seasons of my heart

Today we went to Susana Trilling's reknowned cooking school, Seasons of My Heart. We started off with a cheese demonstration from a woman named Silvia.

There are three main types of cheese here: queso fresco (similar to ricotta), requesón (made from the reheating of whey leftover from queso fresco), and quesillo (similar to mozzarella and known as Oaxacan cheese outside of Oaxaca). Silvia showed us how to make queso fresco and quesillo.

For queso fresco you take raw cow's milk (preferably straight from the cow) and pass it through the stomach of an animal (where there are enzymes to curdle the milk). The milk is then left to curdle for about half an hour, when the curds will start sinking. The mixture is passed through a cheesecloth to drain out the water. And then you get queso fresco, not unlike ricotta. (The water (or whey) that's left over can be reheated, and the curds derived from that are called requesón).



For quesillo, the curds from queso fresco are left to ferment. The fermented curd is then rehydrated by adding hot water, which makes the curd melt. The melted curd is stirred, and then the water is drained off and the resulting cheese is kneaded like a dough.



The cheese is then stretched into a long rope, and rubbed all over with sea salt. The rope is then wrapped around itself to form balls.



For special occasions Silvia will make the cheese balls extra fancy, with the help of some toothpicks.



Then we had an almuerzo (almost like brunch) of tomato soup, queso fresco, black beans, and tortillas. Stomachs full, we listened to Susana go over all the dishes we would be making in the afternoon (huitlacoche empanadas, garlic squash blossom soup, beet salad, pork mole amarillo, and chocolate budin). Then we were divided into groups to tackle the dishes.

Jennie and I ended up together on the dessert, chocolate budin (bread pudding). The recipe was created by Susana to showcase Oaxacan chocolate.



First we soaked some raisins in mezcal, and simmered that on the stove til the raisins absorbed most of the mezcal.



Then we cut bolillo bread into cubes and toasted them.



Then while Jennie melted Oaxacan chocolate with coffee and salt I mixed together eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, cream and sour cream. Then everything we've worked on up until this point all got combined.



The mixture was spooned into buttered glass cups, which went into a baking pan filled with hot water. That went into a 350F oven to bake for a little over an hour.



While the chocolate budin cups were baking, we set to work on the accompanying sauce. First we juiced a bunch of oranges. The juice was combined with sugar and reduced over heat until the juice became syrupy. Then pureed strawberries and cointreau were added.



We also whipped some cream with vanilla and powdered sugar for garnish. After that there wasn't anything left to do so I went around helping other stations and snapping photos.

When the chocolate buding was ready (knife inserted came out clean), they were taken out of the oven and the cups were upended over a rack to cool. We were then told to sit down while the school's staff plated and served us.



Huitlacoche (and quesillo) empanadas



Garlic and squash blossom soup (with hierba santa, cubes of manchego cheese and toasted bread pieces)



Beet salad



Mole amarillo with pork, vegetables, rice and plantains



And last but not least, the chocolate boudin dessert.



Overall a very satisfying day. Susana even gifted us each a molinillo and a packet of Oaxacan chocolate! Now I'll be able to make chocolate con agua at home.

free weekend: 2 of 2

Woke up early today for a massage with Margarita, the healer at Casa del Angel. While Cris had his massage I wanted to get a pedicure, so Margarita called her friend over. Her friend thought I had wanted fake nails, so she didn't bring any of her nail polish. She called somebody else to bring some for her, but all the shops were closed since it was Sunday. So I offered to go with her to her house. That started an hour-long adventure in which I walked a long way with her mom and aunt, got to practice my Spanish, and ended up at the Mexican version of Costco in front of this nail polish display.



Chose the color I wanted and got to take public transit back to Casa del Angel. It seemed to me that Ann, my pedicurist, didn't actually do pedicures, but with the both of us working on my toes we actually got it done. And then I had my massage with Margarita, who literally shifted the energies in my body - I could feel the heat emanating from her hands. Also she told me that my left shoulder feels dislocated. It's a lot lower than my right shoulder, most probably from years and years of carrying my purse on my left side.

After the massages we went to Marco Polo, a restaurant known for its seafood. I got wood-fired red snapper, covered in shrimp and corn and bell pepper and melted manchego cheese.



Then we wander downtown for museums, and it was just our luck that Sunday = free museum day! First we stumbled upon the stamp museum, where there were stamps from all around the world, as well as an extensive collection of Mexican stamps and artifacts, including letters written by Frida Kahlo and even certificates of stocks she purchased!



Then we went to the Museum of Contemporary Art, where we ran into Chef Mark and looked at lots of what he called "weird things". I liked this wall decal/graffiti the best. The words read: "don't die with your music still in you".



Afterward we went to the frozen yogurt place right next to Burger King. The toppings were extensive, as with any Pinkberry or Yogurtland back in the states. But the yogurt was very different. It was like whipped cream, only with that yogurty tartness.



For dinner we tried out the Moroccan place a couple blocks away from the hotel. I got the chicken & vegetable couscous, which was very much like comfort food. Our bill wasn't comforting though - just like lunch, we paid as much as we would've for a restaurant meal back in the states. Might have to resort to eating leftovers for the rest of the trip...

free weekend: 1 of 2

This is our last weekend in Oaxaca, and also a free weekend. There was talk of going to the beach (6 hours away) or paragliding or rockclimbing, but with the hurricane/tropical storm coming through, all plans were scrapped. Just as well, because I'm happy to take it easy.

First thing in the morning was pochote market, a pop-up market only on Fridays and Saturdays. I had it on my shortlist of things to do in Oaxaca, but as with the other things on my list, I don't write down why I want to go there so I had no idea what to expect.

Cris and I spent a hour walking in circles and asking different people for directions (with all of them saying different things in differing levels of certainty). In the end we found a taxi driver that actually knew where it was, and thank goodness too because we were about to abandon all hope. Turns out it was close to our hotel and we should have just followed Chef Mark's instructions.

So the distinguishing thing about this market is that it sells organic (local/sustainable/etc) stuff. When I saw this bike-powered blender (and coffee bean grinder), it reminded me of Brooklyn and made me realize that the market was targeted toward gringos.



But nevermind, we walked through and sampled things, ecstatic to find delicious goat cheese and honey and chocolate nut bread. The Italian man running this stand gave us a bunch of samples, including Korean-style sushi!



On the way back from the market we saw this graffiti, which has become my favorite. In the women's hair is written "liberty", "equality", "respect".



Afterward we went and got lunch at my favorite, El Quinque. Cris got the breakfast burrito, which was delectable (bacon, egg, mushroom, cheese, rice). The burrito was grilled after assembly which made it crispy outside and gooey inside. Mmm...



Then we went to the museum located inside Sainto Domingo church, in what used to be the convent. It was a beautiful space with gothic arches, columns, and breezy walkways. What marred the experience though, was that the ticket lady shorted us change, and even after I confronted her and she gave me a couple more coins, I was left to discover that she shroted us again. This left me really indignant because she must be shorting visitors right and left to fill her own coffers...



Anyway, in one corner of the museum was a library filled with centuries-old books and ancient manuscripts. Some of the covers had completely worn away. Reminded me of how awe-inspiring the rare book collection at the Morgan Library is.



The rest of the museum featured exhibits of Oaxacan/Mexican history, from the pre-Columbian era to the present. There were also artifacts salvaged from the tombs at Monte Alban. Lots of amazing figurines.



For dinner we went to Burger King. I know, I know. But in our defense Cris had gotten sick from eating at a food stand and didn't trust local food anymore. Burger King wasn't that great. We might try McDonald's?

ocotlán

Today's group excursion was a trip to Ocotlán, a village about an hour south of Oaxaca. The main point of interest was a mezcal distillery, but first we started off with breakfast in the market.

Although there were food stands with seating, this vendor drew me in with all the neatly portioned bags - reminded me a lot of how food is sold in Africa. Ended up getting some spaghetti and potato croquettes.



Walking around yielded many sensory delights - all the more delightful because of how (relatively) clean it was. The majority of insects I saw were bees buzzing around the bread. And oh the bounty of bread.



After breakfast we picked up Graciela, whose family owns the Real Minero mezcal distillery. She took us to the fields to explain all about the different varieties of agave (maguey) and its growing cycle. Although mezcal and tequila are both derived from the agave plant, the varieties are different. Tequila, being more regulated, is produced only from blue agave, and the plants are harvested after a set number of years. Mezcal on the other hand, can be produced from many varieties, although 90% of it is done with the espadín variety shown below, which incidentally looks like blue agave. The plants are harvested right as they're becoming sexually mature (starting to send a stem up from the middle). As Graciela explained, the plants mature at different rates, just like human beings ;)



Then we drove to the actual distillery, where Graciela explained the process after harvesting (which is after the 10+ years the plant has been growing). At harvest the round center of the root (called piña) is dug up and set aside. Then once a week there's a roasting in this giant pit. In the pit are large stones and earth and fire, and all the piñas are piled on and covered with a tarp (so they can roast by steam). They're roasted for three days straight and then left to cool for two days.



Then they're transferred and left to sit and develop mold. Then the piñas are ridden of the moldy parts and hacked into pieces. The pieces are fed into this chipper machine, which spits it out as pulp. (In the old days people would have to mash it by hand).



The pulp, or tepache, is transferred into a fermenting vat. Water is put into the vats for the mixture to ferment. We got to sense the fermentation by sound (bubbling), smell (rotten apples) and touch (radiating heat). The workers taste it also.



After fermentation comes distillation. Over a wood fire sits a large clay pot, full of pulp. Above that is another clay jar, which is bottomless. In that jar is inserted a wooden collecting spoon, which is connected to a bamboo tube that leads out of the jar. On top of that sits a copper bowl, to which cold water is constantly running. This is known as the Fillipino distillation method, due to the use of clay pots. (Apparently there's also the Arab method, with all copper equipment, and another method using a hollow tree trunk.)



So what happens is that as the pulp it heated, it releases alcoholic steam, which rises and hits the cold copper bowl. The steam condenses and drips down to the spoon, then out the tube and into the collecting jug.

The first distillation is undrinkable due to the high concentration of methanol (poisonous). That liquid has to be distilled again so ethanol is left. Mezcal from this region is always distilled twice (in other regions possibly more times). We got to taste liquid from the second distillation - both the strong stuff that comes out first (punta), then the blended final product (punta + cola, mellower).



After the tour, we were treated to a multi-course lunch involving the best, most softest tortillas I have ever eaten. At this size, they're known as tlayudas (tortillas being smaller). I tried my hand at making one but the large size meant that I failed to put it on the comal completely flat. Of course, the ladies at the comal not only have no trouble laying the tlayudas completely flat, they can also make the tlayudas without the help of the tortilla press. Baller.



After lunch was the mezcal tasting! First one was a blend from three different agaves. Second was from the single espadín agave. The third was the special mezcal pechuga - so named because it's distilled a third time with a chicken breast! (But along with heirloom apples, pineapples, plantain, apricot, raisin, almond, rice, cinnamon and orange peel.) All of them were quite strong and I could only manage a sip.



For more pictures of the day, see here.

A couple of us have fallen ill with stomach issues unrelated to mezcal, so I found myself playing nurse this evening. Jennie and I took a trip to the pharmacy to buy Mexican pedialyte (suero) for our sick roommates and while walking past Sainto Domingo church we were jolted by sudden fireworks exploding into the sky. And then there was a pyre set ablaze in the church square, which read FELICIDADES DALY. At first we thought it was a wedding but from the looks of it, a quinceañera. Crazy! They even had a stretch hummer! Must be balling.



The trip started out rather begrudgingly, but with the fireworks my attitude did a complete 180. I'm ecstatic that life and travel can still manage to be so unexpected.

day trip

Today was a full free day, and thanks to Omar from Casa de los Sabores, we got to go on a day trip out of Oaxaca and to some villages in the east.

We started out the morning at the market in Tlacolula, where we had a group breakfast. Most of us had spicy barbacoa soup, mushroom/cheese/squash blossom quesadillas, and these delicious chicken taquitos topped with everything.



Afterward we went on winding bumpy roads through the mountains to get to Hierve el Agua (boiling the water), the source of what we hoped were hot springs. The place is so named because water bubbles out of the earth, as if it was boiling. Which is to say that it wasn't boiling, because the water wasn't hot. Nevertheless, this pool of collected spring water made for a decent pool. Even better is that it looks as if on the edge of a cliff when there's actually a slight slope down on the other side. In fact, when people enter the pool, water is displaced and starts to flow down the other side, as if a mini waterfall.



After swimming, part of the group went on a hike over to the top of this petrified waterfall (and then wound down into the valley before coming back). I opted not to hike, which was just as well because one part of the hike required clinging onto the rock since there was barely a path.



Instead I sunbathed and ate sandwiches that Cris and I prepped last night.



After Hierve el Agua we made a stop at Mitla, to see the intricate stonework on the Zapotec ruins there. Since not everyone wanted to stop, we didn't pay to go into the more extensive ruins and only saw this very small free part.



Then we went to the village of Teotitlán del Valle, known for its weaving work. We stopped by this one house where one of the weavers offered to explain the process to us. Besides showing us the bases of the different dyes (such as cochineal beetles, which are dried and pulverized, then mixed with substances of different pHs to create colors ranging from orange to purple), he also led us to the courtyard where the largest loom was. Two men working simultaneously to weave a 10m by 14m (33' by 46') carpet. Just in case you ever want one, it's 12,000 pesos (less than $1000!).



After that we wandered around to different shops to peruse the collections of carpets and rugs. Some of us bought the weavings to take home. I got a café frappé and some earrings. Exciting, I know.



Our last stop was El Tule, where the biggest tree in Latin America stands. I think the trunk's circumference is greater than 80 schoolchildren's armspans combined. Too bad we couldn't climb it!



For more pictures of today's trip, see here!