Fair of the World

Last Saturday, Alejandro and I went to an event called "Feria del Mundo" (Fair of the World).  We are pretty sure that this was the same event that we were unable to attend last May since the streets around the National Palace were blocked off due to pre-election protests.  This time the fair was held far from the Historic Center at the Museum of Popular Cultures in the southern district of Coyoacán.

Alejandro at the entrance to the museum

Booths representing different countries were set up in the open areas of the museum.  There were supposed to be more than fifty countries, but I think that there were far less.  The booths sold handicrafts, souvenirs and food from their respective nations.

  

A lady dressed in the native attire of Korea

I chatted with this lady at the Ecuador booth.  From my trip to that country many years ago, I recognized her attire as that of the indigenous Otovalo people who are famous for their handwoven woolen textiles.

One of the reasons that I wanted to come to this event was to see if there were any dolls for sale.  You may recall that I send dolls to the daughters of a friend.  I hoped that I would be able to buy some dolls from countries other than Mexico.  I got a doll from the Czech Republic (shown below) and one from Colombia.

The event was very crowded, but when we went into the food tent to get something to eat, it was even more crowded.

We did, however, manage to get a tasty German sausage sandwich and a delicious "croque monsieur" from the French stand.
 

 

Dinner at the "Privada Roja"

As I wrote at the end of the last post, I planned to have dinner at a historic building called "Privada Roja".  The word "privada" means a private street.  This structure, which was built in 1907 consisted of a long alleyway which was lined on either side with fashionable apartments.  In the 1960s the building fell into disrepair when it was taken over by squatters.  In 1993 legal action was taken to evict the illegal residents, and work began on restoring the "privada".  Today it houses three restaurants, a couple of art galleries, and Airbnb rentals.  It was used as a film location for some scenes from the movie "Frida" with Salma Hayek. 

 I ate at one of the restaurants, a place called "Mimbre".  Its menu offers a mixture of Mexican and Italian dishes.  It is also a bakery, and even though it was not breakfast time, I was offered sweet bread.  I chose a "chocolatín" (the Mexican equivalent of the French "pain au chocolat"), and it was excellent.

As a starter, I ordered a tray of three "sopes".  "Sopes" have a fried corn dough base with the sides crimped up to hold fillings.  These "sopes" were filled with beef, sausage, caramelized onions, cheese and "crema".  They were outstanding.

For my main course I had a breaded chicken cutlet, covered in tomato sauce, manchego cheese and pesto.  It was very good also.

The word "mimbre" means wicker.  As a souvenir, patrons receive a tiny wicker basket.  With it came a piece of paper similar to what you would find in a fortune cookie.  The humorous proverb said, "Never put off for tomorrow what you could do the day after tomorrow."

 

It was a good restaurant, worth a return visit.

Back to San Rafael

Some time ago I wrote about the "colonia" of San Rafael in Mexico City.  I wandered around the neighborhood one afternoon and found it an interesting area.  I told myself that I needed to return and do some more exploration.  I did that last Thursday after doing some investigation on Google Maps.

My first stop was the Church of Saint Cosme and Saint Damián on the northern edge of the neighborhood. 

The parish was founded in 1524, just three years after the Spanish conquest.  A hermitage and a hospital for natives were built here.  The hospital was abandoned due to lack of income, but in 1593 the Franciscan order took over and established a monastery.  In 1672 work on the present church was begun.

Currently the entrance is colorfully decorated because the Pope declared this a Holy Year for the church.

The decorations include representations of "ex-votos", the medals and small paintings which people have made in thanks for answered prayers.

"Thank you, Saints Cosme and Damián for taking away this headache which the devil provoked in me."

"Thank you, Virgen of Solitude because at last I have a home in which to live."

When I entered the church, I was immediately impressed with the main altarpiece, one of the most beautiful that I have ever seen in Mexico City.

It dates from the 18th century and is an example of Churrigueresque art, the ultra-baroque style that was popular in Mexico in that era.  The altarpiece originally was in the Church of San Joaquín de Tacuba and was moved to this church.  It was restored a few years ago.  First, it was cleaned.  Years of dust and grime were removed.  Then the statues of the saints were repaired.  Cracks were filled, missing fingers were replaced, and the statues were repainted.  Finally, 22 karat gold leaf was applied to the carvings.  The finished product is dazzling.

The church has been lovingly maintained, but next door is a building which stands abandoned and in decay.  The Cine Opera used to be one of Mexico City's largest and most beautiful movie theaters.

The art deco building was opened in 1949 during the Golden Age of the Mexican Cinema.  The theater declined in the 1970s and 1980s and was finally closed in 1998.

Peering through the gate at the doors of the theater

As a piece of historic architecture, the building is now government property belonging to the National Institute of Fine Arts.  There are plans to restore the building and create a cultural center, but work has not yet begun.

San Rafael was once known as the Broadway of Mexico City because of its many theaters and cinemas.  A few theaters still remain.  Just a few doors down the street from the Cine Opera, is the Manolo Fabregas Theater which still presents stage productions. 

Continuing down the street there are many homes which were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Some are in a sad state of abandonment while others have been beautifully restored.

A few blocks farther down the street is a brick building more than a century old that is called the "Privada Roja"

This was my final destination in San Rafael and where I was going to have dinner.

Above Average

It has been a rainy July in Mexico City.  With more than a week left in the month, we have already exceeded the historical average of rainfall for the month.

 As you can see from this screenshot from the Weather Channel, we have had almost eight inches of precipitation so far (actually more than eight inches since we had a brief but heavy shower an hour ago).  The average for July is 7.2 inches.

That is good news for the drought-stricken country and for the city which was going to run out of water.  The rain has been widespread, so hopefully, the lakes and reservoirs are filling up.  The downside is that drainage in the city is inadequate, and with heavy rains some streets become flooded.  One notorious example is the freeway by the airport.  There was also a tragedy just a block away from where I live.  During one of the storms, a tree fell and killed a woman who was sitting in her parked car.  The rain is welcome, but we don't want sad stories such as that.    

After All These Years

The last destructive earthquake to hit Mexico City was on September 19th, 2017, when 228 people perished and more than 40 buildings collapsed.  There are still empty lots in the city where collapsed or damaged buildings were cleared away.  An apartment building where I used to rent an Airbnb, although still standing after the quake, was eventually torn down because of structural damage.  I sometimes make a point of passing by there, and although you can see some construction material and equipment beyond the barricade, the lot remains vacant.

Amazingly, nearly seven years after the quake, I come upon the ruins of this building while walking around the same neighborhood.

 

Another Salsa

Last week I made another kind of salsa.  This one goes by a number of names.  It is often called "pico de gallo" (rooster's beak), although that name is also used for a salad made of jicama and orange.  It is also called "salsa cruda" (raw sauce) because the ingredients are not cooked, or "salsa mexicana" because the ingredients are the colors of the Mexican flag.

It is very easy to make.  It was the very first item of Mexican cuisine that I learned to make many decades ago. After I returned from studying at the University of the Americas in Mexico for three months, I missed the flavors of genuine Mexican cooking.  The wife of one of my Spanish professors in Ohio taught me how to make this simple salsa.   All you do is mix together chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, and a chopped jalapeño pepper.  Then add lime juice and salt to taste.  It's a wonderful garnish on top of many dishes.

I Want a Tortilla!

 Alejandro's family has two dogs, Pepe and Iztac.  They both love tortillas.  Alejandro's sister snapped this photo while he was separating the stack of tortillas (so that they don't stick together).  Pepe and Iztac are watching intently, hoping that they might get a treat.

Someplace Different

On Sunday mornings Alejandro and I usually go out for breakfast at a nearby branch of a chain of restaurants called "Toks".  The food is good, and by this time the waitresses all know us.

On our way down Insurgentes Avenue to "Toks" we pass this hotel, Hotel Novit.

  

I have read that the hotel's restaurant, "Aktuel", is supposed to be quite good.  We kept saying that we should try it out sometime for breakfast.

So, last Sunday, we finally went there.  We were seated in the outdoor courtyard.  (They also have tables indoors.)  Our waiter recommended the breakfast buffet which they serve daily, not just on weekends.  They had a good selection of items, and everything was tasty.  The service was very good, and the price was reasonable.  

The only problem was that we ate too much!  By early evening when we went out for dinner, we still were not hungry.

The place will not replace "Toks".  (In fact, we went to "Toks" this morning.)  However, from time to time we might go back to the hotel restaurant for a change of pace.

Pyramid on the Plaza

Saturday of last week, after our great dinner at "Testal", we walked to the main plaza, the Zócalo, where there was going to be a light and sound show.  A replica of the pyramid of the Mayan city of Chichén Itzá had been erected for the show.

We arrived around 7 P.M.  The show was to begin at eight, and there was already a crowd gathered.  We waited patiently until dusk when they began testing the lights for the program.

The show dealt with the Mayan civilization, and Felipe Puerto Carrillo, the socialist governor of the state of Yucatán from 1922 until his death in a coup d'état in 1924.  

Puerto Carrillo confiscated land from the large haciendas and distributed it to Mayan peasants. He built public schools, granted women political rights, published all laws in the Mayan language as well as in Spanish, and began the conservation and restoration of archaeological sites such as Chichén Itzá.  When he supported a rebellion against President Alvaro Obregón, he was captured, tried and executed by a group of army officers.  This is the centennial of his death, and the President has declared 2024"The Year of Felipe Puerto Carrillo".

Alejandro said that there were a number of historical errors in the narration of the program.  I objected to the speeches given by politicians prior to the show. They were largely propaganda extolling the ruling party.  I almost felt as if I were in Cuba.

The First of the Season

If you have read this blog over the years, you know that our favorite restaurant in Mexico City has long been "Angelopolitano".  Unfortunately, in our last several visits there it seems that the quality of the food has gone downhill.  Even their signature dish "chile en nogada" is not up to their usual standards.

"Chile en nogada", a poblano pepper stuffed with meat, fruits and nuts, covered with a cream walnut sauce, and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds, is the national dish of Mexico.  It is traditionally served for Mexican Independence Day (September 16th) because the colors of the dish... green pepper, white sauce and red pomegranate seeds... are the colors of the Mexican flag.  It is also during the summer and autumn months that the walnuts and pomegranates are in season.  "Angelopolitano" is one of the few restaurants that serve "chile en nogada" all year long.  Most places have it on the menu for a limited time, usually in August and September.

Several weeks ago, I wrote about a restaurant called "Testal" that we discovered.  It serves traditional Mexican cuisine, and it was so good that we thought that we had found a new favorite to replace "Angelopolitano".  When we were there, the waiter told us that they would soon begin serving "chiles en nogada".  So, last Saturday, after visiting the "Touristic Festival", we decided to go back to "Testal" to see if they had begun serving the "chiles".

Sure enough, outside the restaurant there was a sign announcing that the season had arrived.

The menu had a special insert with their offerings for the season.  In addition to the traditional "chile en nogada", they have a vegetarian "chile" with mushrooms instead of meat.  They also have an enchilada that is filled with the "chile en nogada" stuffing.

As usual, we began our meal with soup.  Alejandro had bean soup which was very good.

I had the soup that Alejandro had ordered the last time that we were here.  Half the bowl was filled with cream of corn, and the other half with a cream of "huitlacoche" (corn smut, a delicacy similar to truffles).  It was superb.

By the way, the crusty rolls known as "bolillos" were also excellent, just as good as the ones they serve at "El Cardenal".

Of course, for our main dish we both ordered the "chile en nogada", our first of the season.

The "chiles" were scrumptious, every bit as delicious as they used to be at "Angelopolitano".

Along with our main course, we received little pieces of paper saying that our "chiles" were numbers 386 and 387 that they had served this season.

We also received a paper giving the history of this dish.  The walnut sauce dates back to medieval Europe.  The stuffing of chopped meat with fruits also has its origins in the Middle Ages.  The poblano pepper has been cultivated in Mexico since pre-Hispanic times.

When Mexico won its independence from Spain, Agustín de Iturbide, who had led the Mexican forces to victory against the Spanish, briefly ruled the country as emperor.  Using the walnuts and pomegranates which were in season, on August 28th (the Feast Day of St. Augustine) of 1822, the nuns of a convent in Puebla, created this dish to honor the Emperor's Saint's Day.  Iturbide was soon deposed, but this dish with its patriotic colors remained the national dish. Most people north of the border think that Mexican cooking is nothing more than tacos, enchiladas and various Tex-Mex dishes, but in fact, there is nothing more Mexican than "chiles en nogada".

We ended our dinner with a delicious, although non-Mexican, dessert.  We shared a large slice of tiramisu between layers of crepes.

Move over "Angelopolitano".  This wonderful dinner clinched it.  Our new favorite is definitely "Testal".  The waiter told us that they will serve "chile en nogada" until October, so we have time to return... and return again... for more of this most Mexican of dishes!