The Last Ones for This Year

 After we saw the towering "catrina" on the Zócalo the Sunday before last, we thought about having dinner downtown.  Given the enormous crowd on the Zócalo, I figured that all the restaurants would be jammed.  However, Alejandro suggested our favorite place, Testal.  Perhaps it would be far enough from the madhouse on the main plaza that a table would be available.  Indeed, we arrived there, and we were seated immediately.  Not only that, but the hostess informed us that it was the last day that they were serving that masterpiece of Mexican cuisine, "chile en nogada".  I knew that Testal was going to serve the dish which is traditional for Mexican Independence Day (September 16th) well into October, but I did not expect it to still be available on November 1st!

So it was obvious what our choice for the main dish was going to be.  For a starter, Alejandro ordered soup, but I had "fideo seco".  Thin, vermicelli-like noodles are simmered in sauce until the liquid is absorbed.  Testal's version is garnished with cream, avocado slices and covered with a black bean sauce.

It seems that the dish is presented in such a way as to resemble Mexico City's iconic axolotl.

Then came the main course.  

We have had "chile en nogada" in many restaurants.  For a long time our favorite place was a restaurant called Angelopolitano.  But it seemed to us that their "chiles" were not as good as before, and the last time we were there they were rather stingy with the walnut sauce.  Then we found Testal, and for the last couple of years, it has been our choice for the best "chiles en nogada" in town.

Each "chile" comes with a tag that says how many have been served that season.  Mine was number 4819, and Alejandro's was 4820.

After the "chile" has been devoured, the skeleton face on the restaurant's beautiful Talavera plates is revealed.

After we finished, our waiter told us that ours were the very last "chiles" left.  We really lucked out!

A Taste of the U.K.

Last weekend, Alejandro and I walked about 25 minutes to the nearest branch of "City Market", a chain of upscale supermarkets.  A couple years ago, to celebrate Oktoberfest, they had a wide variety of imported products from Germany.  I had stocked up on some items that are hard to find here such as jars of sauerkraut and wide egg noodles.  (The noodles are not just hard to find; they are impossible.)  I thought perhaps "City Market" would be repeating the event, which is why I suggested that we go there.

Well, there was no Oktoberfest, but they were having a Festival of the U.K.   We posed at the iconic red phone booths that were set up at the entrance to the store.

At the endcaps of each aisle there were products imported from the U.K.  There wasn't a lot that interested me, although I did pick up a box of oat ginger cookies from Northern Ireland.  Then we passed the bakery section, and we saw that the in-house bakery had made scones.  So we bought five scones for ourselves and Alejandro's family.  Of course, if you want to be truly British, you need clotted cream for your scones.  We did some more looking, and we finally found banana flavored clotted cream in a jar.  At breakfast the next day we ate scones.  They weren't bad, but the clotted cream, not surprisingly, was a disappointment.  It did not taste of bananas at all.  It was very lemony.  It was not like having fresh clotted cream in England!

Mexican-Italian

Last Saturday, we went out for dinner at La Posta, an Italian restaurant where we have eaten many times in the past.  On the table there was an advertisement for a couple of special dishes that weren't on the menu.  These dishes were a fusion of Italian and Mexican cuisine.  I assume that they started offering them in September for Mexican Independence Day.

"Follia Messicana" means "Mexican Madness" in Italian.

The first dish listed was "Lasagna de Chicharrón".  Instead of lasagna noodles, it had "chicharrón" (pork rinds) and instead of a tomato sauce it was covered in "salsa verde".

The second dish was "cannelloni" stuffed with chicken and covered with almond "mole" and "crema".

I'm not particularly fond of pork rinds, but the "cannelloni" sounded interesting.  So I ordered that.

It was delicious.  The "mole" was very good.  Alejandro, who is something of a "mole" connoisseur, had a taste, and it met with his approval.  Obviously the chef is skilled in Mexican cuisine as well as Italian.  I doubt that it will be available for much longer, but I would definitely order it again if they still have it the next time we go there.

Last Meal in Ohio

My last evening in Ohio I had dinner by myself at a local Indian restaurant called the Saffron Patch.  Indian cuisine is one of my favorites.  We have a very good Indian restaurant in Mexico City just a couple blocks away from the apartment.  However, my introduction to Indian food was at the Saffron Patch many years ago.

As a starter I ordered "paneer pakora".  "Paneer" is an Indian version of cottage cheese, and "pakora" is a fried fritter.  These fritters were stuffed with chutney.  It was served with dipping sauces of mint and of tamarind.

For my main course I ordered chicken tikka masala, one of the best known Indian dishes, but one which probably did not originate in India.  It is thought to have been created by a South Asian chef in Great Britain.  It is debated who exactly invented the dish, but it has become one of the most popular dishes in Britain.

Along with the tikka masala I had garlic naan, Indian flatbread.  To drink I had a mango lassi, a traditional yogurt based drink.

The meal was very tasty, and I am glad to see that the quality of the restaurant remains as good as I remember.

No Lunch for Me

After I was done voting at the Board of Elections, I thought about stopping somewhere for a bite to eat.  I really wasn't hungry, but I wanted to take advantage of a very unique place in downtown Cleveland.

On the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 9th Street is a historic building which was the former headquarters of the Cleveland Trust Bank.

This architectural gem was constructed in 1907.  The interior features a dramatic rotunda and mural paintings.  In 2015, Heinen's, an upscale chain of supermarkets in the Cleveland area, opened a store here.  It was called one of the most beautiful grocery stores in the country, and became a tourist attraction.  In the prepared foods section, there were tables where you could enjoy lunch in this magnificent setting.

I had eaten there a few times in the past when I was downtown, and I walked over to Euclid Avenue to have some lunch. Imagine my disappointment to discover that the store closed permanently just a few months ago.

It would seem that a downtown grocery store would be a great asset given the growing number of people living here.  However the growth of delivery services such as DoorDash made the store economically unsustainable.

I then remembered that there were food trucks on Public Square, so I headed down there.

However, lunch hour was over, and by the time I reached Public Square, the food trucks were driving away.

I crossed over to Terminal Tower to take the train back to the suburbs.

Oh well.  I usually only eat two meals a day, and as much as I had been eating on this trip, I really could do without lunch! 

Fine Dining in Cleveland

You don't often think of Cleveland, Ohio, as a center of fine dining, but the city is indeed gaining a reputation for its wide variety of excellent food, from the ethnic food stalls at the West Side Market to elegant "haute cuisine" restaurants.  

I have been spending some time at the home of my friends Katie and Olivier.  Katie is a French teacher and was one of my colleagues way back before I retired.  Her husband Olivier is originally from France.  They both know French cuisine, so when they recommended a restaurant on the east side of Cleveland, I figured that the food would be top notch.

The restaurant, which is called "Edwins", has a unique story.  The chef, Brandon Chrostowski, studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, and he worked at prestigious restaurants in Chicago, Paris and New York before coming to Cleveland.

In his youth, Chrostowski had a run-in with the law.  When he came to Cleveland he established a non-profit organization called "Edwins Leadership and Restaurant Institute"  (Edwin is his middle name, and it is also short for Education Wins.)  He trained former prison inmates in order to give them them a second chance.  In 2013 he opened his own restaurant, and all of the staff are "graduates" of his training program.

"Edwins" is located in Cleveland Heights in an old building that used to be a jazz club.  The decor is very elegant, and there was live music.

Olivier and Katie

(That is Chef Chrostowski in the background.)

We were joined by their daughter Nina and her boyfriend, Antoine.

Nina and Antoine recently finished their master's degrees at the University of Bordeaux, and are in Cleveland for a visit.

The food definitely did not disappoint.  I had squash soup, and potato-wrapped grouper with fresh green beans in a red butter sauce.  The food was superb, and the service was attentive.  I was very happy to have experienced this unique restaurant!

Something Different for Dinner

A few weeks ago we were eating out at a restaurant, and I ordered something I had never had before.  It was lasagna made with quinoa instead of pasta.  It really didn't taste like lasagna, but it was very tasty.  Since quinoa is supposed to be a "superfood"... high in vegetable protein, fiber, and nutrients... I wanted to buy some for the pantry.  Walmart didn't have any, but when Alejandro and I went to a large Chedraui supermarket, I found a couple of different varieties and bought two bags of red quinoa.

Quinoa is a plant that has been cultivated for thousands of years in the Andean region of South America.  Its seeds are harvested as a cereal.  Although it is now grown in many other parts of the world, the quinoa that I bought was imported from Peru.

Although there are recipes for quinoa on the internet, I decided to simply experiment.  I prepared the quinoa as directed on the package... rinsing it and then boiling it in water until the liquid is absorbed.  Separately I sauteed some onion and garlic and added a can of diced tomatoes.  I mixed in some cooked carrots and zucchini, and then I threw in the quinoa.

It was very good.  I am not a health food fanatic nor a vegan, but during the week when I am cooking for myself at the apartment, I try to eat healthily.  I will definitely add quinoa to my diet. 

Eating Well for the "Fiestas Patrias"

During the season celebrating Mexico's independence (known as the "Fiestas Patrias") it is common to eat traditional Mexican dishes.  The most emblematic dish for the "Fiestas Patrias" is something I have written about many times here on the blog... that exquisite culinary creation known as "chiles en nogada".  The green poblano pepper, the white walnut sauce and the red pomegranate seeds are the colors of the Mexican flag.  Last Saturday, before we went to the Zócalo to see the holiday lights, we stopped for dinner at our favorite restaurant, Testal.  Although we think that they have the best "chiles en nogada" in town, this time we did not order them.  During this time of year they have another dish that is almost as scrumptious... "enchiladas agustinas".  The enchiladas are filled with the same filling that goes into "chiles en nogada", a mixture of meat, fruit and nuts.  Pomegranate seeds are sprinkled on top, but instead of  walnut sauce, the enchiladas are generously covered with their delicious "mole".

We had their "chiles en nogada" last month when they first appeared on the menu, but we can't let the season go by without also having their special enchiladas.  So delicious!

This is the first time since I permanently moved to Mexico that I spent Independence Day with Alejandro's family.  (Last year we were in Ohio, and the year before that I was in Switzerland.)  I did not realize just how good the food was going to be.  Just as the special holiday meal is served on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day, the feasting occurs on the night before Independence Day.  Rather than cook, the family had ordered food from a neighbor that prepares meals.  The dishes that we had are very typical, at least in Mexico City, for the celebration of the "Fiestas Patrias".

First we had "pozole", a thick soup or stew made with hominy and meat (either chicken or pork).  The soup is garnished with chopped onion, shredded cabbage and sliced radishes.  You also give it a good squeeze of lime juice and sprinkle some oregano on top.

What was even better were the "tostadas"...  crisp, deep fried corn tortillas that are served with various toppings.  "Tostadas" are usually round, but they can also be square.  The day before Alejandro went to a neighborhood "tortillería" and bought two large packages of square "tostadas".

We had two different toppings for our "tostadas".  One was "pata de res", cows' feet pickled in vinegar and onions.  No thanks.  I've tried "pata" before, and I did not like it, particularly the consistency.  Fortunately, there was another topping which was delicious, "tinga de pollo".  "Tinga" is a dish that originated in the city of Puebla.  It is shredded chicken mixed with tomato sauce, chipotle peppers, and sauteed onion and garlic.  The "tinga" was very tasty, and I lost track of how many "tostadas" I ate.

First you spoon on some "crema" (similar to sour cream) on the "tostada".  Then you put on some "tinga".  Next you can put on some garnishes... chopped onion, shredded cheese, shredded cabbage, and some salsa.  Rather messy to eat but yummy!

We ate very well for the "Fiestas Patrias"!

More from the Kitchen

I was looking at recipes on the internet and ran across one for stuffed peppers.  I thought to myself, "I haven't had stuffed peppers in ages," and decided to try making them for last Friday's supper.  In Mexico, "chiles rellenos", poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, are a staple, but I doubted that Alejandro had ever had the stuffed peppers that we "gringos" are familiar with.  (I believe that our stuffed peppers have their origins in Eastern European cooking.)

A bell pepper is known in Spanish as a "pimiento morrón".  The ones at Walmart are generally too soft, so when I went to the "tianguis" (the weekly street market in the neighborhood) on Thursday, I bought four nice, firm red bell peppers.  The vendor threw in a green pepper for free, so I prepared a fifth stuffed pepper to put in the freezer.

The peppers are blanched in boiling water for a couple of minutes and then set aside.

I cooked the rice which is used in the stuffing.  I used pre-cooked, brown rice which was done in ten minutes.

Next I prepared a tomato sauce.  At stores here I have never found cans of tomato sauce, so I used a carton of crushed tomatoes, a can of tomato paste, added some sauteed chopped onion and garlic and Italian spices.  It came out quite tasty.

 

Then I sauteed some more onions and garlic, added ground beef, the rice and the tomato sauce.  I seasoned it with some salt, pepper and sweet paprika.

  

I cut off the tops of the bell peppers, scooped out all the seeds and membranes, and filled them with the meat mixture.  I left enough room to top each one off with shredded cheese.  The recipe called for mozzarella, but I used Manchego cheese.

I was able to prepare the peppers in the afternoon and then put them in the fridge.  Alejandro called me when he was on his way to the apartment.  I covered the peppers with foil, and baked them for thirty minutes in a 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 C) oven.  Then I took off the foil and baked them for another ten minutes to brown the cheese.

I was just finishing when Alejandro arrived.  I had never made stuffed peppers before, so I was a bit nervous about how they would come out.  But they were very good, and Alejandro really liked them.

 

A Kitchen Experiment

I found a recipe on the internet for something that was described as "avocado bread".  It contains no flour, and it sounded interesting.  I decided to try it.

There are just a few ingredients... an avocado, an egg, a small carrot and cheese.

The recipe called for parsley, but I didn't bother with that.  However, I did add some sauteed onion and garlic, which several people in the website's comments section said they did.

In a bowl I mashed up the avocado with the egg.  I grated the carrot and cheese into the mixture, and added the onion and garlic.  I seasoned it with salt and pepper.

You are supposed to form two "pancakes" with the batter on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Well, I don't have a baking sheet, and I could not find parchment paper in the supermarket.  So, I used a large oven-proof frying pan that I have, and coated it with a bit of olive oil.  My "pancakes" were oblong instead of round.

The recipe says to bake the "pancakes" in a pre-heated 350 F oven for 20 to 25 minutes.  The problem is that the ovens I have used in Mexico do not have a pre-heat setting, so I simply had to guesstimate when the oven was hot enough.

The result is supposed to be like bread.  In fact, the recipe suggested using it to make a sandwich.  The finished product, however, was very soft and loose.  I was barely able to get each slice out of the pan intact.  If I were using my oven back in Ohio I might have used the broiler for a few minutes, but Mexican ovens do not seem to have broilers either.

Even though the consistency was nothing at all like bread, and it would be impossible to make a sandwich with it, it was very tasty.  I garnished the slices with cherry tomatoes cut in half.

I tried making it again for Alejandro.  I added a little bit a flour to the batter, and left it in the oven a little longer.  It still was not anything like bread.  However, it did taste very good.

A New Place for Breakfast

On weekends we always go out for breakfast.  There are three nearby restaurants that we frequent.  Café C has good food, large portions and very friendly staff.  De Costa a Costa is a seafood restaurant, but they serve very good breakfasts also.  A slightly longer walk takes us to El Bajío, which serves hearty, traditional Mexican breakfasts.  Our favorite used to be El Cardenal, although we would have to wait for a table unless we got there early.  But the last time we were there with visitors, the portions had became so small, that we no longer consider it good value for the relatively high prices.  (El Cardenal is part of a chain, and I don't know if the other branches have become so stingy with their portions.)

There are of course many other places that serve breakfast, but those three are our mainstays.  Some of the neighborhood restaurants don't have very interesting or extensive menu choices.  There was one that we crossed off our list because they charge for each refill of coffee.

I was happy to see that a new restaurant called Giornale opened on Insurgentes Avenue a short walk away.  We tried the place out last Saturday, and we are adding it to our trio of breakfast spots.  It is a very attractive place, and, although it was busy, there was no wait for a table. The menu is very extensive, both for breakfast and dinner.  In spite of the Italian-sounding name, the choices are very international with a number of dishes that seemed to be of Middle Eastern and Asian influence.

Alejandro had something called a "Bowl Campirano" with scrambled eggs, avocado, asparagus, broccoli and mushrooms.

I ordered the "Deli Eggs"...scrambled eggs mixed with corned beef, bagels and cream cheese.

I guess that it's hard to find good bagels in Mexico City.  A New Yorker would surely turn his nose up at them.  However, the eggs with corned beef were delicious.

The restaurant passed the final test.  The waiter came around with free refills of coffee.

We will definitely return!

Festival on the Zócalo

Last week I went downtown to the Zócalo to see the12th annual Festival of Indigenous Cultures.

The plaza was filled with large tents where native people from different parts of the country were selling handicrafts and food.

I had attended the festival last year, and this year's event was about the same.  There was an enormous quantity of traditional clothing and handicrafts of varying quality for sale.  I restrained myself and only bought a couple of small items as gifts.

I actually spent more time in the food tent.  I was feeling a bit hungry and was trying to decide what to eat out of the many options.

I definitely did not want "chapulines"... grasshoppers.

There were a lot of stands selling "tlayudas", which I refer to as Oaxaca's version of pizzas.

They are large corn tortillas covered with toppings.

I like them, but a whole "tlayuda" was more than I wanted.

There were a few stands selling my favorite dish "chiles en nogada".

However, that is something I prefer to eat at our favorite restaurant which serves exquisite "chiles en nogada".

I finally decided to buy a "tamal" (the singular of "tamales" is not "tamale") from this lady from the state of Oaxaca.

"Tamales" from Oaxaca are wrapped in banana leaves rather than corn husks.

I ordered one filled with chicken and green sauce.

It was a bit spicy, but it was so delicious that I ordered another one, one filled with "mole".

My hunger was satisfied, but then I saw a stall selling "tlacoyos", an oval shaped cake of corn dough filled with beans and cheese, and cooked on a griddle.

  

I love "tlacoyos", but it's not something you often see on restaurant menus.  So I ordered one of them.

I didn't do much handicraft shopping, but I definitely went away with a happy tummy!

Fine Dining - Yucatan style

 Saturday night Alejandro and I took the Metrobus down Insurgentes Avenue to a restaurant where we have dined before... "Los Almendros".  "Los Almendros" (The Almond Trees) serves the cuisine of the Yucatan Peninsula, which is quite distinct from the food in the rest of Mexico.  It is part of a chain; I have eaten several times at "Los Almendros" in Mérida, the capital of the state of Yucatán.  From my experience, I actually like the one in Mexico City more than the one in Mérida.

We arrived at 8:00 PM (the restaurant closes at 10), and we were the only ones there.  I suspect that most of their business is in the afternoon, which is the time for the main meal of the day in Mexico.  Since there was no one else there, our waitress was exceptionally attentive.

To begin we both ordered "crema de Xcatic", a cream soup with cheese and "xcatic", a type of pepper typical of the Yucatan.  It was excellent, although some mind find it a bit too spicy.

Alejandro's main course was "poc chuc", a grilled pork cutlet flavored with the juice of bitter oranges, tomatoes, onions and various spices.

My main dish was "pollo ticuleño" (chicken in the style of the town of Ticul).  The breaded chicken cutlet was served with a home-made sauce, peas, ham, cheese and plantain.

For dessert, Alejandro had lime-flavored cheese cake, and I had flan.

Everything was excellent... the elegant atmosphere, the wonderful service, and the delicious food!