From My Kitchen

Recently I bought a bilingual cookbook of Mexican salsas that I found at Walmart.

This week I decided to make one of the recipes from the book.  I chose a roasted green sauce and bought the necessary ingredients at the market.

The recipe called for a half kilo (about a pound) of fresh "tomatillos".  "Tomatillos" are not just little unripe tomatoes.  They are a distinct plant native to Mexico that are very distantly related to the tomato.  They have been cultivated since pre-Hispanic times and were more important than the tomato in the cuisine of the Mayas and Aztecs.  They are covered with a papery husk.  The husks had already been removed when I bought them.

I also needed one quarter of a white onion, three serrano peppers, seeded and deveined, and three large cloves of garlic.

The recipe also called for a couple of tablespoons of chopped cilantro leaves.  I didn't add cilantro, not because I don't like the flavor, but because you have to buy a big bunch of it.  Most of it goes to waste.

I roasted the ingredients on a "comal"... a griddle used by all Mexican cooks.  I had purchased a "comal" at Woolworths some time ago.  The vegetables are roasted until they have become charred.

 

The ingredients are then put in a blender, although the author said that traditionally, everything was ground in a "molcajate", a mortar and pestle made of volcanic stone.  I have a "molcajete", so I decided to grind the salsa the old-fashioned way.  I added salt to taste.

The salsa came out very tasty.  When I make it again, however, I will opt for using the blender.  The "tomatillos" are difficult to grind by hand.  Although I like my salsa chunky, there were still pieces of "tomatillo" skin.  Nevertheless, the taste was very authentic, and I have been enjoying fresh green sauce all week.

The Birthday Boy

On Monday Alejandro's father, Pedro, celebrated his 86th birthday.  He generally doesn't like to leave the house.  However, occasionally we will drag him out to go to a restaurant for dinner, and he does seems to enjoy it.

After Alejandro's nephew got home from school, the four of us got in the car and went to pick up  Alejandro's sister, Sandra, at work.  We then continued on to Colonia Nápoles to a seafood restaurant called De Costa a Costa.  Alejandro and I have had breakfast there many times (it's only a couple of blocks from the apartment), but we have never had dinner there since I don't care for shellfish.  However, everyone else really likes seafood, so we decided to go there.

Pedro ordered ceviche, and he cleaned his plate.

Everyone was very satisfied with their meals.  I had salmon lasagna which was very good.

After dinner we drove through rush hour traffic back to the family house. Sandra, Alejandro and I then went to a bakery to buy a birthday cake.  We got a chocolate blackberry cake.

Of course, we sang "Las Mañanitas", the traditional Mexican birthday song.  The dogs joined in and nearly drowned out our singing.

 

Happy New Year!

Today is Chinese New Year.  This is the year of the snake, an animal which symbolizes wisdom in Chinese tradition.

Last Saturday we went to our favorite restaurant, Testal, for dinner.  Although it specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine, it is located in the heart of Mexico City's Chinatown.  When we left the restaurant we found the street closed to traffic and filled with people.  By pure chance we had stumbled upon the beginning of the annual Chinese New Year celebration.

There were people in costume, dragon dancers, pounding drums and crashing cymbals, and lots of fireworks.

Flowers

On one of my walks I passed by a fence that was covered with a vining plant.  The vines were covered with these orchid-like flowers.  I had no idea what they are, but they are certainly beautiful.

After publishing this photo, I was able to use Google's visual search to identify it.  It is a Thunbergia laurifolia, also known as a laurel clockvine or a blue trumpet vine.  It is native to India and Thailand, and in Asia it leaves are crushed and used for medicinal purposes.

Clueless

On one of my long walks I passed by the headquarters of the "Partido Popular Socialista" (Popular Socialist Party).  It seems ironic that their offices are located in Roma Norte... a trendy, gentrified neighborhood that is filled with expensive restaurants, art galleries and boutiques.  I stopped in my tracks when I saw the large banner that was hanging from the building, an enormous portrait of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

It baffles me how anyone, regardless of where they sit on the political spectrum, can look up to the repressive, illegitimate regime of that man.  In 2013, as Vice President, Maduro came to power upon the death of Hugo Chávez.  After more than ten years of his rule, the situation in Venezuela has gone from bad to worse.  The government has violated human rights and freedom of expression.  Crime is rampant. The economy is in shambles, with basic necessities such as food and medicine in short supply or non-existent.  Maduro has even lost the support of the poor, who had been the base of support for his predecessor Chávez.  In the 2024 election, Maduro claimed victory to serve another six year term even though it is probable that he received less than half as many votes the opposition candidate.

The "Partido Popular Socialista" needs to get a clue.  

Book Exchange

As you know, I do quite a bit of reading.  The books that I have read are starting to pile up.  What to do with them all?  

Some of them I could take with me on my next trip back to Ohio.  I have a friend and former colleague who is also an avid reader.  We always used to exchange books that we had read.  (In fact, I still have a few books that she had given me sitting on my bookshelf here in Mexico City.)

There are some bookstores here that buy used books.  However, when they saw that most of my books were in English, they were not very interested.

Last year, on one of my long walks, I passed an unusual little café with the equally unusual name of "Mi Vida en Bici" (My Life on a Bike).  

I addition to selling hot and cold beverages, pastries and light meals, they sell an eclectic variety of gifts.  According to some reviews I read, they sell bicycles, but those must be in the back.  They also have shelves lined with used books.  While you are seated at a table sipping a coffee, you can read one of the books.  Or, if you bring in some books to add to their collection, you can take some home.

So, last week, that is what I did.  I put four of the books that I had read into a shopping bag and walked about forty minutes to "Mi Vida en Bici".  I gave the books to the young lady in charge, and she was delighted to receive them even though three of the four were in English.

After walking that distance, I figured that I could depart from my diet.  I ordered a hot chocolate and a carrot muffin.  (Both were very good.)  I perused the book shelves and found one of them to be filled with books in English.  I picked up one of the paperbacks and started reading it while I had my snack.  It was an historical novel by Wilbur Smith, a South African novelist.  Years ago I had read a couple of his books that are set in ancient Egypt.  This one takes place in the 1600s during the English-Dutch Wars.  (I never knew that England and the Netherlands had been at war.)  The book seemed interesting, so I asked if I could take it home.  "Of course," she answered.  So, I headed back to the apartment, with a much lighter bag, and a book to add to my own bookshelf.

Another DVD for my Collection

It was in September of last year that I took my trip to Germany and Switzerland.  Recently, I finally finished making a DVD of my pictures from Germany.

 

After sorting through my photos and videos, I loaded them onto the video program that I have on my laptop.  I added background music (all classical music such as Mahler and Wagner), and then I burned the slide show onto a DVD.

Here are a few snippets from the DVD...

Frankfurt

Cologne Cathedral

Heidelberg

The "Residenz" Palace in Würzburg

I have started to sort through my pictures of Switzerland and creating a DVD of that portion of my trip.

It's Still Christmas

For all intents and purposes, Mexico's Christmas season ends with the Day of the Magi Kings (Epiphany) on January 6th.  However, the season technically ends with the Feast of Candelaria (Candlemas) on February 2nd.  So, it was no surprise that the Museum of San Carlos, Mexico City's museum of European art, is running a special exhibit entitled "Nativity" up until that date.  The show presents a number of paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries that depict the events of the Nativity.

Last week I paid another visit to the museum which is housed in an 18th century colonial palace, with a distinctive circular courtyard.

The Bible presents a very sketchy description of the birth of Jesus, so much was left to the painters' imaginations when they depicted those events, although there were certain norms that they were expected to follow.

Most of the pictures in the exhibit are done by anonymous artists.

 "The Annunciation"

circa 1530

"The Annunciation"

by Flemish painter Willem van Herp

circa 1650

"The Adoration of the Shepherds"

circa 1620

 "Adoration of the Shepherds"

artist and date unknown

  "Nativity"

by Spanish painter Sebastián Gómez

circa 1690

Who is the other woman?  Mary's mother?

The Bible only speaks of  "wise men (or magi) from the east", but in later centuries, details about the magi were created.  Because three gifts were given it is assumed that there were three of them.  Because their gifts were costly, it was assumed that they were kings.  They were even given names, and although the Bible says that they came from the east, in subsequent tradition, Gaspar came from Europe, Melchior came from the Middle East, and Balthasar came from Africa.

"Adoration of the Holy Kings"

artist and date unknown

"Adoration of the Kings"

16th century

"Adoration of the Magi Kings"

by Flemish painter Gerard Seghers

circa 1630

Construction and Destruction

It seems that the construction boom in Mexico City continues unabated.  New buildings are going up everywhere.  On my walks through the city, there are projects that I have been keeping track of, and, as you know, every so often, I do an update on new buildings.

Downtown, along Juárez Avenue, this apartment building is nearing completion.  It replaces a structure that was damaged in the 2017 earthquake.  The bottom floors are supposed to house a Porrúa Bookstore, replacing the store that was there before.

Just down the street work on this strikingly modern building continues.  It will house the National Agrarian Registry (whatever that is), and replaces an abandoned government building that was long an eyesore.

Meanwhile, along Paseo de la Reforma, another project seems to be stalled.  In 2016 an entire block was cleared as the site for the construction of the Torre Reforma Colon.  The planned 72-story building is supposed to be the tallest in the city.  Nine years later, the block is still surrounded by graffiti-covered barricades.

I peeked through a crack in the barricade, and although there are workers on the site, not much is happening.

I do not know the reason for the delay, but an article I found says that work is to resume this year and that the tower should be complete in 2030.

I walked around the entire block, and I saw this once elegant mansion within the construction site.  According to law, any building of historic or artistic value must be restored and incorporated into any new construction project.  Surely that is why it is still standing on this otherwise empty lot.

Farther down Reforma, the University Tower, nears completion.  The 58-story skyscraper will house luxury condos and is adjacent to a mansion built in 1904 that now houses the exclusive University Club.

Practically next door to the University Tower is a modern, but abandoned office building.  (In this photo, the University Tower appears to meld into empty structure.)

The building is obviously relatively new, but according to a sign hanging on the structure, it is slated for complete demolition.  Did it suffer structural damage in the 2017 quake?

Turning the corner onto Insurgentes Avenue is a building which definitely needs to be razed.  For more than a decade I have passed by this abandoned high rise that is an eyesore.

By typing in the address, I was actually able to find a newspaper article from 2022 about the building.  The 17-story structure was built in 1954, and originally housed the offices of an insurance company and then later a labor union.  It was abandoned due to structural damage (from the 1985 earthquake???).  The article stated that the property had been purchased by a group of entrepreneurs who planned to demolish the building and build an apartment tower.  That was two and a half years ago.  I would not doubt that government bureaucracy is holding up the process.

Finally here's a property that I knew very well.  On Amsterdam Street in the Condesa neighborhood there was an apartment building where I rented an Airbnb on eight different trips to Mexico City between 2014 and 2017.  The building was eventually demolished due to damage in the 2017 quake.  Every time I pass through the area, I look to see what is going on.  At long last, construction is going on in earnest.  There are always workers and a lot of construction equipment.  The last time I passed by, they were beginning excavation for the foundation of a new building, and a front loader was hauling dirt to a dump truck parked on the street.

   

In the Subway Station

Over the years, I have shown you some temporary art exhibits that were on display in Mexico City subway stations.  The downtown "Bellas Artes" station, however, has always had a permanent display of replicas of pieces from Mexico's pre-Hispanic civilizations.

The gruesome Aztec Mother Goddess Coatlicue with her necklace made of human hands and a heart.  The original sculpture was actually found during the excavation for the subway.

This is one of six figures from the Mayan city of Chichén Itzá which held up a sacrificial altar.

This figure from the Toltec civilization is known as a "Chac mool".  Sculptures such as this would be placed in front of temples, and offerings to the gods (such as human hearts) would be placed on the bowl over its stomach.

This figure of a woman comes from the Huastec culture along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

These are reproductions of paintings found in the Mayan city of Bonampak, deep in the tropical rainforests of southern Mexico.

Learning the Meaning of "Tacky"

Last weekend Alejandro and I dropped in on the annual "DecoEstylo" Expo at the World Trade Center, the largest exposition of home decor in Latin America.  I went to it last year, so I knew what to expect, but Alejandro had never gone.  Admission was free, and we had some time to kill, so we went in.  The furniture for sale was not bad, but most of the home decor was for people who have more money than taste.  I asked Alejandro if he knew the meaning of the word "tacky".  He looked it up on the translator on his phone.  The first meaning that appeared was for "sticky", and then came the meaning for "in bad taste".  The word in Spanish is "cursi".

This display at the entrance is an example of "cursi".

It is actually for sale, although I have no idea where you would put it, much less WHY you would want it.

This Christmas tree makes the aluminum trees of yore look positively classy.

And what's with those ceramic sculptures of platform boots?

How about a blue metal chair for only 320 U.S. dollars?

In all fairness, not everything at the exposition was tacky.  We both liked this black, glass dinnerware manufactured by Luminarc, a French company.  I don't need a set of dinnerware, but I did buy a nice salad bowl.

Working Out

Mexico City is one of the food capitals of the world.  There are countless restaurants and food stalls everywhere.  It would take a lifetime to sample every establishment.  Of course there are Mexican restaurants, authentic Mexican food, not Tex-Mex, and all of the country's distinct regional cuisines are represented.  Beyond Mexican cookery there is an enormous range of international foods.  In my neighborhood alone I could take a culinary tour of Italy, India, Poland, China, Spain, Argentina, the Middle East and more.  Is it any wonder, that with so much good food, after a year of living here, my waistline has expanded.  After the holidays, I weighed myself and decided that this has to stop.

I had considered joining a gym, but then I remembered the neighborhood park just a few blocks away.  It has a fitness area with a number of exercise machines.

No, they are not the modern, state-of-the art equipment you would find in a private gym, but they serve the purpose.  And the setting, amidst the greenery of the park, watching families strolling with their children, people walking their dogs, guys playing basketball at the adjacent court, is very pleasant.  I have started my third week coming here.  My goal is to spend at least a half hour exercising four days a week... in addition to the walking that I do most days.

The first week that I was here I discovered another advantage to coming here.  I had forgotten that every Thursday there is a "tianguis" (outdoor market) around the periphery of the park.  I can stock up on fresh vegetables.  Their produce is certainly better than what I find at Walmart!

A couple of items in this photo that you won't see at the supermarket in Ohio...

squash blossoms, which are used in many Mexican recipes, and "nopales", the pads of the prickly pear cactus.  The thorns are thoroughly removed, and they are served as a very healthy vegetable.  (Although neither are favorites of mine.)

   

A Rare Afternoon Sighting

Usually the only time I am able to see the volcanoes from the roof of Alejandro's family's house is in the morning when the peaks are silhouetted against the pre-dawn sky.  Yesterday afternoon, however, Alejandro returned from running some errands, and he told me that the volcanoes were visible.  I went up to the roof shortly before sunset and I was able to see them.  Both were snow-covered.

Popocatépetl

Iztaccíhuatl