Mexican Christmas Traditions

Wordless Wednesday: Cielito Querido Café in Mexico City

8 · Jul 10, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Last week while we were visiting Mexico City, we checked out a new coffee shop we hadn't seen before called Cielito Querido Café. Not only is the coffee some of the best we've tasted in Mexico (even their café de olla passed my test), but I also loved their cute, cheeky to-go cups that poke fun at Starbucks. Like Starbucks, they have the normal assortment of coffees, espresso and frappes, but they have a host of other offerings on the menu that are muy Mexicano, such as chamoyadas (in no less than four flavors), additions to your café con leche that include cajeta and rompope, chocolate caliente con chile and a house-made horchata. The snack offerings didn't disappoint either, with selections such as muéganos, palanqueta, molletes, panqué, pasteles and galletas.

I was surprised to learn that the quickly-growing Mexican chain has more than 30 locations in Mexico City as of July 2013 and that I hadn't stumbled upon one before. I went looking for some more information after a friend on Instagram mentioned that the company is looking to expand to the U.S. (and possibly to Los Angeles) and and found this story on NBC Latino with a great slideshow so you can get a feel for the ambience of Cielito Querido Café. We'll definitely be back again the next time we visit.

Have you been to Cielito Querido Café? What did you order? If you haven't been, do you think you'll try it out next time you're in Mexico City?

Fruity guacamole with pineapple and pomegranate

9 · Jul 4, 2013 · 3 Comments

This fruity guacamole recipe that includes pineapple and pomegranate seeds for a little touch of sweetness, and red onion and garlic for a little touch of savory.

I recently made several versions for a game night gathering, and this one was the quickest to disappear.

If you'd rather not mix sweet and savory, you can leave out the jalapeño and garlic if you prefer. But after trying this recipe, nobody was eating the classic guacamole recipe I brought! I love to buy a whole bag full of avocados and make several different versions for parties because it's so easy to do. Just keep the base the same with avocado, garlic, lime juice and salt, split up the base between several bowls, and add other ingredients as you like. It looks fancy but takes very little time to do.

I use red onion when I make guacamole with fruit because they're less pungent, have a milder onion flavor, and still give you an added texture and crunch. You can substitute white onion if you prefer, but it will have a different taste. Red onion complements the sweetness of the fruit better, while white onion can overpower the delicate taste of the pomegranate and sweet acidity of the pineapple.

This nontraditional recipe is perfect for any party or get-together with family or friends, especially if they've never had anything but classic guacamole before. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

One last note: Always use fresh-squeezed lime juice over the bottled kind. The flavor becomes dull and sometimes bitter due to time since bottling means it's pasteurized and has preservatives in it. The brightness from fresh lime juice can't be matched by the bottled stuff.

This fruity guacamole recipe with pineapple and pomegranate is gluten-free and vegan-friendly. ...

Read More

Wordless Wednesday: A new book for my collection

7 · Jul 3, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Each time I visit Mexico City, I end up going home with my suitcase full of books that aren't available in the U.S. Lately, my bookshelves are looking rather full (despite thinning my library when we moved) so I've been a bit choosier about which books I take home since I'm running out of places to put them. I always browse the cookbook and culinary history sections for books that are new since my last visit. Yesterday, I made a stop at the bookstore nearby José's parents' house. This book caught my eye because there are tons of books in Spanish about Mexican cuisine and using traditional ingredients, but not as many that highlight healthy recipes. It's the latest acquisition for my extensive collection of books about Mexican cuisine. I can't wait to cook my way through it!

If you want to try your luck looking for it, the book is called "México Sano" and is written by Pía Quintana Beristain.

Do you like to buy books in Mexico? What kind of books do you look for that you can't get in the U.S.?

Announcing El Mercadito

2 · Jun 25, 2013 · 3 Comments

Since we launched The Other Side of The Tortilla in 2009, we've often been asked for recommendations of authentic Mexican products that we like and where to buy them. We recognize that in some areas of the United States, it can be quite difficult to find a local source for these ingredients. We're excited to share with you that we've created a collection of some of these products all in one place as an Amazon aStore and incorporated it as a tab on The Other Side of The Tortilla for you to be able to shop from our favorite and recommended products and have it shipped to you, wherever you may live.

We’ve carefully curated a selection of foods, kitchen tools, appliances, gadgets, cookware, bakeware and more to help you bring the Mexican experience to your kitchen and home. You can shop the store by either clicking on the El Mercadito tab above on the menu bar, or by clicking here to go to El Mercadito, The Other Side of The Tortilla's Amazon aStore.

As you know, we sometimes use affiliate links in our posts to items that are sold on Amazon. This means that we earn a few cents on the dollar if our readers purchase items linked from our posts. You do not pay any more that what you would pay if you were buying the same product without clicking our affiliate link. By shopping in El Mercadito and purchasing any item through Amazon during your visit, we earn a small portion of sales, and you’re helping maintain and grow The Other Side of The Tortilla so that we can continue to bring you recipes, information on Mexican culture and travel stories from our time spent exploring Mexico.

Thank you for constantly asking questions and providing feedback to help us improve your experience as a part of our comunidad! We'll continually update the store to bring you the best selection of our favorite products. We hope you enjoy the store!

If you're looking for a product that you don't see or need a recommendation, don't hesitate to leave a comment here, on Facebook or tweet your request to @MauraHernandez and I'll do my best to make a recommendation or find what you're looking for and add it to the store if it's available.

Wordless Wednesday: Tortillería El Milagro Mural in Pilsen

5 · Jun 19, 2013 · 3 Comments

For many years while living in Chicago, I bought my tortillas each Saturday morning from Tortilleria El Milagro on South Blue Island Avenue in Pilsen. It was also the only place where I would ever buy ensalada de nopales, for which I'd have to wake up extra early because they always ran out quickly. On the back side of the building is this beautiful mural I often stopped to admire when picking up my tortillas. The neighborhood, located on the Lower West Side, is one of the city's two Mexican enclaves, and is one of the things I most miss about living in Chicago. My weekly trips to the market, tortilleria and panaderia were like briefly stepping out of Chicago and into Mexico for a few hours at a time.

Does your city have something special that transports you to Mexico?

Mexican Christmas Traditions

This fruity guacamole recipe that includes pineapple and pomegranate seeds for a little touch of sweetness, and red onion and garlic for a little touch of savory.

This fruity guacamole recipe with pineapple and pomegranate is gluten-free and vegan-friendly. ... Read More

This fruity guacamole recipe with pineapple and pomegranate is gluten-free and vegan-friendly. ...

Read More