The Other Side of the Tortilla

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday: The Best Carnitas in Mexico

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When I dream about carnitas – and yes, I do dream about carnitas – this is the place where I’m always eating. This little hole in the wall has the best carnitas in Mexico City, if not in the entire country, according to José.

I’m not about to challenge his ruling (after all, he is the king of carnitas), and though I’ve not eaten them in every state yet, I will say that Rincón Tarasco has the best carnitas I’ve ever eaten in my life.

Be sure to get there plenty early, though, or else risk them having nothing left but riñones. They’re only open until they sell out of everything and then they close to prepare for the next day all over again.

Those truly dedicated to their carnitas know to show up around 10 a.m. to have the best pick of available meat. They’re closed on Tuesdays.

VISIT RINCÓN TARASCO:

Av. Martí No. 142 K
Col. Escandón
Distrito Federal, México

  • Where is your favorite place in Mexico to eat carnitas?

Wordless Wednesday: La Pirámide del Sol

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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?

Wordless Wednesday: Xochimilco

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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!

Wordless Wednesday: In memory of Ciprigar

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Today’s post is in memory of our friend, TV chef Ciprigar (Cipriano Garcia), who passed away earlier this week. Cipri was only 33. I had the privilege of hanging out with him on the set of his show at the VMe studios in Florida in October last year and we had some really great heart-to-heart conversation about the importance of cooking to culture and Latin American comfort foods. We talked about how home cooking being passed from generation to generation is so important to a family’s culinary history as well as the similarities in the cuisine from his native country, Venezuela, and Mexico.

Your energy and passion for food and teaching others the joys of the kitchen will be missed, Cipri.

Wordless Wednesday: Garibaldi

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I’ve mentioned before my love for a bakery called El Globo – but by far my most favorite thing they sell are these precious little pastries called Garibaldi.

These little pound cakes, about the size of a muffin but without the top, are typically bathed in an apricot or raspberry marmalade and then rolled in white nonpareils (known as grageas in Spanish) for decoration. My favorite are the apricot-flavored.

Every time we visit, my suegra will pick up fresh Garibaldi for the day we want to eat them. They’re great as a breakfast pastry or a dessert and they’re the perfect treat because they aren’t gooey or sticky, the cake is perfectly moist and they’re not overly sweet.

I’m on a quest to learn how to make these at home this year because only being able to have them a few times a year is torture! I’ve dreamed about these little cakes and hopefully soon I’ll have a recipe to share here, or at least a comic tale of marmalade-coating-gone-wrong.

  • What’s your favorite Mexican pastry?

Wordless Wednesday: Snorkeleando

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Snorkeleando in Huatulco with my new friend, travel and food writer Cynthia Fuertes, who is a friend of my cuñada‘s. Obviously, we had plenty to talk about! (And in case you’re wondering, yes, the verb ‘to snorkel’ is ‘snorkelear’ in Spanish.) We saw an amazing variety of colorful fish and other sea life; it was so stunning! It was Cynthia’s first time snorkeleando and she loved it, and my cuñada and I had fun showing her the ropes. Stay tuned for some underwater photos and video from our excursion soon.

  • Where’s your favorite place to go snorkeling in Mexico?

Wordless Wednesday: Ingredients for La Navidad

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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?

Wordless Wednesday: Atole y Coyotas

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Last night I ate dinner at Merendera Las Lupitas, one of our favorite spots to eat in Mexico City. My favorite part was what came at the end of the meal: an atole and coyotas, which are a traditional dessert that originated in Sonora. They’re usually made with masa harina de trigo and stuffed with piloncillo. The coyotas at Las Lupitas are the best I’ve ever had. I’ll see if I can’t get my hands on a recipe to share with you soon. For more on atoles, check out my recipe for champurrado, an atole made with chocolate. And if you’re visiting Mexico City, you can find Las Lupitas right off of the Plaza Santa Catarina in the Coyoacán neighborhood.

  • What’s your favorite kind of atole? Have you ever had coyotas?

Wordless Wednesday: Mi pasaporte

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¡Listo para viajar! Here’s a page from my old passport with some of my favorite stamps from past trips. I recently renewed my passport, so all the pages are blank and ready for an adventure!

Tomorrow I’ll be packing and on Friday I’ll be on my way to Mexico City. I should arrive just in time to grab a late dinner at my favorite place for tacos al pastor!

  • Are you headed somewhere for the holidays? I’ll be blogging nearly every day from Mexico, so don’t forget to keep coming back all month long!
The photo in this post was taken with my iPhone 3Gs using the Cross Process app by Banana Camera Co.

Wordless Wednesday: Nochebuenas

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This past weekend I saw the first Nochebuenas of the holiday season! Did you know that Poinsettia flowers originally came from Mexico? Just a few hours outside of Mexico City, the first poinsettias were discovered in the valleys of Taxco and Cuernavaca but it wasn’t until after the Spanish conquest that they were incorporated as a symbol of the Christmas season thanks to the Franciscan priests. The flower was popularized in the United States after it was brought here by Joel Poinsett, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico after the country won its independence from Spain.

  • Does your family use Nochebuenas to decorate during the holidays?
The photo in this post was taken with my iPhone 3Gs using the Polarize app by Christopher Comair.

Wordless Wednesday: Calacas

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My dear friend Amy who lives in New York, and who I’ve known por toda mi vida, was sweet enough to send me a photo of her with her boyfriend dressed up as calacas for Halloween/Día de Los Muertos to share with Tortilla readers after I gushed over how fantastic they looked. ¡Gracias, Amy!

On this Thanksgiving Eve, I’m thankful for all my wonderful family, friends and fans who support The Other Side of The Tortilla!

  • Don’t they look great?

Wordless Wednesday: Boing de guayaba en vidrio

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A few months back, Tortilla reader Nelda was telling me on Twitter how much she loved Boing de Guayaba (guava-flavored fruit juice) in glass bottles but that she couldn’t find any where she lived. She mentioned the only place she’d ever seen it in the glass bottles was in Mexico City. Recently, she sent me a message to let me know she found a new little Chilango-owned changarro in her hometown that carries them. Now, every time I see Boing in glass bottles, I think of my amiga! I was in a Mexican grocery store here in Chicago and saw these on the shelf and couldn’t help but take a photo for her.

This photo was taken with my iPhone 3Gs using the ShakeItPhoto app by Banana Camera Co.

Wordless Wednesday: Putting away the decorations

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Time to put away my calaveritas until next year! If you want to get a head start for Día de Los Muertos in 2011, check out this great post from SA Cultura on offerings to remember to put on your altar as well as a recipe for sugar skulls that look a lot like mine. Bookmark it for next year so you don’t forget!

This photo was taken with my iPhone 3Gs using the ShakeItPhoto app by Banana Camera Co.