I have travelled to Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico to attend a week of classes at the Seasons of My Heart Cooking School with Susana Trilling. There are 7 days of hands on and demonstration cooking events to experience. For information about Susana's story and her cooking school go to Seasons of My Heart.
Also during this week, Mexico is celebrating Dia de Muertos or Day of the Dead. Mexicans view death completely differently than we do at home in the USA. We for the most part want it over and done with and maybe go to the grave sites on Memorial Day and go home. The Mexican People celebrate for a week culminating in an altar being built which is then covered with food and pictures of their departed family and friends. So as a cultural experience, this week will be loaded with trips to villages to watch cheese and chocolate being made as well as joining in some festivals.
I attended a long weekend class in her school in 2001 which has resulted in 4 additional trips to Oaxaca. There is a legend in Oaxaca that if you eat the fried grasshoppers (chapulines), you will return. And so this legend is true for me. For more information about Oaxaca just go to Oaxaca, Oaxaca.
Getting to Oaxaca
When I first went to Oaxaca you had to travel to Dallas, then Mexico City and then on to Oaxaca. Then I was able to go to Houston and then on to Oaxaca and side step Mexcio City. But something has happened. There are still non stop trips from Houston to Oaxaca but for some unknown reason you cand not access them from Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota.
So I had 2 choices in trips. I could leave at 11:30am and arrive in Oaxaca at 10:15pm. But all of the layovers were about 1 hr or less. There were 2 problems with this. One was that I was flying American Airlines and they are notorious for not being on time. I have raced through more than 1 airport trying to make a connection because of a late arrival. The second is that Mexico City also can be a problem getting through customs. They do random searches of luggage. You press a button and if a red light lights up you are it and can be delayed.
The second choice of itinerary was to leave at 6:35 am and arrive in Oaxaca at the magic hour of 10:15pm. Yes that does mean you have to be at the airport at 4:30am. As awful as that seemed, I was grateful that I had made the second choice. My sainted husband did get me to the airport on time and God Bless them American Airlines was on time. However, when I got to Mexico City, the luggage came in in 3 waves. I was so sure that my luggage was lost because the last wave took so long to get there I was in the lost luggage line when to my relief, there was my bag coming though the opening I jumped for joy.
As I watched others racing to get through customs I smuggly took my time. But then AeroMexico had moved the baggage drop off for connecting flights upstairs instead of right outside the customs and it took me at least 30 minutes to find it. So by making the second choice, I was able to roll through the punches. I did not want to get stranded in Mexico City.
After a puddle jumping one hour flight to Oaxaca, I arrived safe and sound albiet exhausted. I spent my first night in the Oaxacalli Hotel that was basic but clean with pleasant personnel.
The next morning after struggling to get up and move my luggage (as usual I overpacked), I moved to the Aitana Hotel which immediately checked me in at about 11:15am. This is a small hotel with alot of personality in a good way. My experience so far has been very comfortable. They answer my spanish/english questions with a lot of patience. I to try to learn Spanish and I am better but I still do not understand it very well.
Day 1
Oaxaca City Zocalo
I spent most of first day in the zocalo and doing some minor shopping. The mood was very festive and exciting. Many families were strolling, balloons were everywhere and food, food and more food.
Oaxaquena Tamales
I settled in at the Terranova Cafe, a street cafe on the Zocalo. I wasn´t very hungry so I ordered the Oaxaquena Tamales that was filled with chicken and Mole Negor(one of the most popular moles of Oaxaca) and accompanied by a Oaxacan Pasilla table sauce. The Oaxacan Pasilla is similar in that it is smoked but is much hotter. The flavor was delicious and did not kill my pallet. The traditional Oaxaquena Tamale is wrapped in a large banana leaf. You take the tamal mixture and spread it over all of the banana leaf, place the filling in the center and fold and tie.
I had to go back to my room to rest up for Dinner at Casa Oaxaca El Restaurante, considered the best in Oaxaca.
Casa Oaxaca el Restaurante
When I arrived at the restaurant, they could not find my reservation, even though I had received an email confirmation but had failed to bring with me. Very quickly they gave me a choice of indoors or upstairs on their patio. It was a gorgeous night so I decide to dine alfresco.
I chose the Traditional Tasting menu that was 6 courses for about $38.00 USD (unbelievable). I began with a 7th free course of 4 salsas (1 prepared tableside by Pedro) and blue tortilla chips and crostini. In a molcajete, he ground roasted tomatoes, a roasted jalapeno, cilantro and salt. I turned down a second jalapeno in the salsa but in hind sight it could have used it.
The prepared salsas were a mild salsa verde, guacamole, and a onion and yellow chile that were also mild but delicious.
This was followed by the actual first course, Tostada with avocado, chapulines, queso fresco and pepita. This was simple and very tasty.
Course number 2 was a pre-hispanic soup that is a favorite in Oaxaca called Spoa de Guias de Calabaza. It included both white and yellow corn kernels, chepil (a wild herb) and guias (young vines from the guiche squash plant) and guiche squash. It was creamy and delicate. The soup also included 2 chochoynes (masa dunplings) that were denser then I expected. I have made them and they deifintely lighter. Nevertheless, the sopa was good.
Then the next three courses were Oaxacan Moles. The first, suckling pig in a mole verde. I have not been fond of the mole verde that I have made myself. They seemed to green and herby. But this mole was creamy and delicate and did not resemble my concoction. However, for some reason the pig was a little tough and chewy. I had to think about what life this small pig may have had or had it just not been cooked properly. But I was so taken by the sauce, overall it did not seem to matter.
The next mole was Amarillo or yellow. I was served with a veal medallion, potato, green bean and a piece of chayote squash. The Amarillo Mole is made with amarillo chihuacles, guajillos, anchos and amarillo costenos chiles. I was not hot but had some spice from the cloves, allspice and pepper. The veal was very tender and matched well with the mole.
The final mole was Mole Negro served over turkey. The mole negro oqxaquena is the traditional mole for Dia de Muertos. It is made with negro chilhuacles, guajillos, pasillas, ancho mulato and chipotle meca. It also includes peanuts, cloves, raisins, plantains, sesame seeds, pecans and of course Mexican chocolate. It has a deep rich and musky flavor. This is a mole I am going to learn in my classes this week and I am looking forward to it. It was accompanied by rice and a slice of plantain.
The grand finale was a Natilla, a cooked custard that is firm enough to cut. It was delicious. I was so overwhelmed by then that I forgot to take a picture.
Thankfully, the courses were not large except for the pre-course which hardly got touched by me escept to taste.
As I left the restaurant, there were many people in the street. You could feel the energy and excitment. But for me, I was exhausted. Eating all that good food can just wear you out.
Day 2
Albastos Mercardo
Day 2 began with a trip to the Albastos Mercardo. This market is now mamouth. When I went there in 2001 for the first time I thought it was large but now it has at least quadrupled. It seem almost like a city .
Some areas are somewhat centralized but others sudh as hardgoods or chiles can show up anywhere. So finding some items can be daunting.
In the meat areas, the meat is hung and displayed at room temperature
Bread is lavishly displayed.
This is the Pan Muerto, the traditional bread of Day of the Dead,
decorated with angels and skulls
Stalls of Chiles are spread throughout the market.
Starting at the top and going clockwise these chiles are Ancho Rojo, Puya
and Chilhuacles Rojo.
The ancho and chilhuacles are used in the Mole Rojo.
Local produce is abundant all over the market.
It is very easy to have "Gardening Zone Envy"
I was looking for some of the mole chiles particular to Oaxaca especially the chilchuacles. I wanted the rojo and the amarillo and a few negro to compare ot the crop I grew this year at home (I know the soil and weather conditions will affect them but I am curious to now how much).
I was also looking or a tortilla press that will make corn tortillas nice and thin. the ones available in the US, even at the hispanic markets do not owkr well. I have to layers sheets of aluminum foil to give additional pressure toachive the correct thickness. I found some but was unsure of the pricing so later checked it out with Susana and she said the price I say was a fair price.
Around Town
There are Day of the Dead deocration around town outside many shop which create a festive atmosphere. Lots of skeletons in every form of attire.
Back to the Zocalo
On any given day you will find musicans, street vendors, street cleaners and many other people that inhabit the Zocalo. Even though some of the vendors can be iritating at any given moment the colors of native dress and the music keep the atmosphere festive.
