only semi jest, as "El Cascarrabia": "The Grouch".

Having Ron along, after an absence of 35 years from México, D.F., would add a new dimension of how we looked at food and drink. Adding to this heady mixture was that Doña Cuevas and I were celebrating our 42nd Wedding Anniversary on the 21st, with a dinner at El Racó on the 23rd.

We arrived midday Sunday the 20th of June, and  the Hotel Milán, in Colonia Roma Norte, we rested and awaited Ron's arrival.

Travelers Rest; Foodies, Never

Cannolo

The Cuevas' have been travelling in the U.S., attending a wedding and visiting family, and are now on their way home, after a few days of wandering and eating in México City.

Many restaurants were visited in the U.S. and a few in Mexico. I've been too busy to blog. Then, in a last minute frenzied farewell, I left my digital camera in my family house. I'm making arrangements to have it carried in safe hands back to me.

Meanwhile, here are a few selected photos from restaurant and home meals we enjoyed.

Poppy's Cheeseburger, Beacon, NY

Poppy's Fries

Lunch at Viet Ai, Florham Park, NJ

Blackened Tuna; Sweet Basil's Cafe, West Orange, NJ

Soft Shelled Crabs in Lemon Butter Sauce, Don Pepe's, NJ

Sirloin Steak, Don Pepe's, NJ

Kasha Varnishkes; Mom's home cooking

Beacon Creamery in Beacon, NY

Asador Bariloche, Morelia

The Asador Bariloche
had been recommended to me by our friend Peter, in Morelia. Yesterday, we had a chance to eat there. It's in Morelia Centro, on Ave. Madero at the corner of Calle Amado Nervo. Seven of us arrived just after the opening time, 2:00 p.m. We were the only diners in the restaurant during the more than two hours we passed in enjoying a leisurely comida.

Asador Bariloche is a Mexican interpretation of an Argentine steakhouse.  I'd viewed a promotional video on YouTube that made it appear very upscale. Al contrario, Horatio; it's quite casual, with a very typical Morelia ambience, set in a covered patio. (It was good that the patio was covered, as the afternoon sun was blazing fiercely.)

Guests waiting for rain.

The menu is long and at first somewhat daunting. Passing directly over the entradas, soups and salads, we homed in directly to the Parilladas and Combinaciones. Both categories are money saving package deals, designed for one to four diners. When I was looking at the right hand column of the menu, the prices made my head to spin. $700 MXN?? A closer look showed that that package was for four diners, and in reality, a considerable savings over ordering a la carte.

Fortunately, Peter was experienced at ordering in this restaurant, so we ended up with a very reasonable cost per person.

The salsas on the table included a fair salsa cruda roja and an excellent chimichurrí, with a distinctive kick of marjoram as well as the usual parsley and garlic. There was also a small dish of herbal requesón (ricotta like cheese).

Peter, Tere, Doña Cuevas and I shared the Combinacíon Cuatro, at $700 MXN, which included a individual choice of soups: Jugo de Carne, Sopa Tarasca or Caldo Tlapeño. Doña C said her Sopa Tarasca was fine. Peter's Caldo Tlapeño looked very good, chockfull of nicely cooked vegetables. My Jugo de Carne was less intense than that which I'd had elsewhere. Nor was it very hot. It had a few dried shrimp added, and was served with a small sauce of garnishes which did improve the soup.

Salsa and requesón with totopos

We all ordered various cuts of beef according to our preferences, ranging from an attractive arrachera, served sizzling on a heated comal, to "vacio", a thick chunk of beef, and my "bife de lomo". From our limited Argentine restaurant experiences in Mexico City, my impression is that at el Asador there is a loose interpretation of what these cuts should be. But I won't swear to it. All were in the 300 gram range before cooking.

The main courses arrived, plated very simply on attractive but oversized white plates, accompanied by nothing more than a small broiled chile serrano and a very small patch of  delicious, deeply caramelized, roasted onion. We should have asked for more of the onion.

Bife de Lomo

The steak was thick, tasty and fairly juicy. Doña Cuevas' cut was so rare, she asked for it to be cooked more. It came back nicely charred yet still delicately pink inside. My bife de lomo was resistant to the sharp steak knife, but reasonably tender when eaten. It was quite tasty, although not in the class of similar cuts I'd had elsewhere.

Tortillas came witout asking, but I requested bread. It arrived as small slices of buttered sesame toast and a small dish of herbed garlic butter. Nice, but failing my standards for good bread.

The only accompaniment to the meats was a large salad for four of varied lettuces, sliced tomatoes and thin rings of onion. It was already lightly dressed. It would have been much better if more attention had been paid to selecting fresh lettuce. I was picking out several wilted pieces or worse, before I'd eat it. We should have sent it back.

We also ordered papas fritas Francesas to fill out the empty spaces. They were nicely browned, crinkle-cut, and just a bit greasy.

For drinks, Doña C and I had agua mineral. I was pleased to see it served from a glass bottle, because, in my opinion, there is something cheap about mineral water from a can.

I also had a modest glass of Casillero del Diablo Cab Sauv. It was fine.

The Cuevas' passed up dessert, but some of our amigos had package deals that included postre. Larry received a huge portion of Flan Napolitano, plated on what looked like custard sauce but could have been condensed milk. I got a sample taste and it was a bit denser than regular flan, but good.

José had helado frito, a big ball of vanilla or strawberry ice cream, wrapped in a pastry and deep fried. It was dressed with the mandatory condensed milk and a ubiquitous dusting of cinnamon, atop the obligatory zig-zags of chocolate syrup. The strawberry version was loaded with fruit.

Helado Frito

I had a decent espresso sencillo.
The coffee cups and saucers were unusually attractive.

Summing up; Asador Bariloche is a good choice for good cuts of beef. Costs are reasonable if you order Parilladas or Combinaciones for two or more persons. Service was well meaning but unpolished. We had to ask for salad tongs, serving spoons and I probably waited over 10 minutes for my glass of wine. So, in all, the service was variable.

La cuenta was seriously big, its arrival mitigated by a unique presentation.

My Ratings (Top scores are 5 *****):

• Food: ***1/2

• Service: ***

• Price: $-$$ per person

• Ambience: Pleasant but warm (temperature) in afternoon. Typical Morelia patio restaurant setting.

• Restroom. Good

Location:

Av. Madero Ote. No. 635

Colonia Centro

Morelia, Michoacán, México

View Morelia's Best Eats in a larger map

The Berros and the Papas

Crema Fría de Berros y Papas

When it's hot weather here at el Rancho, we look again for cold, easy to prepare foods to tide us over until the cool rains begin again. Last week, I made Cool Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup; this week, it was cool, fresh green soup of watercress and potatoes.

This soup is not very difficult to make, but you must buy 2 very large “manojos” or bunches of berros. We often get them at the vegetable stand of Juana and Arturo Padilla, in the Pátzcuaro mercado. There are other places to find it, but you have to look. This herb, Nasturtium officinale, is not always available here, so I try to take advantage of it when it is. Locally, it is very inexpensive. I paid 5 pesos for each manojo of berros.

Recipe follows.

Birdsongs In April Mornings

El Gorjeo de Las Aves En Las Mañanas de Abril. 

Ziracuarétiro, Michoacán

Imagine a place set in lush green hills, with  a semi-tropical climate and bountiful fruited orchards. Bless it with plentiful waters where families may frolic in pools of fresh water. Then, develop a lovely, park like area near the balneario, and build a beautiful, casual restaurant that takes full advantage of the hillside setting. Enhance it with stone paths and pools and cascades and colorful birds. Decorate it tastefully in a way that harmonizes with the regional cuisine. Offer a short menu of choice foods, made in house when possible: breads, conserves, fresh fruit aguas; uchepos, tortillas and more. Provide excellent yet unobtrusive service.

Do almost no advertising, and open everyday of the week from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A Colorful Comida in May

Elaborate piece at the Concurso de Las Bordaderas

Dinner for 6 after the Concurso de Las Bordaderas at Santa Cruz, Michoacán. May 19, 2010

                                        Menu

• Cool Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup, olive oil croutons, goat cheese with fresh basil and thyme

• Cazuela de Milpa (Calabacitas, Granos de Elote, Chile Poblano, Nopalitos, y Dos Quesos)

• Black Bean Carnitas Cakes, Lime Cilantro Crema, Salsa Verde 

• Agua de Jamaica

• Melón

Don Cuevas' Restaurant Salsa Acid Test

After a year of arranging restaurant breakfasts and sending out email notices, I'm retiring as breakfast co-ordinator for the Pátzcuaro R.O.M.E.O.s Men's Breakfast  Group. R.O.M.E.O. is an acronym for "Retired Old Men Eating Out."

I enjoyed most of it, with very few problems. But a frequent challenge is getting suggestions from the group as to the next week's restaurant venue. Many members ( I use the term members loosely, as we don't have by-laws, memberships, officers or dues) are reluctant to make suggestions.

After several years as an informal member, and a year of co-ordinating, I have devised an acid test which helps me decide if we should return to a restaurant. This test may be applied generally to eating out in Mexico, not just geriatric breakfasts.

It's based on several factors, but the main one is salsa, or salsa, if you prefer.

Who ever heard of a Mexican Mexican restaurant (that is, in Mexico) that didn't serve its guests salsas without having to request it?* We have, on several occasions.

Picture this scene: a plush dining room in an expensive, deluxe hotel in Pátzcuaro. Let's call it La Mansíon de Peluche. Tablecloths, uniformed waiters, chandeliers, warm croissants, butter curls, but no salsa, for God's sake.  That was a warning clue that the buffet breakfast that would follow would follow the path of insipidity. The presence of sliced hot dogs in their innocent, undisguised nudity, was more evidence that it was a kitchen that did not care.
 A request for salsa brought a heedlessly improvised dish of it after a short wait. Someone in the kitchen should have thought of this beforehand. This kind of plush service does not come cheaply, either. I'd rather pay for good food than for pretentious plushness.

Another hotel, a refuge more squarely located, and another buffet, with bad value/price relation down to an art. I was just trying to recall what we were served last time for $80 MXN. I think that besides beverages, there was huevos a la Mexicana of no particular distinction, some chilaquiles... there may have been more, maybe some bacon, but I can't remember. It was also notable for a lack of salsa. I felt cheated, but the servers were too busy getting more huevos (which had run out early before all of us got some) that I gave up on it.

Last Tuesday we breakfasted at  a new restaurant, "La Vista Incomparable", on the hill overlooking Pátzcuaro. The coffee was decent, the food wasn't bad, although not great. The fruit plate was unusually good and distinctive. Points!  On the other hand, the bread was dreadful. And there was no salsa. Again, $80 (these prices include or voluntary tip.)

Let's turn now to the positive side. Here is the Pátzcuaro Salsa Hall of Fame
• Fonda Mamá Lupe. A intense, brick-red sauce is on the table. No asking necessary. It has kick and good flavor. Try it on Hot Cakes instead of syrup. (Just foolin')  Sorry, I don't find a photo, but I'll soon remedy that.
I just picked up the print from the drugstore; here:

• Patio Las Brisas. Three salsas, in varying styles and strengths. You may have to ask for the dark, oily extra picante salsa.

Serious salsa, not for the fainthearted, at Las Brisas

Cooked Table Sauce, Patio Las Brisas



• La Surtidora. Damn fine salsa. You don't need to start a petition to get some.

*Free* molletes with Salsa Cruda in center

A *free* amuse bouche of molletes at La Surtidora. Salsa cruda in center.

Listen, do I need to start bringing my own salsa to the plush but negligent restaurants? Would they care?

• Restaurante Lupita's (antes, Restaurant Cha Cha Cha). Nice salsa, innocent looking, but picante. Not very characterful. It's based on tomatoes and chiles perón.

Over in Morelia, even lowly Hamburguesas Richards offers decent salsas for its food, particularly its tacos al pastor.

Do I need to bring my own salsa to the restaurants that don't provide it? I don't think they'd give a whit, but
here's a recipe for my  Salsa Verde. It's not unique, but it's good.

Peel then wash a kilogram of tomates verdes, also known as tomatillos. Cook in simmering, lightly salted water until just starting to turn tender and translucent. Do Not Overcook. Drain in a colander and cool.

Roast, then sweat 6 medium to large chiles Poblanos. After 30 minutes of sweating, peel and seed. You may add 1 chile Jalapeño or 2 or more chiles serranos to the mix if you like the salsa muy picante.

Also partially roast  half of a peeled white onion.

Wash and disinfect a good handful of cilantro. Blot dry in paper towelling

Wash, disinfect a good handful of cilantro, and remove any large, coarse stems. Blot dry with a paper towel.

Place the peeled roasted chiles and the cut up onion in a food processor outfitted with the steel S-shaped blade. Pulse until a coarse consistency is reached. Add the cooled tomatillos along with a teaspoon of salt. Add the cilantro. Pulse to combine. Add some pure water to thin the salsa to desired consistency. Taste for salt.

You are done. This freezes well in small containers. There's little excuse for being out of salsa verde.

---

*There's a bargain breakfast buffet restaurant, in a non-elegant hotel. It does serve salsa but it serves neither bread or tortillas. In all fairness, I have to say that they do not normally serve breakfast but open specially for our group. The key to its popularity is that the food is both abundant and cheap.

(I see some bugs in this blogpost, but I can't correct them now. Hasta pronto.)

Salsa Update: On Sunday, May 23, we were at the restaurant El Gorjeo de Las Aves En Las Mañanas de Abril at Ziracuarétiro. They served one of the best table salsas ever made. Here is a photo. Among other things, it contains nopalitos.

What the Pho?

Michoacán's Best Vietnamese Restaurants?
What the Pho?

There aren't any. You want Vietnamese type food, you must cook it at home. (It's also true of Chinese food, if you want anything much more than  chow mein and stir-fried salchichas or pollo agri-dulce. But that's another story.)

We are big fans of Vietnamese cuisine. Back in Little Rock, AR, where we spent 10 years toiling before retirement, we discovered the Van Lang Vietnamese Cuisine Restaurant, on South University Avenue, across from the gates to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. During our last 3 or so years in that capital city, we probably ate at Van Lang on the average of once a week. Often it was our first stop after landing at the LR Airport, even before driving to our apartment, 10 minutes away.
The two things we miss most about LR (it's hard to think of many others) are Van Lang's and the Public Library System.

For some time I've wanted to make Pho, a classic Vietnamese soup of beef or chicken plus rice noodles, accompanied by a platter of fresh herbs to add al gusto. There are numerous elaborations on the theme, but the basic soup consists of a beef stock made from scratch, spiced with ginger, cloves and star anise, perhaps some lemongrass, and various sliced cuts of beef.

This lit my fire to do it at last: some inspiring photos of Asian noodle soups, including Pho, by "hwinnp", on one of my favorite forums, Any Port In a Storm.

The chicken version, Pho Gai, may be less demanding to make, but for me, the beef version is more attractive. Being undemanding of "authenticity", I was able to make a very satisfactory pho.

Certain ingredients may be hard to find. But looking for them is a big part of the fun. You may use the absence of star anise in the Pátzcuaro Mercado as an excuse to go to Mexico City for a couple of days.

Fresh ginger root, another vital flavoring, is not a problem. It's frequently available at the stand of Los Padilla in the Pátzcuaro mercado. I got a very nice, 6 inch branch for 7 pesos.

Lemongrass? just ask for té de limón at the herb stands, although if you want it green and fresh, you'll have to look around.


For the beef, I went to La Carnicería La Norteña in the mercado and asked for a kilo of beef suitable for Caldo de Res, plus an equal weight of huesos para el caldo. The latter are free. More bones would have been better. Note: I wash the meat and bones in cold running water for a few moments before beginning to cook them. Nevertheless, some of the meat gave off a pissy odor during the first cooking, but it totaly dissipated during the second cooking. I think that this will probably not occur again. I may go instead to a different carnicería next time.

Fish sauce, I think, may be obtainable at better supermarkets in Morelia, such as Superama.

Below is the recipe downloaded from the NY Times Online, that served as my base from which I improvised. I'll insert my comments and changes like this.

A Visit To Tacámbaro and Mansíon del Molino

We took a drive yesterday for the first time to Tacámbaro, Michoacán. We first heard of it from the Pátzcuaro Birders Group. It's on the edge of La Tierra Caliente, or Hot Lands. About 50 miles of winding, mountainous roads lead up from Opopeo, through darkly fragrant pine forests and then down through sunny avocado groves. As we started up, we got behind a fully loaded manure truck, carrying a load to the groves. It smelled so bad (Worse than any cacá de vaca) that we pulled off to the side in order to let it get ahead. When we resumed our movement (ugh!) we quickly caught up because the poop truck, in turn, was slowed by a big logging truck. But soon, the natural Pine Fresh dissipated the odor.

Hacienda Los Arcos, Ziracuarétiro

                   Great start. Middling middle.

We returned yesterday to the pleasant town of Ziracuarétiro, in the warm, lush semi-tropical zone near Uruapan.

About a month ago, we had a pleasant dinner at La Mesa de Blanca, which is in the town itself. Ever seeking something new and different, we decide on Hacienda Los Arcos.

From its website, we already knew that it was a much larger and elaborate restaurant than La Mesa de Blanca. The website displayed a decor dripping with chuchería (tchotchkes). But it was the buffet service which gave me serious doubts as to the culinary worthiness of the restaurant. However, based on Felipe Zapata's glowing recommendation, we four, Georgia, Susie, Ron and I decided to give it a try. 

(This again illustrates how much people's preferences vary.)

When we got to Ziracuarétiro, we made a brief recon of the town center. There's a nice little plaza and the attractive bell tower of the modern church form a centerpiece. Close by, on a shady side street,  is the Balneario Ziracua, which looks a bit worn, although we didn't enter it.

To one side are the park-like grounds of El Gorjeo de Las Aves en Las Mañanas de Abril, a breakfast only restaurant owned by the same people of La Mesa de Blanca.

Hacienda Los Arcos is actually at Los Fresnos, about 5 kilometers south of Ziracua. It's hard to miss, both for its prominent signs and the extensive group of buildings atop a hill.

The parking is ample and paved, and a hostess greets visitors at the parking lot. Of the various dining areas, La Terraza looked most attractive, and we took a corner table with a view. The decor is Hacienda meets Annie Oakley and Wagon Train. A small fountain was noteworthy.

El Fuente de Las Planchas. An ironic icon.

We were given the option of the buffet or the a la carte menu. Although I was already decided against the buffet, I gave it a look once over. There were numerous steam table pans with covers, but after a quick look at the chiles rellenos, I really was uninterested in seeing more.

The best looking section was the plancha where carne sirloin asada could be cooked to order, and attractive brochetas de camarones, which unfortunately, appeared precooked. Sra. Doña Cuevas decided to have the buffet, which cost $170 MXN. But she ate mostly salads and fruits, interspersed with some camarones en salsa de mango. I'll get to that later.

Our waiter prepared a very good salsa de molcajete tableside. We tasted and had it made to our liking. It consisted of roasted tomatoes, salt and a choice of chile habanero or serrano or both. No cilantro, but it was very good.

The remaining three of us decide to share two appetizers. the first were 3, plump "camaronillas" or shrimp and cheese quesadillas. That was a good choice, especially spiked with the salsa de molcajete.

The next appetizer was an excellent Champiñones al Ajillo (fun to say as well as tasty to eat.) This was a 4 **** dish, one of the best, made with fresh mushrooms, possibly tomato; onion, garlic and chiles.

I ordered a Crema de Aguacate, served hot, which 3 of us shared. It was pleasant but too subtle, and we felt it could have been enhanced with some sort of garnish, or a variation in texture.

After this good start, the meal declined to a mediocre level.

For main courses, we ordered as follows: Georgia, Camarones Al Mojo de Ajo; Ron, an Arrachera, accompanied by a crema y tocino topped baked potato, elote (which he skipped) and cebollitas; I had Camarones Al Tamarindo.

Here's the score: Camarones Al Mojo; small to medium tails on shrimp in a thickened garlic sauce, resembling a poorly made Cantonese dish. The bits of garlic were evenly minced  and shaped, looking as though they came out of a jar of prepared garlic. Not awful, but not up to the standard to which we are accustomed.

Arrachera: Ron said it was ordinary and probably not marinaded.

Camarones Al Tamarindo; o.k. but unbalanced sauce. Kind of a one-dimensional tamarind tartness. The accompanying mound of rice was tepid and just boring.

Late edition: April 25, 2010, 5:46 PM

We passed on dessert, as we were quite full, and the desserts we'd seen displayed on a table of the buffet did not appeal to us. They looked store-bought.

Ron wanted an espresso, or a café con leche, but there is no espresso machine, and the only coffee available was café de olla or what I think is a "cappucino" made from a mix. 

The four of us did drink, at various times, a cerveza Pacífico; a tequila and Coke, a Dubonnet on the rocks; a copa de vino tinto Argentino, Las Moras; a Vampiro (good, but I've had better elsewhere.); and a pitcher of overly sweet Limonada.

The cuenta for all that was $1,131 MXN, to which we added a good tip, because the service was above average.

In conclusion, after only one visit, it's a pleasant restaurant, but you'd do better just having appetizers and drinks. 

My ratings:
Food: ***
Service: ****
Price: $$-$$$ (Each $= 100 pesos Mexicanos)
Ambience: ornate western
Restrooms: small but very clean

Here are all the photos, in slideshow form.

(added menu photos April 26, 2010)

Baker's Joy: La Frontera, Morelia

Baker's Joy. It's not just a pan release spray.

It's La Frontera, in Morelia. As a retired, professional baker and ex-bakery owner, I love this place.

It's the place panaderos go when needing some special ingredient, such as rye or gluten flour; caraway seeds or flavoring extracts; pectin to set jellies and jams; a special pan for that poodle shaped cake, or perhaps a powerful floor mixer, or a 36-part dough divider.

It was Jennifer Rose, an American attorney living in Morelia, who first tipped me off to La Frontera. A question had arisen on the MoreliaConnect Yahoo Group in regard to "Saldo", said to be Costco's closeout store where goods are sold at half price. La Frontera is located just a few doors down, toward the southern end of Calle Abasolo where it meets Plaza Carillo at Calle Benedicto López, on the edge of Morelia's Centro.

Sr. Ufemio López, the store manager, told me in an interview that Plaza Carillo used to be the southern edge or "frontera" of the city. When it was founded by a Sr. Huerta in the 1930's, the original store was on the corner. It served in part as a feed store to supply rancheros who'd come into the city to resupply with nutritious alimentos. It carried everything from barbed wire rolls to wedding dresses.

The horses and burros were tied up outside while the farmers and rancheros would shop.

Ufemio's father later bought the business and moved it to its present location at Calle Mariano Abasolo 727. He gave  young 'Femio the task of watering and feeding the horses and burros of the customers. He would earn propinas for this service.

Ufemio (R, in jacket) and Carlos, Assistant Manager (L)

The store was moved a few doors up the street, and about 15 years ago, Ufemio assumed ownership of the business. Flour was one of the items sold in the original store, but Ufemio developed that specialty line by adding more baker's supplies, decorators' colors, baking trays, storage baskets and much more. In addition, it still sells general grocery merchandise, from Fruit Loops to spirituous liquors. Below, decorators' supplies.

The store gradually prospered despite various economic crises, and now sells and delivers merchandise and ingredients to Morelia's better panaderías. Among the customers are the reknowned Horno de Los Ortiz, and La Jarochita.

In the last year or so, La Frontera was improved with the addition of new lighting and efforts were made to organize the shelving so that customers could walk back and get a better look at the merchandise. It's still a somewhat flour-dusted place that holds fascination for both amateur and professional bakers alike. The aisles are piled high with flour sacks.

Aisle of flours

Today, it's worth braving the swirling, circulating traffic and scarce parking around Plaza Carillo for a visit to La Frontera. Sr. Ufemio and his staff are friendly and cordial, and he speaks English quite well. He told me that he likes to keep in practice speaking English, which I believe is better than my Spanish.

Nearby are some small, neighborhood bakeries. Just up Abasolo a few doors is Pan de Zinapécuaro. It's an "expendio" or sales point. The distinctly local bread is brought in from Zinapécuaro, about 35 miles northeast. The moist, dark heavy pan de piloncillo (which is not precisely its name) is reminiscient of unspiced gingerbread and worth a try. The shop replaced another baker's store that used to sell the crustiest bolillos in Morelia. I wish I knew where it has gone.

A block to the west, on Calle Galeana, just down fron the narrow cross street Calle Guerrero and across from the Hotel Casa Galeana at #507, is the expanded Panadería Los Ángeles. It's run by the charming Angelina. She specializes in pan integral. Try the galletas integrales, flat, crisp, multi-grain cookies. The Chiles Relleno de Queso en Hojaldre are good, too, when soon out of the oven.

A few blocks northwest, where E-W Calle Aldama ends at a "T" at N-S Calle Quintana Roo is the old fashioned Panadería La Jarochita. Get there after 4 p.m and before 8:30 to have best choice of the hand made (literally) breads.

La Frontera is located at:

Abasolo # 727, Centro, Morelia

Tel: 317-84-45 and 313-57-72

Open every day except Sunday.

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Milanesa de Cerdo with Asian-fusion Pico de Gallo

The Milanesa is a popular dish in Mexico. It's simply a cutlet of meat or chicken, pounded thin, lightly breaded and fried. It's often used to fill a torta or its variant, cemita. (Bread roll sandwich) It bears some relationship to the Austrian Schnitzel, but even more so to the coteletta alla Milanaise. I wrote about this a year ago in regard to the Holsteiner Schnitzel I enjoyed at Sanborn's in Morelia. That post attempted to describe some of the background and history of the Milanesa. Today, I'll describe how to cook them.

Not long ago, Costco had a special on sliced, boneless pork loins. I bought a package of about 8, but should have bought two packages. But, there's almost always a shortage of space in our refrigerator's freezer. 
I cooked the first lot simply as lightly breaded pork chops. They were good, but a bit dry to my taste and not as tender as hoped for. Two days ago, I decided to cook the remaining three, but this time as Milanesas de Cerdo (pork). At first I was going to do them something like Chicken Fried Steak, with a cream gravy, but with warm weather here, it seemed too heavy. There are differences between a Chicken Fried Steak and a Milanesa. Read this Dallas Observer article.

I have some sweet red, orange and yellow peppers in the fridge, so I decided to make a mild pico de gallo, adding half of an English cucumber, onion, minced fresh ginger; some pineapple vinegar, lime juice, salt and a couple of chopped jalapeños. All the vegs except for the jalapeños and the ginger were diced medium and combined in a stainless steel bowl. There was a splash of Thai fish sauce and a squirt of Asian sesame oil. A little sugar was needed to balance out the acidity. This pico de gallo would have been nice with some diced fresh mango in it, but I didn't want to cut up our one remaining mango, so I skipped it. Cilantro might have been desirable, but unfortunately, that which we had was once again spoiled.
Now it has occurred to me that I could have used an SE Asian Chile-Garlic condiment in place of the jalapeños, but overall, it was fine as is.

Asian-Mexican fusion Pico de Gallo

The boneless pork loin cuts were placed one at a time between two sheets of waxed paper, on top of a heavy plastic cutting board, and gradually pounded to thinness with the side of a meat tenderizing hammer. I had to change the wax paper a few times.
As each cutlet was pounded thin, it was placed in a pie pan holding one beaten egg and about a half cup of milk. Nearby was another pie pan with a half cup of flour, seasoned with salt, black pepper and a big pinch of chile molido.


Meanwhile, our large black iron skillet was slowly heating on the stove with enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom 1/2 inch deep. I covered a large plate with a double layer of paper towel. A pot of Jasmine rice was already cooked and staying hot on the back of the range. Some green vegetables, in this case, Brussels sprouts and green beans were already cooked and awaiting reheating in the microwave oven. YVMV (Your Vegetables May Vary).


I had the flame under the skillet turned 3/4 full, and when the oil seemed hot, I passed an egg wash coated cutlet through the flour mixture and into the skillet, one at a time. It took less than a minute to cook each side to a golden brown, but using tongs, I turned it back on the first side to be sure it was done. The excess oil was drained off by holding it up over the skillet, then blotted thoroughly on the paper towels. The same was repeated with the other two.

Broken but unbowed and still delicious

When all were done and plated, this is how they looked.

We added a few squirts of Sriracha Sauce to zip up the heat level a bit more. I drank a Monte Xanic vino blanco and some Vivolo Pinot Grigio, but beer would also go well with this meal.