Another Birthday Party

On Saturday Alejandro and I went to his aunt's house to celebrate the birthday of Felipe, one of her grandsons.

Alejandro's aunt made "pozole", a traditional soup made with pork and hominy and garnished with raw onions, shredded cabbage and radishes.

Then there were home-made tamales, made by Felipe's mother.  And of course there was a birthday cake.  Mexican cakes always look so much prettier than typical birthday cakes in the United States!

Here are Felipe and his sister and parents.

At gatherings such as this my brain is struggling to keep up with the rapid-fire conversations going on all around me, and I end up looking something like a quiet wallflower.  I also struggle to keep track of Alejandro's extended family, but slowly I am starting to keep their names straight.  Nevertheless it was a fun evening with delicious food and warm hospitality.

Marathon

This morning Alejandro and I were heading to a nearby restaurant on Insurgentes Avenue for a late breakfast when we saw that the avenue was closed off and that the running of the Mexico City Marathon was underway.  

The marathon had around 40,000 participants, and it is ranked as the 9th most important marathon in the world.  The race began before dawn at the city's main plaza, the Zócalo, headed through the historic center of the city, down the Paseo de la Reforma, through the ritzy neighborhood of Polanco, through Chapultepec Park and then the Roma and Condesa neighborhoods.  The runners continued down Insurgentes Avenue (just a couple blocks from my apartment) all the way to the finish line within the Olympic Stadium on the campus of the National University of Mexico.

We stood on Insurgentes for at least an hour, watching and cheering the runners as they passed by.  At that point the serious competitors had long since passed by and finished the race.  The people that we saw were ordinary participants... men and women, young and old, those who were athletic and those who were not very physically fit.  Some were running, some were jogging, and at this point, well over half way through the race, many were simply walking.  

We applauded, and gave the participants "thumbs-up" and "high-fives" as they passed.  It is a wonder that Alejandro didn't go hoarse since he was encouraging them by name with shouts of "¡Vamos!" (Go!) and "¡Animo!" (roughly translated as Courage! or Hold on!)

I had not brought my camera with me.  (I should never leave the apartment without my camera.  One never knows what one will see in Mexico City!)  Fortunately, Alejandro was able to capture some pictures and video with his phone.

Near us, someone had made a sign with a bull's-eye that said "Touch for energy".

We later watched a YouTube video of today's TV coverage of the race.  The winner was an Ethiopian runner named Fikadu Kebede.  The winner of the female competitors was Gladys Tejeda from Peru.  Her time of just over 2 hours and 36 minutes was an all time record for women in this event.

 

Brit-Mex Fast Food

One of my favorite foods in England is the pasty, the baked pastries filled with meat and vegetables that are a staple with the miners of Cornwall.  The pasty made its way to Mexico when Cornish miners came to work the mines in Real del Monte in the state of Hidalgo.  Throughout Hidalgo and especially in Real del Monte you will find many shops selling the pastries which in Mexico are called "pastes".  Over time they became "Mexicanized" with fillings such as "mole" and "chorizo".

I was in historic center of Mexico City and wanted something for lunch.  I came across a little fast food restaurant called Kiko's Pastes.  I went inside and waited in line to place my order.  They quickly put my "pastes" in little bags, and placed them on a tray to carry to a table.

My "pastes" were quite good; the dough was very flaky.  I was quite satisfied with my fast food lunch, but then I went to the restroom.  It was atrocious... no soap, no towels, no toilet seat.  It gave me second thoughts about returning here.

Music on the Street

Music is everywhere in Mexico.  Here are three examples all within a block of each other on or near Mexico City's main plaza.

A classical violinist...

An opera singer...

Most common of all are the organ grinders.  I will usually drop a five peso coin into the hat of one of them each day.  But just one!  Otherwise I would not have any coins left!  Some of them I purposely avoid because they are so preoccupied with asking passersby for money that they aren't paying attention to cranking out the music.

Craving Satisfied

I reported earlier that Alejandro and I were going out for supper at our favorite restaurant, Angelopolitano, this evening.  They have the very best "chiles en nogada".  We were a bit uncertain whether or not the restaurant was still in business because the last time we went there the place was closed.  I am happy to report that the restaurant was not only open, but busier than usual.  And the "chiles en nogada" were "absolutamente exquisitos"!.

(photo by Alejandro)

They're Everywhere!

A while ago I wrote about Mexico's culinary masterpiece, "chiles en nogada", the stuffed poblano peppers covered with walnut sauce and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.  I wrote that Alejandro and I had gone to a new restaurant expressly to try their "chiles en nogada".  Although they were good, they were not up to our high standards.

"Chiles en nogada" is the traditional dish for Mexico's Independence Day, and most restaurants serve them only in August and September.  It's been a long, long time since I have been in Mexico City in August, and I was rather surprised to see how restaurants everywhere are advertising their "chiles".  It is really a big thing.

I started taking photos of the signs announcing that the "chiles en nogada" season is upon us.

Perhaps you would like a margarita with your "chiles en nogada"?

Even this Italian restaurant is getting into the act with their own style of "chiles".

I'm not sure that I would care for that.  "Chiles en nogada" is a classic that should not be tampered with!

All of this advertising has me in the mood for "chiles en nogada" again... really, really good "chiles" this time.  The best ones that Alejandro and I have had are at one of our favorite restaurants, "Angelopolitano".   "Angelopolitano" specializes in the cuisine of the city of Puebla (which is where "chiles en nogada" originated), and they serve the "chiles" all year long.  On my last trip to Mexico City, we went to the restaurant one evening and found it to be closed.  We are hoping that it has not gone out of business.  Tonight Alejandro and I are going there again to see if it is open... and, if it is open, even though there are so many wonderful dishes on the menu, there is no question as to what we are going to order!

Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Independence Day Is Just Around the Corner

In an earlier post I wrote that Mexico's vast, central square, the Zócalo, was closed off with barricades while the plaza was being repaved and the drainage improved.

The Zócalo a couple weeks ago

It now appears that the work is nearly complete.  Although you still cannot enter the plaza, most of the barricades are down, and the streets around the square are being repaved.  A policeman told me that the project should be finished by next week.

It dawned on me that it was essential that the work be completed soon.  On September 15th, the eve of Independence Day, the Zócalo is crammed with thousands of people celebrating the holiday.

The President of Mexico appears on the balcony of the National Palace, gives the "Grito (Cry) de Independencia", and rings the historic bell which Father Hidalgo rang in 1810 to begin the struggle for freedom from Spain.

I also noticed that they are in the process of putting up the decorations for Independence Day.

I will be back home in Ohio before then, but even if I were here for the holiday celebration, I am not sure that I would join the crowds on the Zócalo.  It's similar to New Year's Eve on Times Square... way too many people.