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Cultura/Culture

Five steps for a successful tamalada

4 · Dec 10, 2011 · 2 Comments

I adore tamales; they remind me of the holidays and various special occasions. When I smell them, I get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside that is hard to explain. No other food gives me the same exact feeling, actually.

There were tamales at my wedding shower in Mexico (called a despedida). There have always been tamales available for birthdays and Christmas and Día de La Candelaria. In fact, on Día de Los Reyes, I’ve had the luck to get the baby Jesus figurine in my piece of Rosca de Reyes several times in the past. As tradition goes, if you get the figurine, you’re responsible for bringing tamales for everyone on Día de La Candelaria. When José’s abuela passed away, everyone came back to the house after the prayer service to have tamales, like she would have wanted us to. They’re a staple and a symbol in Mexican cuisine.

So, it might surprise you to find out that I’ve never before hosted my own tamalada—a tamal-making party. Yes, it’s true. I’ve never hosted one, but I really want to in the coming year! My favorite savory tamales are usually tamales de pollo con salsa verde and when it comes to the sweet variety, un tamal de chocolate makes my mouth water and my heart skip a beat. I’ve made tamales on my own at home but never had a party and invited friends and family to help out and enjoy them with me afterward.

One reason a lot of people don’t make their own tamales at home is because it’s a bit labor intensive. There are several steps to successfully making them, and it’s time-consuming. To make it worthwhile, a tamalada is the perfect solution because everyone gathers together at one place and forms an assembly-line style workforce to get everything finished in less time. Then you can steam them in your tamalera. When they’re done, it’s party time! There’s nothing quite like a freshly-steamed tamal, whether it’s savory or sweet.

Here are the five basic steps for a successful tamalada, according to the advice I’ve received and what I’ve observed, and that I plan to follow when I host mine:

  • Ideally, as a hostess, you’ll have the masa ready in advance. I’m not suggesting you grind your corn from scratch and all that (unless you want to). But for a modern tamalada, it’s perfectly acceptable to buy pre-made masa at a tortillería or grocery store, or use Maseca instant masa without feeling guilty.
  • Every tamal needs a little grasa in the masa! If your tamal is lacking moisture, it might because you didn’t use any manteca. You don’t have to use a lot, but it helps with the consistency and flavor. The best tamales are the ones that have light and fluffy masa that isn’t dry.
  • Depending on which region your tamales come from, you’ll use either cornhusks or banana leaves to wrap them. Either way, they need to be pliable. Cornhusks need to be soaked in water well in advance so they won’t rip. Banana leaves can be heated and soaked, too.
  • You’re going to need a filling (or a few different fillings, depending on how many tamales you plan to made). You can use shredded meats stewed in salsa, vegetables such as rajas or even sweet fillings using fruit (my favorite is strawberry). Make sure your filling isn’t too wet when it comes time to spread it over the masa, or you’ll end up with weird, soggy tamales.
  • Learn how to wrap that tamal up! It’s really easy to learn how to properly fold the cornhusk. You can even find tons of advice on YouTube with how-to videos on the subject. I like to also use a small strip of cornhusk to tie a little bow around the middle to keep the flap closed for steaming. I find that closing it up completely gets the tamal uniformly steamed with no dry spots near the top.

Check out these recipes from Maseca for all kinds of different tamales.

  • Have you hosted a tamalada? Do you have any tips for me?

This is a sponsored post through a campaign with Maseca and Latina Bloggers Connect. Though I am being compensated for participating, all opinions, recipes and stories are my own.

Cultura/Culture, Maseca Amigas Blogueras, Sponsored Día de la Candelaria, Día de Los Reyes, Maseca, Maseca Amigas Blogueras, Maseca Blog Amigas, tamales

Google doodle celebrates Diego Rivera’s birthday

0 · Dec 8, 2011 · 1 Comment

I’m a huge fan of the creative Google doodles, especially when they’ve got cultural significance. Today, the 125th anniversary of Diego Rivera’s birthday, the Google doodle teaches you a little about him! Check out the video.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Up3YYl5LJX0[/youtube]

Want to read more from The Other Side of The Tortilla about Diego Rivera?

  • Check out these posts from The Other Side of The Tortilla where Diego Rivera is mentioned.
  • Visit the Museo Dolores Olmedo in Mexico City, which has one of the largest collections of his work.
  • Enjoy this recipe for guayabas en sancocho from a cookbook co-authored by Rivera’s daughter, Guadalupe.

Cultura/Culture, Historia/History Diego Rivera

México en tus sentidos

0 · Dec 2, 2011 · 4 Comments

While I’m away this weekend traveling in Mexico, here’s a cool tourism video that I wanted to share. One of our cousins from Mexico shared it with me on Facebook this past week and I’ve got to say, it’s definitely worth watching the whole eight minutes. If it doesn’t tug at your heartstrings, put a tear in your eye, have you glued to the screen, make you want to visit Mexico ahora …you might not have a soul. Just kidding. But really, if nothing in this video moves you or gets you excited, you probably don’t love Mexico very much or don’t know enough about it to know what you’re missing! 😛

Happy virtual travels! We’ll be back to the grind on Monday.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUTXIkvzXuM[/youtube]

  • Leave a comment to let me know: What’s your favorite part? I love the voladores de Papantla (at about the 4-minute mark) and the Ángel de la Independencia (around the 5-minute mark).

Cultura/Culture, Travel, Video El Ángel, El Ángel de la Independencia, Mexico Tourism Board, voladores de Papantla

10 things to love about Mexico City’s Museo Dolores Olmedo

3 · Nov 29, 2011 · 9 Comments

The tiles on the wall at the Museo Dolores Olmedo read: “By the example of my mother, professor Maria Patiño Suarez, widow of Olmedo, who always told me: ‘Share all you have with those around you.’ I leave this house with all my collections of art, the product of my life’s work, so the people of Mexico can enjoy it.” —Dolores Olmedo Patiño

Last year on a visit to Mexico City during the holidays, I spent a special day with friends exploring a few places I had never been before. Thanks to the abundance of cultural activities the city has to offer, there’s always something new to discover. I was thrilled to hear that the Museo Dolores Olmedo was on the itinerary they planned since I’m a big Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera fan.

Dolores Olmedo Patiño, also known to many as Doña Lola, was an aggressive collector and patron of the arts and is still revered today as one of the biggest individual benefactors and promoters of Mexican art and culture. At age 17, she met Diego Rivera by chance in an elevator at the Ministry of Public Education when he was still working on the murals there (that can still be seen today), and he ended up asking her to model for him. According to the museum, she modeled in nearly 30 nude sketches and then was the subject of other later paintings by Rivera. After separating from her husband, British journalist Howard Phillips (whom she married in 1935), the well-to-do single Olmedo made a career as a partner in a construction materials firm in the late 1940s. In the mid-1950s, she reconnected with Rivera and eventually became his benefactor, caretaker and eventually, executor of his estate and that of Frida Kahlo.

In the early 1960s Olmedo acquired Hacienda La Noria, a 16th-century Spanish colonial hacienda located in Xochimilco (a neighborhood in the south of Mexico City). At the time she acquired the property, it was a shell of its original state and so she set out on a mission to restore and preserve the hacienda. In the late 1980s, Olmedo announced plans to convert her hacienda into a museum, which opened in September 1994. Olmedo passed away in 2002 but her legacy still lives on in this charming museum she left behind for all to admire just as intended.

Here are my top ten reasons to visit the Museo Dolores Olmedo
the next time you’re in Mexico City…

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Cultura/Culture, Historia/History, Mexico City, Mexico Today, Sponsored, Travel Anahuacalli, art, arte, Casa Azul, Ciudad de México, Diego Rivera, Dolores Olmedo, Frida Kahlo, hacienda, Hacienda La Noria, Mexico City, Museo Dolores Olmedo, trajineras, Xochimilco, Xoloitzcuintle

Celebrating Día de Los Muertos

0 · Nov 2, 2011 · 13 Comments

¡Feliz Día de Los Muertos!

Today is a day to celebrate the lives of our deceased loved ones. We keep the tradition alive in our house by constructing an altar to honor them, and leaving ofrendas—offerings—to entice the souls home.

You can visit my Día de Los Muertos post from last year if you’d like to see the altar we made in 2010.

This holiday goes back more than 3,000 years to the time of the Aztecs. Originally, it was celebrated in the ninth month of the Aztec calendar (what is now August). When the conquistadores arrived from Spain and felt the month-long celebrations of Día de Los Muertos mocked death, and being that they wanted to convert the native people to honor their own religion, they tried to put a stop to the ritual. But they were met with resistance and instead, the ritual was moved to coincide with the Christian calendar’s All Saints Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2).

Today, many who celebrate this holiday use el Día de Todos los Santos to honor deceased children and Día de Los Muertos for honoring adults. There is no wrong way to do it, though, and you can honor whomever you like on both days if you wish. In some places in Mexico, families visit cemeteries, clean and decorate grave sites and leave their ofrendas there. Many families, like ours, build an altar in their home.

There’s also no wrong way to make an altar—there are common methods (constructing three levels) and typical ofrendas (offerings that represent earth, wind, water and fire), but the point is that you make the altar personal and meaningful to you to honor your deceased loved ones.

I haven’t talked about it here on the blog, but in September, José’s last living grandparent, my suegro‘s mother, passed away in Aguascalientes. Abuelita Ana was 91 years old, and we flew to Mexico to be there with family for the velatorio and entierro. It has been a sad time for our family, but being together with everyone in Mexico made it a little easier. This year our altar is especially dedicated to her memory.

It was difficult when I was going through photos trying to decide which photo of her to use, but definitely therapeutic in a way once I was finished. This year, I even purchased special sugar skulls for my ofrenda from the famous Mondragon family of Toluca; they are one of less than a dozen families in Mexico still dedicated to the art form of alfeñique, and you can read more about them on my post from the other day.

To me, el Día de Los Muertos is one of the most beautiful and meaningful holidays not only in Mexico, but in the world. Tomorrow, I’ll share more about the individual elements on my altar and what they mean, but for today, just a few photos and a short video so you can check it out.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loSmJckBfYc[/youtube]

  • What do you leave as ofrendas on your altar de muertos?

Cultura/Culture, Historia/History, Holidays, Religion, Video Abuelita Ana, Abuelita Elda, Abuelo Pepe, Abuelo Sergio, alfeñique, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, calaveras, Day of the Dead, Día de Los Muertos, sugar skulls

Calaveritas de Mondragon para Día de Los Muertos

0 · Oct 31, 2011 · 10 Comments

I recently visited the National Museum of Mexican Art, located in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, on a special mission: I was hoping to buy calaveras de azúcar for my altar de muertos. But not just any calaveras—I was hoping to buy handmade and hand-decorated calaveras from the famous Mondragon family.

Sugar skulls are truly an art form and the Mondragon family from Toluca, Mexico, has been making hand-decorated sugar skulls for around 150 years, spanning five generations. They’ve been coming to the museum to make them in Chicago since 1995 as a way for people to hang on to their culture so far from home and to share Mexican tradition and culture, they told me.

Sugar skulls are often used as a decoration for an altar de muertos or given as gifts for Día de Los Muertos. It’s common to also put the names of family members on the forehead of the sugar skull. Some families only put names of the deceased, while others put names of the living on them as well.

Alejandro Mondragon Arriaga and his wife Elvira Garcia Zinzu travel with one of their daughters to Chicago to make their famous sugar skulls at the museum every year while the rest of the family stays behind in Mexico to make them there. Their family is one of less than a dozen left who are dedicated to this traditional craft, Elvira told me. At one time, she said, there were dozens and dozens of families who made them and sold them all over Mexico….

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Cultura/Culture, Finding Mexico in Chicago, Holidays, Mexico Today, MexMonday calaveras, Day of the Dead, Día de Los Muertos, Mexico Today, sugar skulls

Muralismo Mexicano: “El Pueblo a la Universidad y la Universidad al Pueblo”

4 · Oct 25, 2011 · 5 Comments

A few years ago on a trip to Mexico City, I had the pleasure of working with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) to document photos of the campus for a UNESCO project. If you’re not familiar with UNAM, the university is the oldest in the Americas (it was founded in 1551) and its main campus (Ciudad Universitaria) is recognized as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. This is definitely a cool place to visit if you travel to Mexico City.

One of my favorite things about the campus is the amount of public art incorporated into both the buildings and open spaces. And I especially love the murals created by some of Mexico’s most famous artists.

During my visit, I got to spend some time up close to one of the murals that I’d only before ever seen in photographs—“El Pueblo a la Universidad y la Universidad al Pueblo” by David Alfaro Siqueiros on the side of the Torre de Rectoría….

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Cultura/Culture, Historia/History, Mexico City, Mexico Today, Sponsored, Travel art, arte, Ciudad Universitaria, David Alfaro Siqueiros, UNAM

Discover Las Bahías de Huatulco

1 · Sep 30, 2011 · 12 Comments

Looking to plan your next vacation or just need a destination to daydream about? Las Bahías de Huatulco is the place!

Last year for La Navidad, our family spent a week in Huatulco relaxing and enjoying the nature, the food and the local culture. It was one of my favorite vacations we’ve ever taken. Watch the video to get a little taste to whet your appetite.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xfTwU9cMJw[/youtube]…

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Cultura/Culture, Mexico Today, Oaxaca, Sponsored, Travel, Video cecina enchilada, Huatulco, La Bufadora, Las Bahías de Huatulco, Mexico Today, Mexico Tourism Board, Tangolunda, tasajo, tlayudas

El mes de la patria: Few things are more Mexican than mariachi!

0 · Sep 15, 2011 · 12 Comments

*Note: This post is part of a Blog Hop among the Mexico Today Ambassadors in celebration of el mes de la patria and el Día de la Independencia Mexicana. If you’ve written a tribute post for this patriotic Mexican holiday, I encourage you to leave a link in the comments on this post in addition to checking out the posts from the other ambassadors participating. The official blog hop is set to only accept entries from the ambassadors.

 

I love mariachi music like I love tacos, and if you know me well, then you know that I love tacos and mariachi music to the end of the world and back. We have a storied relationship and yes, even my iPod is full of mariachi classics.

Nothing quite stirs my soul like mariachi music. I wish I could put my finger on an exact reason, but I can’t. It’s a bit like how Mexico has always felt like home to me even though I was born in the U.S. Whenever I’m having a bad day, a little mariachi music always cheers me up. Or sometimes when I’m really missing Mexico and it’s been too long since my last visit, a few classic tunes always do the trick to make me feel better and look forward to the next visit.

Recently, I had an opportunity to attend a special dinner in Chicago hosted by the Jalisco Tourism Board. The food was fabulous, the company genuine, and the after dinner entertainment… yep, you guessed it: mariachi!

But not just any mariachi band; this group was all the way from Guadalajara! It was such a surprise and a treat and most of the people I was seated with at my table were singing along. It was the birthday of someone at my table so they even played Las Mañanitas!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJgJicDoQfk[/youtube]

A few weeks ago, the 18th Annual International Mariachi Conference (yes, this really exists!) took place in the state of Jalisco, and one of our cousins from Mexico City shared a link with me of a BBC World News report about a new Guinness World Record set for the most traditional Mexican dancers on the floor at the same time. To be exact, there were 457 dancers and 300 mariachi musicians from all over Mexico and other countries, including the U.S.—and some came from as far away as Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina to participate and play in the record-breaking ceremony. I was amazed watching the video. Click through to the link to watch it—I know you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

No Mexican celebration is truly complete—especially las fiestas patrias—without mariachi music. So put on some tunes (I recommend anything by Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán), wave your Mexican flag and don’t forget to watch El Grito tonight! I’m even pulling out my papel picado to decorate. I hope to see the zócalo of Mexico City on TV, filled to the brim with people like last year and the year before.

For past years’ celebrations, check out my posts on chiles en nogada (with a video of Calderón giving El Grito), and my two posts from last year’s Mexican bicentennial: guacamole y papel picado and how I celebrate Mexico every day.

¡Viva México!

  • How are you celebrating Mexican Independence Day this year?

 

Marca País – Imagen de México, is a joint public and private sector initiative designed to help promote Mexico as a global business partner and an unrivaled tourist destination. This program is designed to shine a light on the Mexico that its people experience every day. Disclosure:  I am being compensated for my work in creating content for the México Today program. All stories, opinions and passion for all things México shared here are completely my own.

 

Cultura/Culture, Holidays, Mexico Today día de la independencia, Guinness Book of World Records, mariachi, Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico Today, Mexico Tourism Board, music, musica

¡Hoy es el cumpleaños de Frida Kahlo!

2 · Jul 6, 2011 · 2 Comments

Today marks the 104th anniversary of the birthday of my favorite Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo!

If you’re not familiar with Frida’s life, work, or the famous Casa Azul, you can read more about them on the Museo Frida Kahlo website (in English). And if you’re ever visiting Mexico City, Casa Azul is one of the places you absolutely must visit.

It’s a magical place where you can feel her presence in just about every room and in the garden as well.

At the time I last visited Casa Azul, a stunning and thought-provoking private collection of photographs of Frida, Diego and their family and friends, entitled “Frida Kahlo: Sus Fotos,” was on display and many of the photographs were taken by Frida herself. It was an incredibly interesting glimpse into her life and how things looked from her point of view. You can read more about the photo exhibition, which ran through December 2010, on the museum’s website (in Spanish).…

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Cultura/Culture, Historia/History, Holidays, Mexico City, Mexico Today, Sponsored books, Casa Azul, Ciudad de México, Diego Rivera, Dolores Olmedo, Frida Kahlo, Mexico City, Mexico Today, Museo Dolores Olmedo

A trip down the canals of Xochimilco

0 · Jun 7, 2011 · 18 Comments

Xochimilco is both the name of a delegation in Mexico City as well as the famous canals that are remnants of a vast water transport system built by the Aztecs.

Colorful boats, called trajineras, take visitors on cruises down the canals while food vendors, artisans and mariachi bands float past hoping you’ll buy a snack, a souvenir or a song. The atmosphere is fun and festive, especially on weekends, and although this activity is definitely touristy, lots of locals still frequent the canals.

When we were visiting Mexico in December 2010, it turned out that my dear friend Ana and her family were also visiting at the same time. We were determined to see each other, and after some previously derailed plans thanks to illnesses we finally settled on a date and an activity. We’d check out the Museo Dolores Olmedo, the floating gardens of Xochimilco and then have lunch together on the day after Christmas.

I was so excited when Ana and her family picked me up – first because I’d be exploring some places I’d never visited before, but also because I was so happy to be able to share in these experiences with someone who I knew cherished them as much as I did. Thank you, Ana, Alan, Camila and Patricia for sharing this special day with me.

Xochilmilco has been a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. 

The following passage is from UNESCO’s description of the area and why it’s protected.

The lacustrine landscape of Xochimilco constitutes the only reminder of traditional ground occupation in the lagoons of the Mexico City basin before the Spanish conquest.

The zone of Xochimilco, 28 km to the south, is the only remaining reminder of the lacustrine landscape of the Aztec capital, where the conquistadores destroyed the monuments and drained the canals. On the edge of the residual lake of Xochimilco (the southern arm of the great dried-up lake of Texcoco where the Aztecs had settled on a group of islets linked to solid ground by footbridges), and in the midst of a network of small canals, are still some chinampas, the floating gardens that the Spanish so admired. This half-natural, half-artificial landscape is now an “ecological reserve.”
–UNESCO

Read more about Xochimilco en español.

Cultura/Culture, Mexico City, Travel chalupas, chinampas, Ciudad de México, Mexico City, trajineras, UNESCO, World Heritage Site, Xochimilco

Wordless Wednesday: Tianguis

0 · May 25, 2011 · 4 Comments

 

Warm weather means tianguis time! I spotted this little open-air market along Avenida Revolucion in Mexico City during our last trip.

  • What’s your favorite thing to buy at a tianguis?

Cultura/Culture, Mexico City, Wordless Wednesday Ciudad de México, Mexico City, open-air market, tianguis

Semana Santa en Acapulco

0 · Apr 18, 2011 · 1 Comment

OK, so we’re not spending our Semana Santa in Acapulco–though I wish we were! I could certainly use a trip to the beach after the brutal winter we’ve had this year. Instead, José is in Mexico City for the week visiting his parents and I’m still at home in Chicago. But when I came across this gem a few weeks ago, I knew I wanted to share it at the beginning of Semana Santa.

There’s a movie from the early 1980s called “Semana Santa en Acapulco” (also sometimes known as Viacrucis Nacional) starring Lucha Villa, David Reynoso, Luis Manuel Pelayo and Tere Velázquez. It’s about a Chilango family that heads to Acapulco for a Holy Week vacation that turns out to be more than they bargained for. It’s a rude, crude comedy, but I’m sure it will have you muriendo de risa. I just recently saw it for the first time a few months ago thanks to one of the cine Mexicano cable channels we get at home. DVD copies of the film are not very easy to come by, but if you have the patience to watch it on a small screen, I came across the entire film uploaded on YouTube!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zS9LgUDr92s[/youtube]

  • Have you ever seen this movie? What’s your favorite part?

Cultura/Culture, Guerrero, Holidays, MexMonday Acapulco, cine Mexicano, Cuaresma, Easter, Holy Week, Lent, Mexican films, Pascua, Semana Santa

Cuaresma means Lent

17 · Mar 21, 2011 · Leave a Comment

I’ve been meaning to write here since Ash Wednesday, which begins the Catholic season of Cuaresma, or Lent. For the non-Catholics visiting who need a primer, Lent lasts for 40 days beginning Ash Wednesday and ending Easter Sunday. And if you’re doing a little math in your head right now and have figured out that there are actually 46 days, here’s why we say Lent is only 40 days: Sundays don’t count according to the church’s calendar.

In Mexico, as well as in many other countries, it’s common for Catholics to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and Fridays throughout Lent, though some observe meatless Fridays year-round. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are also supposed to be fasting days, during which Catholic adults eat only one full meal. Though, depending on who you ask, you might find some who fast on all Fridays during Lent. You may also be familiar with the practice of Catholics giving things up for Lent – and perhaps you’ve wondered what that’s all about. Fasting and giving up vices during Lent are a way for Catholics to connect to Jesus, making a sacrifice that is supposed to help us understand his suffering. Ideally, we aren’t just giving up sin during Lent, but abstaining from sin after Lent as well. For example, giving up your favorite dulces (a particularly popular item for children to give up) but then going back to eating them after Lent is over is not really how it’s supposed to work….

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Cultura/Culture, Holidays, Mexico City, MexMonday, Religion capirotada, Catholic, Catholicism, catolicismo, católico, empanadas, iPhone photography

Feliz Día del Amor y la Amistad

1 · Feb 14, 2011 · 6 Comments

Today in some parts of the world, it’s Valentine’s Day. But in Mexico, it’s called Día del Amor y la Amistad. While Valentine’s Day is mostly a celebration of romantic love, Día del Amor y la Amistad encompasses love and friendship.

We don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day in our house, and in fact, this past weekend we sort of forgot about the fact that all the restaurants were going to be full of people celebrating Valentine’s Day when we called to see if we could get last-minute reservations at one of our favorite places. Of course, we couldn’t get a table, so instead we cooked dinner together at home. If you ask me, as much as I love eating at restaurants, there’s something special about cooking together that makes a meal truly enjoyable.

And as any of my friends and family will tell you: a home-cooked meal is how I show my love best. Whether it’s rajas con crema for José, salsa de tres chiles (video recipe coming soon!) for my mom or Crock-Pot cochinita pibil for my best girlfriends, I love cooking for the special people in my life.

Take a few minutes today to remind your friends and family how much you love them. Whether it’s a hug in person, a phone call, an email or a big ol’ batch of Mexican comfort food like papas gratinadas to go with dinner, there’s no better feeling than to know how much others care about you, so don’t forget to spread the love as liberally as you’d add queso to those papas!

If you’ve got escuincles, check out these adorable print-and-color valentine cards from our friends at Spanglish Baby and Viva Greetings.

And head over to our Facebook fan page if you have a chance – today we’ll be talking about the foods we love – including non-Mexican foods, just for one day – including linky love to recipes from some of our favorite food blogs.

From our home to yours, ¡Feliz Día del Amor y la Amistad a todos! We’ll be celebrating by reminiscing about our recent trip to the beach in Oaxaca (pictured above) over a home-cooked meal.

  • I’d love if you’d leave a comment below to let me know which recipe from The Other Side of The Tortilla you’ve served to your family to show them how much you love them or what your favorite recipe is that you’ve seen here and why.

Cultura/Culture, Holidays, MexMonday Día del Amor y la Amistad, Huatulco, iPhone photography, Las Bahías de Huatulco, Oaxaca, Valentine's Day

Feliz Día de la Candelaria

3 · Feb 2, 2011 · 8 Comments

Today marks the Catholic holiday of Día de la Candelaria, known as Candlemas in English.

In Mexico, whoever cuts the Rosca de Reyes on Día de Los Reyes and ends up with the baby Jesus figurine is responsible for bringing tamales for everyone on February 2. Several times I’ve gotten the figurine while celebrating Día de Los Reyes with our family in Mexico and always get teased that I’ll have to come back for a visit soon (with tamales in tow).

Today, we’re eating tamales de pollo con mole verde at our house to celebrate. I admit: I bought mine this year from my favorite tamalería, the Tamalli Space Charros. They’ve got a tamal truck and when they stopped near my house the other day, I just couldn’t resist and bought a few for the holiday.

It’s also common in Mexico to enjoy your tamales on Día de la Candelaria with an atole. You can check out my recipe for champurrado for a delicious chocolate atole.

We’re working on a great recipe for tamales in the test kitchen based on a recipe given to us by a friend who grew up along the Texas-Mexico border. Her mother owns a well-known restaurant and one of the cooks there was generous enough to share their recipe with us. We can’t wait to pass it on to you soon!

  • How does your family celebrate Día de la Candelaria? What are your favorite kind of tamales?

Cultura/Culture, Historia/History, Holidays atole, atole de chocolate, atole de fresa, atole de vainilla, Candlemas, champurrado, Día de la Candelaria, Día de Los Reyes, mole, Rosca de Reyes, tamales

Wordless Wednesday: La Pirámide del Sol

0 · Feb 2, 2011 · 2 Comments

Almost two years ago, I climbed my way to the top of the Pirámide del Sol at Teotihuacán for the very first time. I had dreamed of visiting these ancient pyramids, once the site of a powerful pre-Hispanic empire, ever since I first read about them as a child.

My suegro and my cuñada were brave enough to indulge me that summer when I came to Mexico to visit family all by myself and practically begged them to take me.

Reaching the top was a feat I thought impossible when I stood at the bottom looking up, and I had to rest at each level on the way up and assure myself I could make it up there. The steps are deceivingly steep and with little to hold on to to brace yourself, it can be sort of daunting to someone who isn’t used to climbing. But as I slowly made my way up the pyramid, there were little old ladies and women toting newborn babies in their arms passing me on their quest to reach the top. I knew I had to keep going.

And when I finally made it to the top, it took my breath away. I felt truly alive. And immensely proud that I’d managed to climb to the top – despite my shaky knees.

You can read more about my visit to Teotihuacán and how it led me to love sopa de fideo in this post from last year.

  • Have you ever climbed the pyramids at Teotihuacán?

Cultura/Culture, Estado de México, Travel, Wordless Wednesday Pirámide del Sol, sopa de fideo, Teotihuacan

In search of percebes in Oaxaca

1 · Feb 1, 2011 · 7 Comments

When we were in Huatulco, José had his mind set on finding one kind of marine life: percebes. Known as goose or gooseneck barnacles in English, these crustaceans are filter-feeders. They’re a well-known and widely-consumed shellfish, particularly in Portugal and Spain since they’re commercially harvested off the northern coast of Spain near Galicia.

They’re also imported from Canada, and there’s actually a percebes fishery on West Vancouver Island that operates under sustainability guidelines.

If you go looking for this gourmet delight, though, it’ll cost you. I’ve seen them being sold by a few different gourmet food purveyors on the internet for about $15 USD per ounce, sold in a 5.3 ounce can that holds between 15-20 percebes each. So imagine finding these little barnacles in nature – José said it was like finding gold!

Being that I’m allergic to shellfish, I can’t eat these little guys but I sure did enjoy watching José and his dad scouring the rocks in the ocean in Huatulco looking for them. This photo was taken on the second to last day of our trip and when they spotted the percebes, they were unable to contain their excitement!

Check out this post from Eating With Jack on the proper way to eat percebes.

  • Have you ever eaten percebes?

Cultura/Culture, Oaxaca, Travel el mar, goose barnacles, gooseneck barnacles, Huatulco, iPhone photography, Las Bahías de Huatulco, percebes, shellfish, the ocean

Wordless Wednesday: Xochimilco

0 · Jan 26, 2011 · 7 Comments

I love this photo that my dear friend, Ana Flores, took of me capturing memories of Xochimilco with my little point and shoot camera on my most recent trip to Mexico City in December 2010. I had so much fun spending the day with Ana and her family while we floated down the canals listening to live mariachi music, eating botanitas, drinking refrescos and enjoying the scenery.

I’m working on editing some video footage into a short film to share with you soon about what it’s like to visit these ancient waterways that were once very important to Mexico City’s agricultural transport system. I can’t wait to share it because it brings back such wonderful, warm memories of Mexico City for me. There’s nothing like sharing these cultural traditions with the people you love.

  • Have you been to Xochimilco or are you hoping to go someday? Tell us what you know about it, or what you’d like to know about it!

Cultura/Culture, Mexico City, Travel, Wordless Wednesday Ciudad de México, iPhone photography, Mexico City, Xochimilco

Feliz Día de Los Reyes

12 · Jan 6, 2011 · 9 Comments

Feliz Día de Los Reyes and Happy Three Kings Day; today is the holiday known as Epiphany, 12 days after Christmas and the day that the three wise men arrived in Bethlehem with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh for the baby Jesus.

In Mexico, one of the most common ways to celebrate this holiday is with a rosca de reyes, a sweet yeast-bread adorned with dried or candied fruits that have been soaked in rum or brandy and topped with a buttery and sugary paste akin to the topping on a concha roll.

Baked inside the cake is a tiny baby Jesus figurine, and whoever cuts the piece of cake with the baby Jesus inside is responsible for bringing tamales to the family’s Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas) celebration on February 2. The figurine symbolizes the hiding of the baby Jesus from King Herod’s men. Traditionally, the whole family gathers around the table to cut the cake while sipping on chocolate caliente, each person taking their turn until everyone gets a piece and until the baby Jesus figurine is found.

My favorite Rosca de Reyes (pictured here) comes from a bakery chain called El Globo, which I first got to know in Mexico City. Their traditional rosca is also made in an individual size and this year on my last day in Mexico, my suegra bought me one, wrapped it up and stuck it in my carry-on bag so I’d have a rosca to cut on Día de Los Reyes….

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Algo dulce, Cultura/Culture, Desserts, Historia/History, Holidays, Postres Candlemas, Día de la Candelaria, Día de Los Reyes, El Globo, Epiphany, Kings cake, Los Reyes Magos, Rosca de Reyes, Three Kings Day

Best of The Tortilla from 2010

0 · Jan 3, 2011 · 4 Comments

Today we’re headed back to Chicago and la vida diaria, but so we don’t skip a beat while traveling, we’ve prepared a few lists, based on you, the readers, and what you loved most on The Other Side of The Tortilla in 2010. Click on the photos below to visit each recipe or story.

And don’t forget, for more homemade Tortilla goodness, a glimpse at what’s cooking in the Tortilla Test Kitchen and exclusive giveaways for fans, LIKE us on Facebook!

TOP 3 BEVERAGES/BEBIDAS

TOP 3 RECIPES/RECETAS

TOP 3 TRAVEL STORIES/CUENTOS DE VIAJE

TOP 3 VIDEOS

  • We hope you’ll find something new that you may have missed or that you rediscover a recipe or story you may have already read. If your favorite post isn’t listed here, let us know in the comments what you liked best. Also, please feel free to leave a comment with what you’d like to see in 2011!

Cultura/Culture, drinks, Mexico City, MexMonday, Morelos, Oaxaca, Querétaro, Recipe, Reflections/Pensamientos, Travel, Video albóndigas en salsa chipotle, Best of 2010, café de olla, Casa Azul, champurrado, chilaquiles, Cuernavaca, Huatulco, Kenmore Live Studio, Las Bahías de Huatulco, Mexico City, Morelos, Oaxaca, ponche Navideño, posada Navideña, posadas, Querétaro, rajas con crema, sopa de fideo

Nacimientos: The tradition of the nativity scene

9 · Jan 2, 2011 · 2 Comments

La Navidad has come and gone but Día de Los Reyes is only a few days away and I realized that we’ve never talked about nacimientos, or nativity scenes, here before! And every nativity scene has Los Reyes Magos, the three kings who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus on the Epiphany, 12 days after Christmas.

Displaying a nativity scene at home is a storied tradition in Mexico, but nacimientos actually originated in Italy, thanks to Saint Francis of Assisi.

Here are two nacimientos belonging to our family. The figurines on the left are made from hojas de maiz, or corn husks, and belong to my suegra; the one on the right is made of wood with clay figurines and belongs to our Tía Leda.

…

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Cultura/Culture, Eventos/Events, Historia/History, Holidays Café magazine, Chicago, Día de Los Reyes, Epiphany, Field Museum, iPhone photography, La Navidad, Los Reyes Magos, nacimiento, nativity scene, The Three Kings, Tía Leda

¡Feliz Navidad!

0 · Dec 25, 2010 · 6 Comments

Sending you warm wishes for a Feliz Navidad

from Las Bahías de Huatulco, Oaxaca, México

As my regalito to you, I bring you the sounds of the ocean …

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TRv4Psl04o[/youtube]…

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Cultura/Culture, Holidays, Oaxaca, Travel, Video arból de navidad, Camino Real Zaashila, Christmas, Christmas tree, Huatulco, iPhone photography, La Navidad, la playa, Las Bahías de Huatulco, Oaxaca, piñata, the beach

Wordless Wednesday: Ingredients for La Navidad

1 · Dec 22, 2010 · 1 Comment

I went to the supermercado with my suegra a few days ago and saw these three things next to each other in the produce section. Nothing says La Navidad like guayabas, tejocotes and caña in a little ponche navideño, ¿Verdad? And it’s perfect to keep you warm at any posada.

  • What do you see in the grocery store that makes your mouth water at Christmastime?

Cultura/Culture, drinks, Holidays, Travel, Wordless Wednesday caña, Christmas, guava, guayaba, iPhone photography, La Navidad, ponche Navideño, posada Navideña, posadas, sugar cane, tejocotes

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Hi, I'm Maura Hernández. Welcome to my kitchen! I'm an award-winning food and travel blogger, recipe developer, and former journalist sharing my passion for all things Mexico. Married to a Chilango, I've traveled Mexico extensively over the last 15 years. Here, you'll find a mix of traditional and modern Mexican cooking, along with my advice on where to eat, stay and play on your visit to Mexico! READ MORE

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