mexchic

we've moved

2011-05-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

dear readers,

we've moved our blog over to wordpress.

please meet us over there from now on.

love,

mexchic!

http://mexchicdesign.wordpress.com/

we've got fantastic new projects ahead, keep in touch!

frida and her rebozos

2011-05-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

octopus in love

2011-04-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last year we went on a two week long camping trip (with dogs!) to the beaches of Costa Grande Guerrero. Hot palm tree lines beaches with sand the color of a well made latte, where large fresh water alligator filled lagoons spill into the open dark blue Pacific. Every morning we'd wake to fishermen casting their nets from the beach to then drag it back hours later heavy with wiggling frightened (but delicious!) creatures. Others would make attempts at taking their row boats, equipped with small motors, out for deeper waters. Only a few would make it out past the crashing waves and strong currents. But the ones who did would return the next day with deep purple, shiny octopus (pulpo) and huge colorful spiny red snapper (huachinango). We'd see their little boat lights twinkling at night, rocking back and forth with the waves, knowing that we'll wake up early to buy the best catch of that night. My favorite purchase was always the pulpo, because the sweet woman, Irma, who owned the palapa where we camped would cook it for us in such and exquisite manner than I'd order it twice a day for two weeks. Yes, it's that good.

Whenever we take a trip I keep a little journal for watercoloring and note-taking which tends to have collected many recipes from the places we've stayed. Here's the recipe for Irma's Pulpo Enamorado. A perfect dish for a hot summer lunch.

PULPO ENAMORADO

de Doña Irma

1/4 kilo young octopus tentacles cut into small 1/4 inch cubes

(at the market here I'm able to buy freshly cooked octopus, but if you're unable to find that, buy fresh octopus and it should be boiled here is a how-to from chowhound )

Fresh small bunch of cilantro washed and chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

1/4 med Purple Onion minced

2 green chile serano minced

1 cup crème fraiche

Sea Salt to taste

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed key lime juice

mix all ingredients in a bowl refrigerate for 30 min to

firm for a bit

serve on freshly made corn tostadas with thinly slice avocado.

happy summer!

mexico 1960

2011-04-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

My great grandparents in TJ, Mexico 1960

color for spring!

2011-04-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Spring chickens spotted in the Malinalco Wednesday market.

Check their glittery baseball hats!

surf-n-turf

2011-04-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

Finally got around to watching the fantastic skate film Lords of Dogtown last week.

And as after any great flick based on a true story, you want to know more and dig deeper, so after searching out a few old original videos and pics of these kids in knee-high tube socks skating around empty California swimming pools in the 1970's,

I found out that Stacy Peralta, one of the original Z-Boys (of Peralta skateboards fame) is now an incredible documentary filmmaker. He recently made an insane documentary on big wave surfers called Riding Giants which led me to another hour or so on you tube, aye ya yai.

Here's a link to where someone's actually uploaded the film in 10 installments.

A M A Z I N G

textile lovin

2011-04-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

This stunning colorful pillow cover was made using a vintage men's poncho from Chiapas, which is in southern Mexico. The poncho is a traditional clothing item used by men in the area of Zinacantan, specifically the Tzozil Maya in times of regional festivities. Zinacanta means literally 'Land of the bats'.

The actual textile is woven by hand using a traditional centuries old technique called 'back strap loom' where the weaver is literally strapped into the weaving process with a belt. The textile is then embroidered either by hand or a pedal sewing machine (this particular textile has pedal machine embroidery). Its color is striking, with vibrant hues of pinks, reds, yellows, aqua blues and large hand-made colorful tassels on each corner of the pillow.

The designs on the textiles are inspired by the artisan's surroundings and this particular design, all of which are one-of-a-kind, has a number of fantastical flowers and also a sweet bright yellow parrot on each side. The pillow has textiles on both sides of the case and 4 handmade tassels.

Size of Case: 12.5 inches x 26 inches

This textile comes from my private collection of vintage and antique Mexican textiles which I will I am going to begin using to make beautiful pillows and hand bags. Please continually check in for new textiles!

heat me up

2011-04-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

The Selby always makes me want to redecorate.
So I was excited to see that he (Todd Selby) recently decided to travel to Mexico to feature yet another interesting cool couple living/working in Mexico (he previously featured a model/landscape designer also in Tulum).

Eric and Maya of New York moved to Tulum not long ago to open a hip little restaurant named Hartwood.

(pic from the selby)

Their restaurant's kitchen is pure open-air magic complete with wood burning oven and stovetop.

We're currently without an oven in our house(horrors,i know)and so I've been itching to resolve this situation, but going out and buying one would be too easy.

I'm in love with the idea of making a small adobe wood burning oven in our back yard, traditionally used here for baking bread. The only negative is the large amount of wood used in the hours of heating it up. Though we could add in a natural gas connection to aid the heating process but that seems to overly complicate an idea which is beautiful for its simplicity.

How brilliant is the antler detail on the rustic door?

Think I'm sold on this.

The other option

I was also entertaining the idea of building a solar oven (obviously out door). Nowhere near as cute as the adobe oven but definitely more 'green' and quick to heat up. Only question is, do I want a spaceship circa 1960 sitting in my back yard?

Or better yet, perhaps I can find some way to combine the two?

tlaxcala, tepotzlan and puebla

2011-02-16T19:42:00.000-08:00

playing with the pool in cocoyoc

a superb view of the famed explosive volcano popocatepetl while driving towards Puebla

color + doors

dried cochinilla (an insect which plagues the nopal cactus) dried and used to make brilliant shades of pink, which you can see examples of in the photo of her hand-woven 'tapetes', rugs.

soft light, blue walls

Guillermina at work on her wooden pedal loom

hand-spun woolen yarns hand-dyed using natural pigments from plants and insects

indigo pigment from the coast of Oaxaca

chile de arbol, seco

Tlaxcala, amongst other things, is famous for their brave (and handsome!) bull fighters

Tesoros in a church in the center of Tlaxcala

politically charged graffiti

Agua de limon con chia (remember Chia Pet?)the Pre-Hispanic Mexicas would swallow dried chia seeds on long journeys and the seeds would expand in their bellies providing protein rich, light weight meals.

extra extravagance on the road through puebla

maiz, azul y amarillo in the market

beautiful old church in tepotzlan

art + function = mexchic's 'SANTO' hand!

2010-11-26T19:19:00.000-08:00

Our to-die-for ‘Santo’ hand-carved sculpture of a stunningly depicted, very realistic looking hand and partial wrist, is a beautiful work of functional art. Hand-carved out of naturally fallen highly aromatic cedar wood, ‘Santo’ can be much more than a decorative piece (all though it is just as well and beautiful left alone atop a pile of books too).

Hung up on the wall ‘Santo’ can transform into a coat or jewelry hang, or near the front door making a fabulous key holder. Sat straight up, set on a table top ‘Santo’ can be used for laying out jewelry at bed time, or laid down, back hand, can even be used to hold business cards or even perhaps a photo.

We worked with Esteban the artist for over 3 months to perfect the design of ‘Santo’. Each one takes approximately 1.5 weeks to create, no two are alike.

Esteban creates each piece with a sharpened pocket knife, and has been creating seriously gorgeous work for over 15 years.

We are also working with his brother Berna, who makes the incredible and original, braided horse hair bracelets below, and his cousin who creates our cedar hearts… what a talented family! We are proud to be offering such high quality work from such talented Mexican Artisans.

Object of Desire

2010-11-13T14:29:00.000-08:00

A truly original Mexchic piece, our subtle and chic 'CABALLO' hand-braided horse hair bracelet with sterling silver clasps is an edgy yet minimal take on the classic standard 'slide bracelet'. Our 'Caballo' horse hair bracelet is unisex and with fit snugly on all wrist sizes, by sliding the silver clasps to fit your wrist, large, medium or small.

Braided by hand by a local Mexican indigenous artisan using beautiful, fine strands of gorgeously hued horse hair and hand-forged sterling silver clasps.

Made from all natural (undyed) horsehair and sterling silver, you never have to take our "Caballo' bracelet off for a shower or swim.

Colors may vary slightly due to the varying color of the horse hair. If you'd like a lighter colored bracelet as shown in the photos, a darker hued one (not shown), or mixed with light and dark strands, please not this in the invoice when you make your purchase. (we will soon be listing pictures of the other colors available)

buy your Caballo bracelet here

Taxco and the Original Margarita

2010-10-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

We took a short weekend trip (for tomas' b-day) to the mountainous Mexican silver-smithing-mining town of Taxco a few weeks ago and I have not been able to get it out of my daydreaming mind since. Had planned on doing a line of jewelry down the road, in the far future, but now that I've gone to this silver-smithing mecca, I can't stop fantasizing of outrageous fantastical jewelry designs. Next week I'm going to start working with a friend who's a jewelry making pro to get some samples down, and with those I'll start a small limited production of hand made pieces. Hopefully within the next few months i'll have them ready for sale! Here are some pics of Taxco and inspirations of what's to come!

Said to have invented the Margarita, Berta's cantina around since the early 30's, in the centro of Taxco is a sweet little bar with a beautiful view of the Paroquia. I actually fell so desperately in love with their Margarita, that I boldly asked for the recipe, of course they would not give it to me, but did let me in on the ingredients, and figuring it out was pretty easy:

mineral water, tequila, lime and honey

If ever you find yourself in Taxco, do yourself a favor and please go to Sasha's cafe!

Javier and Sasha (couple on right of pic) have been running the place for over 11 years and

make their own delicious cinnamon infused mezcal. You'll meet everyone worth knowing in Taxco if you're there on a weekend night.

Eat at Sotavento, the only really great cafe/restaurant we found in Taxco.

Taxco's not really a foodie place, being it's all about silver, but the food here was fantastic,

the service perfect and setting beautiful (hard to find all three in Mexico!)

renewed, revived, reset!

2010-10-21T17:53:00.000-07:00

we moved our bodies, our dogs and mexchic studio a few months ago to the most magical house i've ever had the pleasure to live in and we've finally settled in. can't wait to go on new adventures exploring new towns and meeting new artisans to work with!

clearing the lawn

back yard garden path

room with a view

palma in the house

fog rolls onto the porch in the early morning

filthy and fabulous

palapa magic

lux living out back

read some lovely feedback from our mexchic clients!

2010-10-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

leoo says:

fab seller sweater is so gorgouse one of the best ever purchases on etsy very well made keep up the good work thank you

starskysweater says:

Oh my god it's so lovely! Thank you Christina. The wool is so soft and the workmanship so beautiful 100% thrilled!

hotslinky says:

Gorgeous, this is my favorite thing I have purchased this year - thank you for a quality, beautiful blanket!

hotslinky says:

Beautiful, the leather is authentic, smells exactly how it should - i love this piece!

MMSLMP2 says:

I just got the blanket!! It is sooo beautiful and soft!! I use to have one as a child but the dog found it and made it's new home. Thank you I will buy another!!!

kidkrull says:

absolutely stunning set! so happy with my purchase, i can't wait to show it off at Coachella music festival '10! love love love.

metrode says:

this blanket is BEAUTIFUL. I am so pleased with the quality & the large size. Feels great, and looks so nice as well. A great gift idea, though this one is for me :)

New for Fall!

2010-09-23T12:07:00.001-07:00

eco hand carved cedar hearts, made only from fallen trees

new chic styles of our virgin wool blankets

'big sur' blanket a best seller

our classic'cozy chic' hand knit sweater in a new shade, solid grey

Fair Isle

2010-09-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a really interesting article on Fair Isle sweaters from the Business of Fashion blog. It talks about how these beautiful and classic hand knit sweaters are being copied left and right by design houses such as J.Crew and Ralph Lauren. Reminds me very much of the story of our 'Cozy Sweaters' we sell via Mexchic. These classic Mexican sweaters take about 3 weeks to create just one and their style has been copied by Abercrombie and the like over and over (be sure theirs are not made of virgin wool and hand knit). It's always better to buy the original when you can, it not only helps the artisan who created the object, but it also helps to support the continuation of such refined artisan products. And must I mention even though the cost of an original might be a bit more, the higher quality original will last a few life times (heirloom!) where the fast fashion version will last a season at most and will most likely start falling apart after a few wears.

Cozy Sweater Sizing Chart

2010-09-05T16:06:00.000-07:00

measured in inches

ADULT (unisex)

SIZE Arm Length, Nape of Neck to Hem, Girth

Small (0-4) 24" 26" 45"

Medium (6-8) 25" 27" 46"

Large (10-12) 26" 28" 47"

X-Large (14-16) 27" 29" 48"

.............................................................

CHILDREN (unisex)

SIZE Arm Length, Nape of Neck to Hem, Girth

X-Small 14" 15" 26"

Small 15" 16" 27"

Medium 16" 17" 28"

Large 17" 18" 29"

X-Large 18" 19" 30"

Recipe: Refreshing Cucumber Water with Mint and Vanilla Bean

2010-09-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

I love the smell and taste of cucumbers on a hot summer day and since we're on the cusp of fall, I thought I'd let you in on a fantastic refreshing drink recipe to celebrate the last of heat. In mexico it's quite common to find 'aguas' (translated as waters) typically made with either little juicy key limes (similar to lemonade), oranges, guava, papaya, any fruit really, pureed with water and sugar in a blender then strained in to a pitcher with ice. Using this idea I came up with a delicious recipe for cucumber water, using mint, raw sugar and fresh vanilla bean. We just moved into a new house in Malinalco and the garden out back is overwhelmed with mint and so we try to use it as much as possible when cooking. The mint is now finally under control after 2 months of more -or-less daily use and I had some vanilla beans left over from a trip to oaxaca last august and well cucumbers are everywhere in the summer.

If you'd like something with a spike, the kids in Mexico add vodka to 'aguas' at parties, calling them instead 'aguas locas' (crazy waters), maybe a nice idea for an daytime party or picnic. enjoy!

Cucumber Water with Mint and Vanilla Bean

1/2 normal sized cucumber chopped, outer layer of green skin peeled off

1 large sprigs of mint on stem washed

1/2 fresh vanilla bean

2 full tbsp sugar (natural raw sugar is best)

4 cups water

Put all ingredients into blender and blend on high until solid ingredients turn to pulp. Taste to see if you might want to add more sugar or mint. Once ready, strain with a fine sieve over large pitcher, add ice and enjoy! Does not keep more than a day in the fridge, so i recommend you only make what you plan on drinking that day.

Makes about 4 servings

love,

mexchic

palma hand woven dog beds

2010-03-04T13:07:00.000-08:00

For the summer we're making some fantastic things out of palma, first (and one of our favorites so far) is a beautiful and chic hand woven dog or cat) bed set with a fancy cushion and contrasting piping.

There are very few people left in the Toluca region who make this specific type of spiral basket weaving, but we've managed, after a lot of foot work, to source an artist out!

There will only be a limited number of these available, so if you love them, and you love your dog, we suggest you don't hesitate to splurge on this heirloom piece.

The colors will come in a combo of beige (as seen in pic) mixed with design graphic in either rosa mexicana, teal blue, emerald green, shiny black or dark burgundy, in addition to one of a kind baskets we will also have available, starting next week.

They are perfect for small breed, toy and mini pooches and also cats, who are past the 'eat everything in sight stage' (the baskets are very sturdy, but won't stand for being eaten by pooch).

We've sourced a fabulous semi water resistant poly cotton mix fabric which is chic enough to hang out in your living room and comfy enough and sturdy enough to resist normal every dog use, such as bone eating, paw licking, playing, sleeping, etc.

The inner stuffing is sewn tightly into a cotton muslin lining, which can be hand washed or dry cleaned, and the outer layer (with zipper) is machine wash (we suggest you line dry to avoid shrinkage) and hand wash friendly.

The cushion fabric comes in a multitude of fabulous designs to choose from.

These photos are of the first sample we have received. If you'd like to place and order please email us at mexchicdesign@gmail.com. We should have the other samples up and ready within the next few weeks.

Thank you to the ever handsome 'Kawachi' the chihuahua and three little 1 month old schnauzer pups, who have yet to be named.

blanket straps

2010-03-03T18:09:00.000-08:00

A classic piece for every adventurer, hiker, picnic lover, beach goer or exerciser.

Use our beautifully hand-made straps to roll up your blankets, towels, and exercise mats.

Our master leather craftsman makes each and every piece by hand.

comes with an adjustable leather shoulder strap, which can be shortened to 3 different lengths or taken off entirely

The handle of the blanket strap has a beautiful complex weave

Our blanket strap's removable leather shoulder strap has a double layered weave at the shoulder for long lasting use and extra comfort

We decided to use a pulley system for closing or opening the straps, suiting a large variety of sizes blankets, towels and mats.

the leather used for our straps is a rich soft dark brown with deep burgundy accents

you can buy our straps here

tongs and whisks

2010-02-24T12:04:00.001-08:00

Currently our hot chocolate wisk otherwise known as a 'molino' and our scissor tongs are only being sold wholesale, but they are so lovely I wanted to show them off.

If you’re a hot chocolate lover then you know Mexican hot chocolate is the very best. Spicy, sweet, frothy, thick and smooth. It’s all about the consistency, and using this special hand-carved whisk, turns what would otherwise be a flat drink, into a frothy cappuccino-like dream. The Mexican chocolate used to make this drink can be found around the world, in specialty food shops and also large grocery chains, but theses hand-carved wood ‘molinos’ are harder to come by and quality is not always the best. Ours are hand-made with beautiful ‘Copal’ wood, are sturdy and created with a very complex design, they say the more complex your molono, the frothier and more delicious your hot chocolate turns out.

Our modern hand-carved tongs are function, beauty and tradition rolled into one. They can be used for anything to flipping steaks, tossing and serving salad, to mixing and serving pasta, etc. They are made with a modern design are entirely hand-crafted out of a beautiful rich Mexican wood called ‘Corazon de Guaje’ by an artisan whom has been hand-carving incredible useful objects out of wood his entire life.

If you own a boutique and are interested in carrying our products or know of a boutique where you think our products would be happy, please don't hesitate to send us an email

mexchicdesign [at] gmail.com

exquisite deer bowls

2010-02-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

These one-of-a-kind hand-carved bowls, made from the Mexican white wood ‘Copal’ are heartbreakingly beautiful. They are sold in a set of 3 which includes one of each size bowl: Small, Medium, Large

There is no dye or varnish used on these bowls, they are food safe and as seen in the following photos, can be used for food such as sauces and nuts, or more creatively can be used to hold flowers- they’d make for lovely center pieces for a country wedding.

Since they are hand-carved, no two are alike, therefore sizes and shapes vary slightly, but we think this is what makes them even more special.

I have tested these bowls out and this wood ‘Copal’ though off-white in color and unstained, does not seem to retain color from bright colored food or sauces.

They must be hand-washed with a mild dish soap and hand dried.

you can buy them here online

spice bowls

2010-02-24T11:41:00.000-08:00

Hand-carved with the rich Mexican hard wood ‘Corazon de Guaje’ this set of 3 spice bowls, small, medium and large, is stylish but also very practical.

They are wonderful for serving sea salt and freshly ground pepper in at the dinner table or to have next to the stove for quick and easy seasoning. Will beautifully display nuts, raisins, olives, goat cheese, creams, butter or any little hors’dourves you can dream up.

They can also be used out of the kitchen to hold jewelry, paper clips or tea light candles. Totally multi-functional and will make a fantastic hostess gift.

Hand wash with mild dish soap and hand dry. These bowls are hand-made and there for no two can be exactly alike. Shade and size may vary slightly with each piece.

you can buy them online here

hand-carved aromatic solid cedar hearts

2010-02-23T20:08:00.000-08:00

Our Hand-carved solid wood 100% natural Cedar hearts are extremely fragrant and much much too pretty to keep hidden away in a closet protecting your clothing from moths (all though you’re welcome to keep them there). We think they are best suited on a desk, a dresser, a night stand, any place nearby where you can pick up the hard smooth surface and smell to your hearts content.

I keep mine on my desk grab it to smell whenever I need a light pick me up. They come in two sizes, large and medium. Makes for a fantastic hostess gift and a perfect little sweet nothing for a lover or close friend.

These hearts are hand-made and there for no two can be exactly alike. Shade and size may vary slightly with each piece.

buy them here

surrealism & mexican design

2010-02-19T12:12:00.000-08:00

I first spotted this chair by the artist/designer/architect Pedro Friedeberg in a friend's beautiful colonia Roma apartment while taking photos of some dresses I had just made. A large wooden hand cupped and erect just right to sit in, a perfectly frivolous, even odd but totally functional chair, the hand of God in form of a chair. Perfect. I ended up not asking my friend anything about it, not sure why, think I was just so consumed with taking the photos it didn't cross my mind.

Flash forward today, I was doing some poking around the internet on Mexican Surrealism and came across Mr. Friedeberg's website. He's a hoot, just reading from his introduction alone, I've fallen in love. A trickster genius gentleman.

Here is another fantastic chair by Friedeberg. I love the mixture of gold and cow hide. If i were a queen I'd pick this as my throne.

I also quite like his watercolor paintings

End of winter sale!

2010-02-15T11:39:00.001-08:00

End of winter sale!

click visit our Mexchic boutique on Etsy.com

100% all natural virgin wool

Malinalco's Spell

2010-02-12T16:37:00.000-08:00

Every week's end we travel to nearby towns and a place we keep returning to is Malinalco. It is only a 45 min drive from where we live in Central Mexico and getting there is a magically beautiful ride.

She is majestically perched within a narrow valley, surrounded by ancient myths of witchcraft, pyramids where aztec warriors were celebrated, cave paintings of dancing devils, amazing little bars, wonderful Napoletano style pizza (a hard find in Mexico!) and a plethora of interesting people from all over the world.

Elite from Mexico City, French archeologists, anthropology students, Italian chefs, Argentine musicians, Belgian farmers, Colombian artists and surprisingly few American tourists (being an American myself I selfishly enjoy this aspect) all make their way there.

This cultural mash of interesting, mostly entrepreneurial with a creative bent, people have created a close knit, beautiful almost commune-like community where I totally want to live.

I'm starting to work with an excellent wood carver there, he makes the most divine little things out of heart of cedar. Such a cryin' shame I'll have to keep coming back to Malinalco on such a regular basis to see the town and buy his things, I might just have to move there and be done with it!

sweaters and blankets

2010-02-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

We're getting in more of our virgin wool hand-knit sweaters and blankets today, this might be our last until next September, so stock up now! Check our etsy boutique tomorrow to purchase.

BRIGHT!

2010-01-29T09:41:00.001-08:00

I can't resist giving up a peek of only a small portion of what we will have available in March. They arrived yesterday and I'm beside myself with glee surrounded by these vibrating designs and strong bright color! The larger baskets will be made into the most chic, beautiful dog beds you've ever seen.

This image beautifully depicts what the markets of the State of Mexico, specifically the large bustling city of Toluca, used to look like only just a few decades ago.

hand-carved wooden objects for entertaining winter's end

2010-01-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

There's a man with whom I've begun to work and he has the largest most expressive hands I've ever seen. With these massive hands, he carves wooden objects such as delicate bowls shaped with deer heads and antlers along with ladles whose handle ends elegantly in the shape of a swan. Perfect items to transition from winter into spring. We should be getting these in sometime within the next few weeks. All natural, hand-made, food safe products and not to mention ... very good looking.

new project

2010-01-27T18:28:00.000-08:00

I've been very busy lately and because of that I've been terribly neglectful to my mexchic blog, but all for the greater good, I promise! In the last few months, I've launched a design company called 'mexchic' where I work with different indigenous Mexican artisans creating hand-made goods for the home and body.

My first project was working with the wonderful people of a teeny town high up in the cold pine-filled forests of Central Mexico where they make woolen goods. Families raise the sheep, hand-sheer them, hand-spin the wool and then hand-knit the wool. It's all very cut and dry and thats why I'm smitten with the products they create and have been creating for centuries. Virgin wool, hand-made sweaters we've named 'Cozy Sweaters' and 'Top Drawer Blankets', dyed with natural dyes and so very very warm you'll never want to be without them come winter.

Our 'Cozy Sweaters' were made famous by Marilyn Monroe in the 60's and then Starsky of the TV show 'Starsy & Hutch' in the 70's. There are very few people who make these sweaters now and sadly, fewer and fewer families are passing down the tradition and knowledge on how to create them thus dying a slow and sad death, as many of the crafts in Mexico are.

Our virgin wool 'Top Drawer Blankets' look very modern. They are light in weight and made of beautiful soft virgin wool woven with interesting geometric designs of stripes, plaids and diamonds and come in an array of natural taupe, cream and shades of grey. I Use mine for yoga, to snuggle up in on the couch and I also take mine on road trips. It is a very useful item. we're also currently working with a leather craftsman to create hand braided leather straps for the blankets to make carrying them around easier.

They come in over 30 different patterns

You can find both the blankets and sweaters for sale here: mexchic on etsy

playa paraiso

2010-01-27T12:43:00.000-08:00

Somewhere between Acapulco's cliff divers, Ixtapa's modern hotels and Zijuatanejo's sleepy bays, lies Playa Paraiso, a stunning open-ocean, palapa filled paradise, run primarily by local fishermen and their families. After crossing the town of Lano Real, a 20 min drive down a dirt path lined with palm trees and the faint smell of lush mota plants growing far off in the distance, you'll arrive and never want to leave. A tent and a toothbrush, thats about all you'll need, there is fresh, just caught sea food available daily, which ranges from lighthearted dishes such as 'Pulpo Enamorado' (Octopus in Love) or the most delicate 'Caldo de Camaron' (Shrimp Broth) you've ever set lips to. Ice cold beer is on hand too, along with a fully stocked bar and the requisite 'Coco Locos'. Everything is ridiculously affordable. Ask for Irma and Celso when you arrive and tell them Christina and Tomas sent you.

breakfast of champions

ps. If you're lucky, you too will see what we saw, in regards to animal life. we enjoyed 2 entire days of whale watching from our hammocks beer in hand, schools of dolphins surfing the waves in sync at sunrise, giant turtles laying eggs at midnight with a full moon and and incredible amounts of teeny little crabs and birdlife.

lucky/talented fisherman caught a giant needle fish

pss. We travelled there with our two huge Golden Retrievers without a problem, so it's a dog friendly place.

psss. Last thing, promise! There are massive, incredibly lush, fresh water lagoons very near by, we never made it to see them cause we just could not bare peeling out bodies off of the hammocks, but Celso, the palapa's owner conveniently has a lagoon boat tour. He used to be a professional fisherman making his living off the lagoon before he opened the palapas. Caymans and all sorts of bird life are to be found there.

not so lucky fisherman trying to make it out to see, but could not manage getting past those waves

dia de los muertos

2009-11-05T13:11:00.001-08:00

This past month of October has been so bustling with things to do, people to see, birthdays, weddings and parties to attend, not to mention work to get done that I’ve hardly had any time to post to mexchic. However, I did take my camera most everywhere so I will be sure to post pics of all that I experienced in the coming weeks ahead.

First off, and most importantly for October, Dia de Los Muertos needs to be addressed! Candied skulls, marzipan mini fruits and sugary coffins - artistic expression takes over our town’s center (and most every Mexican’s town markets and centers), specifically our ‘portales’ area which has just recently been beautifully restored.

No less than a hundred colorful stalls brimming with brightly painted candy skulls, chocolate shaped bones, turron, sweet breads, clay bowls filled with candied fruits, arts and crafts are set out to be sold to the public for the entire month.

The reason for this market’s existence is for the tradition of setting up ‘ofrendas’ (offerings/altars) in ones house, to honor the dead. The ofrenda typically contains things the deceased, loved in life.

A bottle of tequila, mezcal, cigarettes, tamales, candies bought from the market and fruits are set out to welcome the spirit back and to wish them well.

Ofrendas can also be set up on top of a grave site. A family will gather in the pantheon to honor the departed, draping their loved one's grave in seasonal flowers such as the bright orange cempasuchil and the velvety wine colored terciopelo. Around the grave will sit the family, drinking tequila speaking of the deaprted, telling stories and remembering the past.

huitlacoche's moment

2009-10-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

The corn fungus with the crazy difficult-to-pronounce

Nahuatl name, huitlacoche aka 'corn smut' to the

gringos, is one of my favorite things to eat when the

rainy season arrives. It has become more popular over

the years I hear and has arrived to the status of

'gourmet' where it used to merely be a food

of the people. Now you can't enter a high-end mexican

restaurant anywhere in the world without encountering

a dish featuring huitlacoche on the menu. It's incredibly

easy to cook and it has a dramatic anise flavored back

ink which is heaven when eaten with fresh crema and

cheese. The recipe i've cooked here took no more than

about 10 min to prepare.

I took about 1/2 kilo of fresh huitlacoche (the fresher the

better, buy it sold directly off the corn husk if possible).

Gently rinse with water and pick over for any too mushy

pieces and corn silk. Throw some olive oil in to a large

pan with minced garlic and onion, cook until soft and

fragrant, add chiles, any kind will do, i used these little

red and orange chile serranos for their color, but the

flavor of the large green chile poblano is also excellent

and not too spicy. After the mix is well seasoned add

the huitlacoche and cook for about 10 min on low heat,

covered, then just when the fungus looks to be ready add

in some lightly chopped epazote leaves.Add salt to taste

and serve with quesadillias filled with queso oaxaca.

The mixture freezes well for a few months.

Huitlacoche also makes an incredible filling for

homemade pasta raviolli. Sage, heavy cream, parmesan

cheese, spicy red pepper or chiles are all you really need

for an excellent tasting dish you'll not soon forget.

goodbye rain

2009-10-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

October in central Mexico means the end of the rainy season which arrives with a vengeance in early May. The rain turns a once dramatic, dried and yellowed landscape into pastures of green with violent seas of purple and approaching armies of tall silky corn stalks bulging with their fruit. To say goodbye to all the bright color and warmth of summer we took a trip to the lake with our dogs, Zorba (the big guy) and his son Leopoldo. Luckily we have a lot of beautiful parks here. The city where we live is not so nice, but I always say that at least it is easy to escape! The beaches of Guerreo are only a 3 hour ride to the west, mountains lush with pine trees and pyramids are only but an hour and a beautiful old hacienda turned into a park, 10 minutes.

cordorniz

2009-10-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

queso panela, hard boiled huevos de codorniz (quail) eaten with lime, salt and avocado.

warm eggs

2009-10-15T16:17:00.001-07:00

Before I bought this beautiful hand made egg basket I used to keep my eggs in the fridge, even though the stall in the market where I purchased them, sold them out of a crate which had been sitting out on a shelf, at room temperature. Though once I bought this basket, it got me to thinking, why I bother keeping my eggs in the fridge... because my mother always did so and the US government recommends it. All the more reason to leave them out and see what happens I say (my mini rebellions)! And if the entire country of Mexico is leaving their eggs out on the counter and no one is dying, it can't be all that bad, right?

The eggs are super fresh, brought in directly from the ranch (the key I think), so freshly laid that the shells even come with the occasional feather attached. The yolks are bright orangeyellow and the flavor, consistently wow! never have I had better tasting eggs.

Good Old Mexico

2009-10-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

My family it seems, has always come to mexico on vacations. I ran across these funny polaroids of my great grandparents Navy and Lorraine, exploring the wonders across the boarder in the 60's. And I have stories from another grandmother of Acapulco and San Miguel de Allende in the 50's. She used to tell me how inexpensive and beautiful it used to be in San Miguel. She said an artist friend of hers who, in the US was not very wealthy, could live like a queen in San Miguel with a house full of servants in a big old house with gardens. About Acapulco she'd say there would be exotic wild animals hanging around the pools of the hotels, crocodiles, tigers and monkeys while you sip your margarita.

work!

2009-10-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit neglectful to mexchic as of late because some really interesting work has come my way; designing a number of dresses for a film about the student massacre at Tlatelolco. A costume designer friend hires me on occasion when she needs some pretty dresses made and being a huge film buff, I typically drop everything I'm doing for the chance to work with her and the really interesting Mexican indie film projects she is hired to do. I've also been neglectful to my kitchen and love of cooking elaborate meals for us, and so my husband, not knowing how to fend for himself, yesterday brought home Burger King and today it's going to be Chicken Nuggets from the market... yikes!

black sheep red truck

2009-10-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

I've taken quite a few pictures of animals

in awkward situations, in Mexico there

always seems to be an animal where it

should not be, doing something animals

don't normally do. Here's a sheep taking a

ride in the bed of a red truck, speeding

passed us on a country back road.

a nose is only a nose

2009-10-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

She's a stunner, even without her nose.

oaxacan style

2009-10-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

We were just in Oaxaca for the 2009 Guelaguetza

and I have millions of photographs displaying the incredible handworked and varied regional costumes of Oaxaca for view front and center during the festival, but my favorites of the bunch, tended towards the more timeless and wearable, things I'd be able to use on a daily basis, such as the traditional huaraches, I saw many variations on these, one lady even had them in black patent leather, others wore fantastical colored skirts with rick rack, lace and embroidery, men in straw fedoras with a black ribbon and others carried colorful practical straw satchels.

the road to mitla

2009-10-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

The road to the pre-columbian ruins of Mitla in Oaxaca, is full of incredible things to experience and see. Weavers and mezcal distilleries are two of my favorite things and lucky me, we found this man weaving in a distillery, my kind of place. He was weaving what looked like a table runner, about 5 - 6 feet in length and about 2. 5 feet wide. He was working so quickly on the beautiful antique machine, I thought he might chop his fingers off while he was speaking with us and working at the same time; it takes him only 30 min to complete a piece.

good morning market

2009-10-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

cafe de olla, coffee brewed with piloncillo and canela (packed brown sugar and cinnamon) and pan dulce

cacao

2009-10-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

The brown/grey liquid inside this earthenware bowl is a Oaxacan delicacy called tejate, a prehispanic drink made from cacao and maize paste. It tastes something like a semi sweet watery chocolate milk and really refreshing on a hot summer day.

grand entrance

2009-10-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for dramatic entrances and this entranceway for the divine restaurant Casa Oaxaca in Oaxaca city, wins my heart for being completely beautiful in a totally modern way, seamlessly mixing old and new. The food is also just as smart. The dish I still can't get out of my head was a modern mexican take on caprese salad, pieced together instead with fresh queso Oaxaca, bright read roma tomatoes and a pesto made from chapulines aka, small Mexican grasshoppers. I keep meaning to recreate this and once I do, I will definitely post pics and a recipe.

pears in season

2009-10-05T08:56:00.000-07:00

The other weekend we were lucky enough to be invited to our friend Marco's ranch in Temoya, about a 1 hour drive from Toluca. His family, going back a few generations, all grew up here, it was once their hacienda of a few thousand hectares, set with a beautiful century-old house. When his father grew up the family decided to give the land back to the people who had worked it through and through. Marco's father kept a small portion of the land for himself, atop a hill where they have a stunning view of all they used to own.

On the property, they have a little pond with black fluffy ducks, beautifully plumed chickens, grazing sheep (not for eating, but rather from keeping the lawn turning unruly) a vegetable garden and a plethora of fruit trees of which the pear was ripe and ready to pick at the time we were visiting.

I returned home with about 6 pounds of pears and not having much of a sweet tooth, I wanted to make something a bit more savory than a tart, something which would use up the majority of the pears all at once and last a while in the fridge, and so I found a truly spectacular recipe for pear and rosemary butter on Epicurious.com.

My rosemary plant was needing a bit of a trim, vanilla beans, bought on a recent trip to Oaxaca were desperate to be used in something besides my morning coffee and I'd be able to use up all the pears at once, perfect. The only change I made to the recipe was for the pear juice, I decided instead of using store bought, which would be difficult to find here, I'd make my own, not to mention it would probably taste better and be healthier. It was out of this world, I've smothered it on buttered toast every morning for two weeks and I'm still not tired of it.

tattoo you

2009-10-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

An old poster from a Oaxacan tattoo parlor on an even older blue wooden door

doors

2009-10-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful door, this one is from the gorgeous city of Guanajuato. In this instance, the detailing around the door seems to be more interesting than the door itself...

the most indulgent chiles rellenos ever

2009-10-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

A good friend of ours has a mother who is by far the best and most creative cook I know. She is of Lebanese decent, was raised in Mexico and is Married to a Mexican, so her cooking influences are quite varied and interesting, usually combining the two cultures. When ever we visit their ranch in Atlacomulco, she has a weeks worth of food waiting for us to indulge upon.

The most brilliant dish she has ever prepared for us was an interesting take on the chile relleno. She politely refused to share the recipe with me, which I completely understood, as most of her delicacies are from closely guarded family recipes, generations old and to be handed down to the children. But she did kindly give me some general hints and then as I carefully ate the chiles I took mental notes of the other flavors she chose not to disclose. After eating the meal I then quietly and quickly ran up to the room to jot down notes of the meal (I'm obsessed, I can't help it!)

For her sake, I can't share the actual recipe, but I will share the general essence of the dish, as she did with I, and if you're at all adventurous, you'll probably be able to create your own perfect version of the dish within 1 or 2 attempts.

hints:

First off, the chiles to be stuffed are dried chipotle chiles, find the largest chiles you can, most of the markets only sell the smaller ones as people rarely use these for stuffing anymore. Sad but true as they are gems, bursting with flavor, the best chiles to stuff in my humble opinion.

To stuff the chile I pretty much follow Diana Kennedy's stuffing recipe for Chile Rellenos. It's divine, and very traditional, not to mention almost exactly what my friends' mother used to stuff hers. Sweet and savory, make sure not to forget the acitron. Fry them capeados.

And finally the sauce. This is the essence of the dish, the key ingredients being chipotle, piloncillo (the darker the better) and crema.

Sorry for the 1/2 recipe, but usually with cooking there's no need to be exacting anyways. Just be sure to taste everything along the way and if it tastes good, you're prob on the right path.

buen provecho! write to let me know how it turns out

hand-made

2009-10-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

Anything and everything which is hand sewn, hand painted, hand woven, molded, sculpted or baked, will draw me in. To bring something into existence, using actual hands, creativity and thoughtfulness rather than a mass production line is always more appealing, not to mention healthier for the environment and the soul. Also, more likely than not, the hand made stuff will stand the test of time aging gracefully, slowly revealing their true beauty. Case in point, this incredibly delicate fresco, hand painted a few hundred years ago, weathered and faded, but still around for us to admire. Located in the lobby of the very modern hotel chain, Camino Real, branch of Oaxaca City.

color

2009-10-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

Flowing skirts for sale on a Oxacan sidewalk

piggy

2009-09-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

A little piggy who has run away from home

nuts!

2009-09-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Hazel nuts just dropped from the tree and ready to eat in San Miguel de Allende

auacatenango drink recipe

2009-09-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

a good friend from guadalajara gave me this recipe for a northern mexican take on a classic michelada. this is a fantastic and refreshing drink to enjoy the last warm days before the cold of fall sets in

auacatenango recipe:

by mexchic

ingredients

1 light mexican beer such as corona, especial or estrella

1 tall beer glass rimmed with crushed sea salt

2 limes cut in half

1 large pinch of crushed chile de arbol (or dried red pepper flakes will do)

1 large pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1/4 avocado sliced (not too thinly)

2 generous dashes of maggie salsa

1 dash of tabasco

2 ice cubes

directions

squeeze lime juice into glass. add maggie, tabasco, crushed chile de arbol and black pepper along with the ice cubes and stir up mixture. gently place avocado slices into glass and pour beer. best enjoyed outside on a sunny day with friends.

intelligent design

2009-09-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

I love it when something commonplace is taken to incredible hights by someone creative. The Oaxacan graffiti artists StencilZone, ArteJaguar, and Bemba Klan are a few of the artists who are creating revolutionary inspired works on the walls of the city.

kahlo fakes?

2009-09-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

An interesting scandal over a trove of possible Frida Kahlo art works hits San Miguel de Allende. I wonder if carbon dating would work in this case? Instead of depending on curators and relatives of Kahlo and Rivera to authenticate it, why not first take the trove to scientists and see if the work is even old enough to have been hers... hmm. Will definitely follow this to see what happens.

the hills are alive

2009-09-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

During Central Mexico's rainy season, the hills come alive with the color purple, the reason is a flower called Flor Sylvestre (wild flower) which is akin to a purple petaled daisy. They smell sweet and innocent with a touch of honey. It's a sight to see while taking a drive, but to stop and run through them as though you were Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, well thats just another thing entirely. If you can, pick a bunch and take them home, they'll last about a week with water and will brighten up any old table.

margaritas

2009-09-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

San Angel Inn, located in the colonia of San Angel, Mexico City hands down has the most delicious margaritas known to exist, and I've had many a margarita in my time, call me a self proclaimed expert on the matter. Forget anything frozen, likening itself to a brain freeze slurpee from 7-11, this margarita on the rocks is served up proper. Shaken and poured into a small martini glass, it is elegant in its presentation and tastes simply sublime. The food at San Angel is not bad, nor is it amazing, but the scenery of the restaurant, an eighteenth century hacienda, with an open air courtyard flooded with flowers and fancy city folk makes it worth a visit.

here is a link to a photo of the experience

the most glorious flower

2009-09-25T15:06:00.001-07:00

Flor de Yuca, I believe. Lying against a wall waiting to be sold in San Miguel de Allende. Their scent is incredible and their white flower is a stunner. Would truly make a perfect flower to decorate a Mexican wedding.

virgin

2009-09-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

The pristine virgin beaches of Michoacan go on for miles and the views while driving along the coast are unbeatable. Beginning just after the port town of Lazaro Cardenas, the scenic highway 200, runs along the dramatic cliff-lined coast and makes for an unforgettable road trip. No hotels, fewer tourists, fantastic surfing and romantic sunsets all to your self. El Mirador restaurant, where this photograph was taken is one of the few places to eat along the way.

vocho, mi amor

2009-09-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

RIP the infamous green vocho taxis of DF

pambazo

2009-09-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

have you ever had a pambazo? bread filled with a chorizo potato mix, dipped in red salsa and deep fried, then smothered in crema and covered with cheese, you can't go wrong with this little grease bomb.

truck load

2009-09-24T09:31:00.001-07:00

in the bed of this truck:

3 people

5 donkeys (count them!)

2 goats

1 dog

truchas

2009-09-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

All though I grew up in Miami, I also consider the rich Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina home away from home.

We used to summer at grandmother's home which she had owned since the 50's. A perfect wooden A-frame, stocked with the musty smells of beautiful old books, my favorite was a creatively illustrated Goldilocks from the 1930's (wonder where that is now?) cigarette butts rimmed with her pert pink lipstick, whiskey (any kind would do), Mexican hand-painted amate paper framed in wood hanging on the walls, deviled eggs in the kitchen and us kids outside, playing in the foggy, rainy, beautifully lush, wet weather of summer.

I have incredibly fond memories of hiking up Whiteside mountain (watch out for bears they would say!), picnicking at sliding rock (so cold even in summer!) and hunting for wild flowers all while gobbling down wild strawberries, blueberries and blackberries we would find along the way. But my favorite thing by far, was fishing for trout. My sister, brother and I became so adept at catching them, my mother demanded that if we caught anymore we'd have to clean them ourselves. So graciously we obliged and each summer we'd eat way more trout than any black bear could ever want.

Flash forward 25 years to Central Mexico, and here I am, with all these memories of North Carolina and trout.

For my husband's birthday last year we took a day trip to a typical puebo called Sultepec. Along the way we stopped to eat at a small log cabin along the road's side for trucha (trout). And driving there, through the grand, smokey pine forests I was brought back to summers with grandmother in North Carolina, wild flowers, bumble bees, trout and all. And when I ate that sacred trout o' mine it was better tasting than I ever knew it could be, not to mention I was thrilled because I did not have to clean it.

gold!

2009-09-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

the cathedrals in mexico are usually so gilded in gold, one needs a pair of sunglasses to enter. this makes me incredibly happy, as i LOVE gold and am constantly inspired by their baroque fabulousness. hand-painted details such as this drive me especially wild.

doors

2009-09-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

another beautiful door

more from armando's studio

2009-09-18T12:06:00.001-07:00

Photos from painter's Armando Desigaud's & Liliana Vargas' studio in the center of Toluca.

doors

2009-09-18T11:56:00.001-07:00

I love photographing Mexican doors. There is just so much color from layers and layers of paint, to nooks and crannies, nails, decorative carvings, brass nicknacks and even graffiti, they're just asking to be noticed and admired.

obsession: la nueva babel

2009-09-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

Revolution, bohemia, mezcal, poetry, art and music are words that only slightly scratch the surface of describing the depth and wonderfulness that is the bar La Nueva Babel in Oaxaca city. Valente is the Mexican owner and our new best friend. Tell him Tomas and Christina sent you.

independence

2009-09-17T19:22:00.001-07:00

Went to a friends house to celebrate 15 de Septiembre, we brought tequila, they supplied bigotes (mustaches).

intimo cabrito

2009-09-17T18:42:00.001-07:00

This past wednesday we went to a fantastic traditional restaurant, El Intimo Cabrito, located on the highway going towards Toluca from DF, to enjoy a much needed day off. My husband ordered their famous crispy 'like butta' cabrito (goat slowly cooked in the oven) and i decided upon chiles en nogada, a traditionally patriotic and seasonal dish, being red, white and green and only properly made around September when walnuts and pomegranates, two of the main ingredients, are in season. This is by far one of my favorite things to eat because it's a full blown event of sweet, spicy, nutty, fruity and meaty ... I plan on cooking this for the first time later next week while I can still get the ingredients, Diana Kennedy has a wonderful recipe I'm going to use, can't wait!

color at armando's house

2009-09-17T13:13:00.001-07:00

Skeleton, wood and terra-cotta on the walls of our close friend and painters Armando Desigaud's and Liliana Vargas' house. They've cleverly renovated an old turn of the century house into an artist studio/living space and used as the primary wall color, terra-cotta red which i LOVE! Such and inspiring space. I'll be posting more pics of their house little by little.

guacamole recipe

2009-09-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

i know everyone has a guacamole recipe, but this one is tried and true, tested and then loved by all whose pallets it has graced.

guacamole recipe

by mexchic

1.5 avocados sliced in half, seeded and mashed into a bowl, keep 1 seed for later

4 tbsp minced red onion, add to bowl

1 vine ripe plum tomato chopped, add to bowl

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, add to bowl

1-2 chile serrano minced, add to bowl

1 lime's juice squeezed into bowl

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp chile piquin powder

salt to taste

stir, then add avocado seed into mix to keep the guacamole from turning brown and serve immediately with freshly fried tortilla chips and beer.

baby animal love

2009-09-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

i have a thing for donkeys, especially little nubby ones

color

2009-09-17T13:05:00.001-07:00

An old bathroom, full of color and character, from a ranch in Zacazonapan, Mexico

food love- best meals ever

2009-09-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

Aguila y Sol

Mexico City

September 2008

What: Black mole covering a duck breast which was stuffed with fois gras. i die.

hot hot hot!

2009-09-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

3 mules escaping the summer heat of Playa Ventura by resting in the much cooler shadows

required reading: Viva Mexico!

2009-09-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Viva Mexico! by Charles Macomb Flandrau

Viva Mexico! originally published in 1908, is written in the first person, in something of a mixed format of novel/ journal/travel guide, and describes what life is like living in Mexico on a ranch along with notes, tips and stories of how to travel about within the country. Flandrau also writes on what to expect so far as the Mexican people, customs and culture go, by relating through past experiences. At times the book might seem dated with stereotypical ideas typical of a turn-of-the-century European man of wealth dealing with the everyday problems of living without the comforts of the 1st world, though overall, I found his take rather respectful of Mexico, charming and ever grateful for his quiet dry wit. But no matter his struggles, he always seems to leave the situation with a greater understanding and a deeper love for the country. As did i after reading his book. I came across Viva Mexico! in old and rare book shop in Charleston, NC, precisely in the travel section. I'm not sure if it has been republished as of late, but if you're able to locate a copy, I highly recommend it.

Here are a few wonderful and funny (so dated and proper!) excerpts from Viva Mexico!

"Why people are the way they are is always an interesting subject on which to exert one's talents, however slight, for observation, and inference. On an isolated Mexican farm one spends many odd moments considering and attempting to explain the traits of the people who condescend to work for one."

"Conventionally speaking, traveling in Mexico is uncomfortable"

"The hotels, as a rule, are of two stories built around a tiles patio, full of flowers and plants, and open to the sky. The more expensive rooms have windows looking down upon the street, and in cold or gloomy weather have the advantage of being lighter and warmer than the others."

"The only edible butter in Mexico in made in Kansas, and can be bought in convenient one-pound packages in the city of Mexico, and also in some of the smaller towns. There is no objection whatever to your taking your own tea and butter, or anything else that contributes to your comfort, into the dining room of Mexican hotels."

"Few beds in Mexico have arrived at the sybaritic luxury of feather pillows. The national pillow is a narrow, long, unsympathetic contrivance tightly stuffed with hair, or something more unyielding."

"On the whole, I should not advise and invalid to go to Mexico, for i have met invalids there who, although they might not have been happy anywhere, stuck me as being for many unavoidable reasons more unhappy in Mexico than they would have been if they had sought a warm climate closer to home."

"In the kitchen doorway a very old, white bearded man was improvising poetry - sometimes sentimental, sometimes heroic, sometimes obscene - to a huddled and enthralled audience all big hats, crimson blankets, and beautiful eyes."

charango

2009-09-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

ninja plays the charango

cactus in bloom

2009-09-15T14:58:00.001-07:00

color

2009-09-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

I adore Mexico's beautiful hand painted signs and advertising, I found this one in Oaxaca city.

enchiladas recipe

2009-09-15T14:26:00.001-07:00

enchiladas en salsa verde - recetas familiar

by mexchic

This will more or less feed 4-6 starving fools with a bit of salsa let over for some chilaquilles in the morning

Salsa verde

I’ve taken 4 different salsa recipes and mixed them together to come out with what I think is the best salsa verde in existence! the original recipe is tomas’ mothers, another one is from one of Diana kennedy’s books, the third is from Salvador a Mexican friend in Miami (he’s originally from Chihuahua) and the last bits are from Pablo, a Lebanese- Mexican friend I have now.

(You can make the salsa up to 1 day in advance)

15 medium sized tomatillos (those little green tomatoes that come in a brown husk)- take the husks off and wash the tomatillos
6 serano chiles (for a medium state of spicy)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves– washed and roughly chopped
Ground Sea salt – 1tbsp
½ large white onion- sliced
2 garlic cloves- mashed with the side of a knife (not chopped)
¼ cup of white vinegar
¼ cup Vegetable oil for frying
Large frying pan filled with about ½ inch of water
Blender
A gas stove is best- or use a frying pan to blister ½ of the ingredients

directions

Place the large frying pan with water on the stove top, med-low heat. Place the onion, ½ the seranos and ½ the tomatillos in there—watch the tomatillos carefully—for about 8 -10 min. the tomatillos should be a little squishy but don’t let them loose the green color. If they become too yellowish, you will have salsa Amarillo—yellow sauce- instead! So make sure they keep green. When finished, set aside. Reserve the water—you’re going to use this to make the sauce later.

Take the other ½ of the tomatillos and the rest of the chiles and burn them out of them on the flame of the stove. Try to get them black all over-

Place all the tomatillos in a bowl (both the cooked and burnt ones) and place all of the the seranos together in a dish. get the blender ready. have the pan with the water onions and garlic, the tomatillos, seranos, the cilantro, vinegar and salt all near the blender. And get an extra empty bowl to store the sauce in after its been blended.

Begin the blending by adding cilantro, 4 tomatillos (2 cooked and two burnt) part of one clove, some onion, some vinegar, some salt and some of the water from the pan- blend it on high so its soupy and mixed well pur the sauce into the extra bowl. Repeat this until you’ve used all the sauce ingredients up—

Back at the stove now, place the oil in a large pot and heat up to high—when its hot and ready, pour the sauce into the pot slowly- and let it fry- until it rises to a full boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer and let it smmer for about 20 min to cook it down a bit to thicken it up. Will keep for a few days in the fridge. you can also freeze it, but try not to let it sit for more than a few weeks.

Enchiladas

This is recipe is all tomas’ mom….mariana

ingredients

5-6 medium sized cleaned chicken breasts
½ large white onion sliced
½ large white onion chopped well
½ large purple onion chopped well
2 garlic gloves
1 tsp salt
Pot for boiling chicken with enough water to cover boiling chicen
15-18 normal sized corn tortillas (if you can find them hand made, that is the best!)
Large 2 inch tall (or so) ovenproof baking dish
1 ½ cups Mexican crema- or crème fraîch or sour cream will do
2 cups cheese- the best is a mixture of queso oaxaca and queso fresco (you can usually find this at any latin grocery store- though if you have a specifically Mexican market in town, best to go there as the cheese will be fresher you can add a little parmesan for bite- also cheddar or jack- what ever you feel like, so long that it melts well…shred and cut up the cheese so it is in small cubes or pieces- and meltable
Large pan for frying
1 cup of vegetable oil for frying
10 paper towels folded in ½
Tin foil
6 limes halved or quartered
¼ cup cilantro cleaned and chopped

Directions

Boil water in pot and then place the chicken, sliced onion, garlic and salt into the pot. Cook until done. When finished set chicken on a place to cool. Once cooled, shred/pull the chicken apart with your fingers as thin as you can get it and set aside. You can keep the water for a stock or soup.

Heat up the oil in the fry pan on high heat. Once sizzling, place the tortillas in one by one for about 5 secs on each side- you want them to be fried but not crispy/hard. After each tortilla is fried, place it in the fold of a paper towel and then layer them as you fry onto the paper towels to soak out some of the oil and this also keeps them from getting hard.

Pre-heat the oven to about 350

At this point you need the salsa verde- place a ½ inch layer of salsa in the baking dish—- and form an assembly line with your ingredients, or just have them all in arms length of you- start with a tortilla, fill the middle section with the shredded chicken, roll it up, and then place it on one end of the pan. Repeat this until you’ve filled up the pan’s bottom forming a row of tortillas. Smear a good amount of crema over the top of the tortillas then generously sprinkle some chopped white onion on top of that, then smother cheese on top of the enchiladas. Then take a ladle and pour salsa verde over everything, make sure you get it all wet and juicy, because you don’t want to it to dry out in the oven. Begin again by placing another layer of chicken filled tortillas over the first layer and repeat the process covering it all again with more salsa verde- lots of it!….repeat this again if you have any left over tortillas and chicken, filling up even the sides of the dish if you need to.

Cover the dish with tin foil and place it in the oven for 15-20 min. you mainly want the cheese and crema to melt over everything.

Have little dishes with extra salsa (warm), limes, cilantro, creama and the purple onions, some crumbled queso fresco, and salt to serve…and some Mexican beer of course! Bohemia is a good one if you can find it.

Buen provecho!

tepache is for lovers

2009-09-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

tepache: pre-hispanic fermented sweet tasting pineapple drink served with chile piquin, minced onion and minced chile serrano. pour into a gourd and sip. while drinking your tepache, you should also eat some pepitas, little toasted and salted pumpkin seeds.

music

2009-09-15T14:17:00.000-07:00

chavela vargas

chapulines

2009-09-15T14:13:00.001-07:00

Forever silenced grasshoppers, otherwise known as chapulines in a market in central Oaxaca.

good morning, with love

2009-09-15T14:10:00.001-07:00

Very early every morning my husband and I are abruptly woken up to the sounds of the street. Everyone has a distinct instrument to let you know they're near. Trash collectors have the cow bell which they relentlessly ring on ever street corner as they slowly move forward. Tamale vendors use a megaphone and an ancient recording of an old fellow screeching in an inaudible crackly spanish "Tamales, tamales, tamales oaxacaquenos, tamales canarios, tamales de mole, verde y rajaaaaaaaaasssss!!!". Funny enough where ever in mexico we travel, we hear that same recording on every tamale vendor's cart. There must be a street vendor shop in Mexico City where they all buy it. There are trucks selling gas to fill up your stationary tank, most honk their horns as they drive slowly up and down each block, other large trucks selling dangerous, replaceable propane filled gas tanks have a loud mouthed driver (a definite requirement) who goes up to the door of each house and screams in a HUGE other worldly voice "GAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!". There's the indigenous woman who comes every Wednesday and Friday to sell me exquisite handmade blue and white corn tortillas. She screams my name "senora chrissssstiiiiinaaaaaaaa!" outside the great wall of the privada where we live because we don't have a door bell (hers is the only sound i don't mind). Then there are the men who drive around in an old blue, busted and rusted Ford F150, honking their horn while in unison, yelling "fiero viejooooooooooooooo!" which means 'old metal'. There are roosters too, including miniature farms a-top our neighbor's roofs, packs of feral dogs barking at people walking by, cars driving much too fast for a residential neighborhood- so you listen for the THUMP! of the back of the car hitting the large tope (speed bump) in front of our casita. Luckily, the large fuming local busses are on the next street over.

grinding the piñas

2009-09-15T14:04:00.001-07:00

An old mule takes part in the ancient grinding process of 8 day old burnt agave piñas, in making artisanal mezcal.

mezcal forever

2009-09-15T11:58:00.005-07:00

Oaxaca city is one of the most stunning gems on Mexico's golden corona. A culturally rich, beautifully preserved town brimming with artists, musicians, chefs and designers galore. It's heaven for the creative at heart and inspiration to the thousands of tourists who pilgrimage here in search of the 'real' mexico. And then there is the mezcal. That’s the other reason for a visit. Mezcal is the woody flavored, more artisenal (so the Oaxacans say) sister to tequilla and it is hand-made in typically, very small mezcalerias. Walking into a mezcaleria transports you back a few hundred years- the mules hard at work circling slowly around a massive stone grinder, huge wooden vats fermenting burnt agave, the wood burning ovens spewing smoke to heat the bubbling liquid inside delicate copper pots which slowly drips out the final product, a clear delicious beverage with an extremely woody essence. The flavor of mezcal is Oaxacan to the core. The best mezcal we drank was from the distillery Danzantes. Drink your mezcal with sliced oranges and sal de gusano, which is a ground powdered mixture of sea salt, a variety of dried chiles and dried gusano de maguey.