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Oh Mexico how I love you!  In honor of Cinco de Mayo I present to you my most recent culinary journey I took to Playa del Carmen and Tulum Mexico. Fun fact of the day - Cinco de Mayo is only celebrated in the east central state of Puebla, Mexico to commemorate their win over the French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.  It was exactly one year ago today that I embarked on my fifth trip to Mexico. I have a fondness and special place in my heart for Mexico.  I decided on Playa del Carmen this time around because a friend of mine who used to live in Boston now lives in Playa.  He and his wife own a small restaurant with 5-6 tables that is out of the tourist area and is a favorite with the locals.  I HAD to try it and they did not disappoint!  They started off by serving a tomato and chile based soup drizzled with crema and garnished with avocado.  It was followed by chicken enchiladas topped with green sauce and a side of rice.  The food was fresh, flavorful and delicious but their hospitality and love for cooking is what made the experience so special. They pour their hearts and souls into their restaurant and it showed in more ways than one.

Despite the fact that we were in a pretty touristy area of Mexico we tried to make it as “un-touristy” as possible.  We stayed in a quaint typically Mexican style AirBnb run by a local that was off the beat in path and scoped out at as many of the local hot spots as we could.  With the advice of our host and my friend David we were wildly successful.  I had the best torta I’ve ever tasted!  It was filled with grilled chorizo, veggies, and cheese and it was served on a fresh baked cloud like bread roll.  Since I love spice I topped it off with pickled jalapenos and a homemade chile sauce. O.M.G.  Delicious!  Our favorite restaurant is called El Fogon and luckily it was a block from our apartment. We knew it was the real deal when all of the customers and staff only spoke Spanish.  Thankfully my friend and I do too so we were good to go.  I ordered a mixed grilled meat plate but it didn’t end there. We were served pozole a traditionally Mexican hominy soup, nopales (cactus) which I admittedly wasn’t a fan of, and a bunch of different toppings to customize our meals to our liking.  It was incredible.  I also tried mezcal for the first time when I was in Mexico.  It is a liquor made from the agave plant.  It is an aperitif with a smoky flavor that is served after a meal with slices of orange sprinkled with Tajin.  I’m not a big fan of liquor but was very pleasantly surprised by the complex flavor and appealing visual presentation.  As you can probably tell I love Mexico, I love Mexican cuisine and I love Mexican people.  My next destination is the culinary capital of Oaxaca.  Cheers to you Mexico!

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I have been extremely fortunate.  I’ve been to quite a few different countries.  I’ve seen and experienced a lot of things.  I’ve formed lifelong connections with lovely people around the globe.  And I’ve eaten some amazingly delicious food.  Out of the seventeen countries I’ve visited so far Greece is at the top of my list.  The people are warm and welcoming.  The scenery is out of this world.  And the food is to die for.  Whether it was a 3€ Gyro from a street cart on the go or a 50€ sit down meal Greece did not disappoint.  The island of Naxos is renowned for its cheese.  Naxians take great pride in their cheese.  They raved about it so we couldn’t pass it up and I’m glad we didn’t. It is like heaven on a plate.  The deep fried cheesy salty goodness is not only delicious but versatile.  We had it topped with fresh squeezed lemon for acidity and drizzled with honey and topped with figs for sweetness.  Oh. My. God.  Amazing.  When in doubt I ordered gyros – pronounced “yee-ros” and not “gy-ros”.  I ate one just about every day and was never disappointed.  My ultimate favor Greek staple is tzatziki. Much like gyros we ate it just about every day.  Whether it was to top off a gyro or to dip veggies and bread in it was our go to.  I tried octopus for the first time in Oia Santorini and I have never had octopus like it since.  My preconceived notions about octopus were so far off.  It wasn’t rubbery or bland.  It had a firm but tender texture and was perfectly seasoned to melt in our mouths.  The stunning view was the icing on the cake.  It was absolute perfection!  By now you can probably tell that I absolutely love Greek food.  But you know what I loved most about Greece?  The people.  I met so many wonderful Greeks.  I met people who opened their hearts and homes to me without even knowing me. They touched my heart and life in ways that I will be forever grateful for.  If you’ve ever been to Greece you probably know what I’m talking about and if you haven’t GO!  

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I made ALL of this!  Can you believe it?!  I’m still in awe of myself.  The truth is that I couldn’t have done it without my wonderful instructor and chef “A” at the Thai Orchid Cookery School in Chiang Mai Thailand.  Going to Thailand was a dream come true - quite literally. Some people dream of getting married, having children and buying a house but not me. I’ve always dreamed of seeing the world and traveling everywhere I possibly could.     There’s nothing that makes me happier than going somewhere new and feeling out of my element yet so perfectly comfortable. Traveling gives me a cloud nine out of this world kind of happiness.  Chiang Mai was it for me.  It was everything I had ever dreamed of and more!  My best friend Fernanda and I spent countless hours planning our month long Southeast Asian trip and at the top of our list and a must do was a Thai cooking class.  After tons of research we decided on the Thai Orchid Cookery School.  We couldn’t have been happier with our choice.

“A” the owner and instructor of the cooking school patiently and enthusiastically took us through each and every step of the prep and cooking process of a five course meal.  We made vegetable spring rolls as appetizers which were far more delicious than any spring roll I had ever tasted before.  The wrappers were fine and had to be handled with care as they were stuffed with julienned vegetables and dropped into pipping hot oil.  Maybe it was the freshness of the ingredients or the labor of love that made them as good as they were but either way they were delicious.  As an entrée I made a green curry AND shrimp Pad Thai.  Not one but two entrees!  They were both to die for!  I couldn’t believe that I was capable of making something so delicious and visually appealing.  It was probably the most visually appealing meal I have ever made, thanks to “A” of course! Lastly was the banana pudding as a dessert.  I’m not a huge fan of bananas but there was something so satisfying and delicious about making my own traditional Thai dessert in Thailand.  The whole experience and meal itself was among my absolute favorite cooking and eating experiences in my life to date.  I cannot recommend the Thai Orchid Cookery School enough!  If you ever get the chance to visit Chiang Mai do yourself a favor and drop “A” a line. You will not be disappointed.  

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It was a cool spring day today.  The sun was shining but it was brisk and windy.  A chilly day calls for a warm and flavorful meal.  I decided to try something new that I found on Pinterest – Thai meatball and egg drop soup.  I don’t know if the soup itself is traditionally Thai but it captured some of the iconic Thai flavors that I love such as ginger, lime and chili quite well.  I made dinner for my parents and me this particular night and I was a little reluctant to make this soup because my dad tends to be a rather closed minded eater.  He’s typically a meat and potatoes type of guy but I’ve slowly been easing him into flavors that are foreign to him with the hope that he would develop a liking and appreciation for new flavors and foods.   So far so good!  He’s been pretty open minded when we go to restaurants and welcomes my suggestions. That hasn’t always been the case and it’s still a work in progress so every new food experience that we share together is a victory is my books.  He may or may not like my suggestions but as long as he tries it I’m happy.  Oh how the tables have turned!  Needless to say my version of Thai soup was a success. Hooray!  

I mixed all of the meatball ingredients in a bowl.  I formed them into balls and cooked them in the oven for 25 minutes until cooked through.  While the meatballs were baking I made the soup broth.  I warmed the sesame oil and added minced ginger and chopped Thai chilis for 1-2 minutes.  Once fragrant I added the chicken stock, water, coconut aminos, fish sauce and lime juice.  Once boiled I added the green onion, shredded carrots and cilantro to the broth.  I reduced the temperature and added the cooked chicken meatballs to the broth and let it simmer for extra flavor.  I slowly drizzled in two beaten eggs to create a ribbon like effect.  I topped each bowl off with green onions, cilantro, fresh carrots for crunch and a chili sauce for extra heat.  It was a tasty and hearty meal that both of my parents were on board with.  Success!

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My hometown of Montreal is a very multicultural city.  It is consider to be one of the many melting pots of Canada.  At any given time I could be walking down the street and wouldn’t understand a word of what’s going on around me because of many different languages being spoken.  It’s one of my favorite aspects of the city.  A bonus of multicultural city is the different ethnic cuisines.  You name it and you can probably find it in Montreal.  We have a very diverse Arab population.   A lot of my friends came from Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Iran and Jordan to study in Montreal.  They introduced me to some of my favorite Mediterranean dishes.  I had a craving for something fresh and flavorful so I decided to give a traditional Lebanese dish called kafta a try.  I mixed lean ground beef, finely diced onions, minced garlic, fresh chopped parsley, all spice, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper until well combined.  I broke off golf ball sized pieces of the mixture and press firmly around a wooden skewer that was soaked in water.  I laid the skewers on a cooling rack on a cookie sheet and baked them at 350 degrees until the meat was cooked through, about 30 minutes rotating at the half way point.  I finished them off under the broiler to give them a crisp outer texture.  I served them hot with a garlic yogurt sauce, basmati rice and Greek salad with a lemon wedge.  Delish!

http://joandsue.blogspot.com/2016/03/mini-kafta-kabobs-with-garlic-yogurt.html

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This past Sunday was Easter.  The holidays have been different since my parents, sisters and I moved to Massachusetts.  All of our family besides the five of us live in Montreal.  Holidays are quiet and low key now.  Some of my fondest memories as a child were the holidays.  My family spent the holidays at my grandparents’ house.  It was loud and hectic and I loved it.  There was always a full house.  My middle sister Lindsay and I were the only kids in the family for the first five years of our lives and I was the first.  As the first child in the family I was adored by everyone in our family. I’ve heard many stories about being passed around like a doll between my aunts and uncles and being as happy as could be about it. I loved spending time at the holidays with everyone.  I miss it.

My contribution to Easter this year was cupcakes.  My mom always cooks a ham for Easter dinner with scalloped potatoes, garlic broccoli and fresh baked rolls.  She isn’t a big fan of baking so I decided to make dessert.  I made double chocolate cupcakes.  The cake batter and frosting were both chocolate and were topped with orange chocolate coated strawberries which were meant to look like carrots in Oreo dirt like crumble. They were super simple to make and were quite good if I do say so myself!

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I know what you’re thinking.  Why are you posting this?  It doesn’t look pretty or appetizing.  It’s not worthy of “The Gram.”  I get it but you don’t.  This is the iconic dish of my beloved hometown of Montreal - a poutine and an all dressed steamy.  If you haven’t tried it you’re missing out.  A classic Quebecois poutine is made from fresh cut potatoes deep fried in old oil and is topped with a bbq gravy and curd cheese.  it HAS to be curds.  Anything else is sub-par and discriminated against as a Montrealer.  

Curd cheese is unofficially Quebec’s national treasure.  It’s a mild, soft cheese made from skimmed milk curd.  We commonly refer to it as squeaky cheese because it squeaks between your teeth when you eat it.  It’s a salty delight!  An all dressed steamy is a steamed hot dog and bun topped with yellow mustard, onions and pickled cabbage.  Again, I know…it doesn’t sound like anything special but for me it is.  It’s a staple of Quebec and with good reason.  Something that may seem so basic or even unappetizing to someone else is very near and dear to my heart and especially my pallet.  

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#tbt

My absolute favorite two things to do are traveling and eating.  They go so beautifully together.  No matter where you go people are always proud of their cuisine.  It sparks connections and creates a sense of belonging.  Eating local food makes you feel like a local.  I love immersing myself in the local culture as much as possible when I travel.  One of my favorite ways to do that is to take a cooking class.

I visited Guatemala in February with my best friend and travel partner Fernanda.  I had been to Mexico before but it was my first time in Central America.  When we were in Antigua we decided to take a cooking class at a small restaurant called El Frijol Feliz - The Happy Bean.  Cute right?  We lucked out and ended up being the only two people taking the class that day.  We got a one on one private lesson with a wonderful Guatemalan woman.  She spoke little English which made it all that much better.  Fernanda and I both speak Spanish as a third language so while not perfect, we were easily able to communicate.  We made a full spread of food - guacamole, vegetable rice, rellenitos, pepian and hand made tortillas.  Making tortillas is not easy.  It takes practice.  We struggled.  Pepian is probably the most iconic Guatemalan dish.  It is a sauce made with tomatoes, tomatillos, chayote, chiles, grilled vegetables and seeds.  Chicken is the commonly used meat.  It’s a hearty and flavorful stew that is poured over rice. I liked it.  Fernanda LOVED it! We finished up with some rellenitos and Guatemalan coffee.  It was a wonderfully delicious experience!  

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I enjoy cooking.  I could do without the grocery shopping and cleaning up part but one can’t happen without the other so shopping and cleaning up it is.   I especially like to try out different dishes to share with others.  On this particular night I decided to try a healthy twist on an egg roll.  It’s essentially the filling of an egg roll without the deep fried wrapper.  it’s an egg roll in a bowl!  It’s a super easy and quick meal that takes a half hour tops to prepare which makes it’s the perfect week night meal.  

I started off by heating sesame oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Once the oil is heated I added garlic, the white part of green onions, and chopped red onions and sauteed until fragrant.  Then I added ground beef, ground ginger, sea salt, black pepper and garlic chili paste.  I like it on the spicy side so I was generous with the chili adding three heaping tablespoons.  Once the beef is fully cooked through I added a bag of coleslaw mix, coconut aminos (a healthier version of soy sauce that tastes just like it!) and rice wine vinegar.  When the coleslaw is tender it’s ready to be topped off with extra green onion and sriracha.  It’s as simple as that!  It may not look pretty but it certainly tastes good!  

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This weekend was my birthday weekend.  I spent it with some of my favorite people celebrating this beautiful thing called life.  It’s crazy and kind of scary how fast time flies!  With each passing year that goes by I come to appreciate and cherish my family and friends more and more,  Time together is precious.  

To celebrate we spent the weekend at the Cape.  We ate at a wonderful restaurant called Anejo Mexican Bistro in Hyannis.   The food was delicious, the decor was on point and the ambiance was cool and comfortable.  It’s Mexican food with a Cape Cod twist.  We shared an appetizer of Coconut Calamari and I had a mix of three tacos as an entree with my favorite beer to go with it.  Delish!  Check them out if you’re in town!

No matter what we all having going on in life food somehow always finds a way to bring us together.  

Para Empezar 

Coconut Calamari crispy flash fried calamari and jalapeño peppers over lime tossed greens, with coconut vinaigrette, sriracha hot sauce, pineapple pico, curry salt, toasted coconut 

Plato Principal

Tres Tacos 

Carne Asada grilled marinated skirt steak, soft corn tortilla, Oaxaca-jack cheese, white onion, cilantro, guacamole, cotija cheese

Pork Carnitas slow roasted pork tacos, soft corn tortilla, Oaxaca-jack cheese, pico verde, cilantro aioli, cotija

Tinga  chipotle braised chicken taco, soft corn tortilla, Oaxaca-jack cheese, onion, cilantro, cotija

http://anejomexicanbistro.com/