It's Feline Friday! March 14, 2014

Tigre Sleeping After a Hard Day!

Oaxaca City, Oaxaca Mexico

May 2009

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Thanks to Steve of BFDude for Feline Friday!
Click on the links below to play or just
to see more!

M is for Mexican food!

Here I am in the Zocolo of Oaxaca City last May 2009.

We spent a lovely 2 weeks there in spite

of the Swine Flu.

The restaurants and shops suffered economically

as the country shut down to control a possibe epidemic.

Regardless of that, we still went and were glad we did.

Oaxaca City is an old and beautiful colonial city.

Full of charm around every corner and needless to say

we love all of Mexico. No matter where we go we are

welcomed with Mexican charm and hospitality.

Viva Mexico!

The Zocolo Mime tries to charm me....he did!

Inside one of the many food markets....


We took a few cooking classes while in Oaxaca this time
and here are two of the recipes we made...yum
I have made these at home several times!

Huachinago a la Veracruzana
(Red Snapper a la Veracruz)
serves 6
6 pieces of red snapper-about 6oz each, cut in transverse slices
1/2 med onion sliced
1 Tblspoon olive oil
5 med size roasted tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 small piece onion
3 ground bay leaves
1 chopped sprig parsley
6 yellow chilies
1 carrot cut in quarters and sliced
5 chopped green olives
5 chopped capers
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 1 Habanero chili depending on your taste buds
````````````````````````````
1. Wash the fish, season with salt and pepper and let sit for 25 minutes
2. Roast the tomatoes on a comal over low heat and begin cook the
washed and sliced carrot in 1 cup of water with a bit of salt.
http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/resources/a/comal.htm
3. After the tomatoes are roasted and cool, cut in half and squeeze out the seeds.
In a blender, blend the roasted tomatoes garlic, the piece of onion, habanero
and 1/2 cup water.
4. Chop the oilves and caper and cut the onion into slices. Fry the onion in a frying pan with the olive oil. When the onion begins to yellow add the blended tomatoes and allow to boil/simmer
over low heat for 10 minutes. Then add the olives, capers, ground Bay leaves,
parsley and yellow chilies.
5. Add a little salt and then add the fish. Cook for 5-10 minutes in a covered pot.
Serve with Arroz Negro

Arroz Negro-serves 6
1 cup long grain white rice
2 1/2 tablespoons oil-I use olive oil
1 Tbl chopped onions
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 1/2 cups liquid from black beans boiled with epazote, garlic,onion and salt
6 Epazote leaves
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysphania_ambrosioides
( I found the flavor to be quite similar to Fennel-a possible substitute?)

1/2 tsp salt
6 whole Serrano chilies-leave whole do NOT cut up

1. soak rice for 5 minutes in warm water, rinse well and drain.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan-saute rice sturring constantly until transparent
and until grains separate -about 5 minutes. Drain any excess oli from pan.
Add the oniion and garlic and stir for 2 minutes.
3. Add the bean liquid and when mixture comes to a boil, add salt, chilies,
and Epazote. Cover the rice and cook over low heat until rice is tender and
all liquid has been asorbed. About 15 minutes.
Serve with the Veracruzan Red Snapper. If you like you can mold the rice
for a fancier presentation. Enjoy!!!

Our Second Cooking Class

Today we had our second cooking class with Pilar.

What a treat to learn from such an accomplished chef.

She learned from her Grandmother how to cook
for her family while she was growing up.

Her mother worked as a nurse and didn’t

have much time to cook.

Now she runs her own restaurant The Olla
next to the Bed and Breakfast her sister Auorora

and husband Don own and run.

(where we are staying)
This is the second time we have stayed here,

but the first time we have had cooking
Classes with Pilar. Well worth the trip to Oaxaca!.
Today we made:
Sopas, Salsa Verde, Mexican Black Rice, tortillas and Vanilla Flan. YUM!

Cutting up cactus leaves for the sopas

Russell sauteing the cactus leaves with garlic and onion

I am making tortillas with the tortilla press


We got help cooking the tortillas

Pilar is quickly frying the Red Snapper

for the Vera Cruz fish recipe

Pilar is adding the cherry tomatoes, tomatillas,

and sauted onions, chilis and garlic

to the fish.

Lunch is ready

the last Sopa

Vanilla Flan...we had the wine with our meal.

Black rice with fish......delicious.

Day 9-Cooking class

Today after our wonderful breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt ,orange juice ,
coffee and mango omelets - we went up the street just a few blocks to
Pilar’s Cooking School “La Casa de los Sabores”. What a absolute treat
for us. There was only one other student, Lucy from NYC, and we all got
along like peas in a pod. First off we went to the little market not too far
away and purchased all the items we would need.

Our menu today was:
Squash Blossoms filled with Requeson Cheese
Salsa Verde - smoky tomatillo sauce
Tortilla Soup seasoned with Avocado leaves
Poblano chilies filled with chicken in a nut sauce
and Coconut Flan
I will be happy to share all the recipes once we get back!
Pilar was a great teacher and we all had a good experience making all the
dishes together. After we were done cooking-we sat down and had a delicious meal!

Our beautifully set table for the feast

Russell and Kathe showing off their stuffed squash blossoms

Making Tortilla Soup

Ingredients for Tortilla Soup

Roasting tomatoes, tomatillos, chilis, garlic and onion

for the Tortilla soup and Green salsa

Smash those tomatillos for the salsa

Roasting Poblano peppers

for the Chili Rellenos

Finished Chili Rellenos with Nut sauce

Ingredients for Coconut Flan

Swirling carmelized sugar in pan for flan

Ahhhhhhhhh....so good!

Some folks don't sit down to a lunch like ours....

Day Eight- the Zocolo

Today was a slow day after all we did yesterday in Teotitlan. We had a great
breakfast and then went off to the Zocalo for a few hours of people watching.
I brought my drawing supplies with me and did warm up my fingers making
a very simple drawing with my watercolor pencils.
The Zocolo is for everyone to sit, eat, chat or be still. It’s everyone’s backyard.

But first-a delicious breakfast!
The Zocolo Cathedral

Lots of balloon vendors

A few days ago this statue wore a blue mask...

Cool shady spaces

Private places for private conversations

Shaved ice with fruit juices...

Later that evening we walked by Santo Domingo just a few

blocks from our Bed and Breakfast

Interesting night shadows

Day Six

It’s hard to believe how fast the time is going.

We are having a good time
and only occasionally making the stupid tourist mistakes. For example-
last night we decided to have pizza and wine for dinner. A few days ago
we had spotted and checked out a likely place for this meal.

So, off we go and we get a nice little table on a little balcony

so we can watch the world by as we eat and drink.

The big mistake is they don’t take credit cards.
They had a little sign posted (in Spanish only) and we just didn’t see it.
Fortunately Russell had enough money to pay the bill.

Yikes. I was seeing us washing dishes or me held ransom

while Russell went to find an ATM !
We now have a new rule “Ask first before ordering”
Here are a few pictures from our day:

Our beautiful breakfast. First a dish of fresh cantalope

and tuna (fruit from cactus). We haad bought the

tuna fruit the day before at the Ocotlan Market

The second course of our breakfast was a pyramid of

Mexican scrambled aggs with a frijole sauce. Yum.

Zapotec women leaving the Abasto Market.
This market is beyond huge. Too big for me.
We spent some time here looking for the ever
elusive butter dish!!!

Chilis, onons,and string beans



Russell and I became this Zocalo mime's stooge's...


Russell was a good sport! And the mime was hilarious.

Pizza place had a great view.....

Street sweepers...

Last view from the restaurant balcony...

Day Five- Ocotlan !!!

Today we hired a car and guide to take us to Ocotlan about a 30-45 minute
Drive from Oaxaca. It isn’t cheap to travel this way, but we found the guide
Eduardo to be priceless the last time we were here.

We learn so much more with him.
Our main goal today was to find the three Aguilar Sisters who create beautiful
clay sculptures. When we were here last time we took the public bus and then
had a hard time finding their houses. We did find them after we asked a lot
of people where they lived. However, their houses were shut and no one was home.
and it was very frustrating! Today they were home and

we did find and buy some gorgeous work. We’ll be
hand carrying them home!

Guillermina Aguilar one of the sisters.

We bought 4 of her pieces.

The photo below is a series of Caterina sculptures.

Caterina is associated with Day of the Dead

After that we went to the market-what a visual and olfactory treat. All the different
chilies fill the air with different spicy smells. There are dried bunches of spices,
and artistically displayed fruits and vegetables to entice the buyer.
Russell bought a clay bowl that has deep ridges in it to use in conjunction with a pestle.
We also bought the fresh fruit called Tuna that is the fruit of a cactus. We gave it to
our B and B hostess Aurora to use in the breakfast fruit plates.
We had a great day-full of new experiences and happy purchases.

Frieda Khalo of the Market


Turkeys for sale



Gorgeous fresh fruit...this market was very clean

Fresh veggies

The locals here can buy meat and then BBQ it on site

Thinly sliced meats.........


Photograph below is the Santo Domingo Cathedral

reconstructed with funds from the famous artist

Rudolfo Morales