My Mexi-burger

Long time, no recipe, right? So, here's one of my creations to start the year, and this is all you need:

Cosme, NYC

Enrique Olvera's husk meringue really lives up to the hype

Zoetry Villa Rolandi, Isla Mujeres - The Food

Here's some foodporn from Zoetry Villa Rolandi, don't drool over your keyboards or phones!

 I remember I wrote in the Zoetry Casa del Mar in Los Cabos that those were the best meals we've ever had in a resort, but I thinks this time we have a new winner!

Al Mercato Taco Bar, Milan

When I read on one of my favorite websites about the opening of this new Taco Bar, I had to be there!

How to piss off a Mexican - Matador Network edition

You remember my post on "How to piss off a Mexican"? Well, it's one of my most read posts in the blog and it was inspired by the Matador Network series of articles so when I was told it was going to be published in their Spanish and English websites I was thrilled!

La Sandia, Santa Monica

A delicious margarita-flavored happy hour in Santa Monica place

Zoetry Casa del Mar - foodporn

Shrimp cocktail

The food at Zoetry Casa de Mar has everything you should expect: it is super tasty, nicely presented and really healthy.

Best food in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is not only the world capital of gambling and entertainment, it is now one of the best cities in the US for good food.
During my trip, I had the chance to visit some of these restaurants, but only the following 3 made it to my list of the top 3 places to eat in Las Vegas:

Sangrita

One of the great activities at Zoetry Casa de Mar was the Tequila tasting.

Best of 2012

2013 is almost here so I'd like to share with you mi top ten favorite posts from 2012:
(in case you missed them, the link to the post is under the photo)

1) Caribbean Cruise:
We had a blast cruising the Caribbean for the second time on NCL's Epic; we visited Saint Thomas, Saint Martin and Nassau, had lots of food and enjoyed great shows.

http://www.tfoodie.com/2012/02/epic-cruise-part-1.html

2. How to piss off a Mexican
I wrote this post as a humorous example of some annoying stereotypes about Mexicans

http://www.tfoodie.com/2012/03/how-to-piss-off-mexican.html

3. Dubai:
I loved Dubai, it was a great trip, best part of it was being able to dine inside the wonderful Burj Al Arab.

http://www.tfoodie.com/2012/03/dubai-day-3.html

4. Eataly, Turin:
For the foodie in me, any trip to Eataly is like going to Disneyland so I enjoyed going back to Eataly Turin and having their delicious tuna.

http://www.tfoodie.com/2012/04/eataly-paradise.html

5. Tuna recipe
As I just wrote, I love tuna, and I enjoy cooking it at home as well, this has to be one of my favorite recipes.

http://www.tfoodie.com/2012/06/saturday-lunch.html

6. Eataly, Rome
Our weekend in Rome was even more special after we discovered Eataly Rome had just opened, and we had a delicious Roman tripe to make it even better

http://www.tfoodie.com/2012/06/eataly-rome.html

7. Piazza Navona, Rome
Rome is one of my favorite cities in the world and Piazza Navona is one of my favorite spots in the Eternal City

http://www.tfoodie.com/2012/07/piazza-navona-rome.html

8. Club Med Ixtapa, Mexico
we had a relaxing (and weight-gaining) holiday in Club Med Ixtapa, best service and food ever!

http://www.tfoodie.com/2012/09/club-med-ixtapa-part-1.html

9. Statue-hunting in Düsseldorf:
It was a great challenge to find the 9 Poeggeler statues while visiting Düsseldorf

http://www.tfoodie.com/2012/10/statue-hunting-in-dusseldorf.html

10. Hangar Bicocca:
Although I live in the area, I had never been to Hangar Bicocca, a very nice exposition space in North Milan

http://www.tfoodie.com/2012/10/sunday-in-hangar-bicocca.html

Bonus -  Sunflower fields forever
Beautiful landscapes, great weather, fantastic food, I just love Le Marche!

http://www.tfoodie.com/2012/08/sunflower-fields-forever.html

Tequila!

Tequila is Mexico's national drink. It is a type of mezcal (the liquor with the worm in the bottle) made from blue agave plants from the region of Jalisco, mainly. Agave plants mature in a period of 7 to 10 years.

To make it, the heart of the plant is cooked and then squeezed in a stone wheel to extract the juice. This juice is then fermented in tanks until it evaporates and then condenses to become tequila. A good tequila is made 100% of blue agave (one of the 135 species of agave in Mexico), so check the label of your bottle to be sure; it has to have a monogram label of the Tequila Regulatory Council which proofs its authenticity.

 There are three types of tequila: blanco, añejo and reposado.
Blanco is the clear one, produced after final fermentation, it has a pure flavor. This is the one that should be used to prepare cocktails.
Reposado is tequila aged in oak barrels for at least two months, its color is slightly darker and the taste is a bit smoother. It can be drank pure or in cocktails.
Añejo is an aged tequila which has been in the barrels for at least one year. It has full flavor and a Woody color. Better drank pure and straight (no lemon or salt).

Tequila is drank pure in a shot glass called caballito or in cocktails like tequila sunrise (with orange juice and grenadine), charro negro (with cola and lemon), paloma (with grapefruit soda, salt & lemon), etc. A caballito of tequila is sometimes served with another caballito of sangrita (a mix of tomato juice, orange juice, pepper and lime). You take a sip of tequila, taste it and feel it in your mouth, then a sip of sangrita. I love this way of drinking it!

Colors of Mexico

Mexico is a country full of colors, which reflect also on its people and of course, on its food.
Here are some pictures of my recent trip to Mexico City. Notice that being a foodie, I focused on the food :)

Foodporn - Club Med Ixtapa

We've been to a lot of all-inclusive resorts, some with beautiful rooms, beaches, interesting activities, etc. but Club Med Ixtapa beats them all in Food & Drinks quality and taste. Food here is a serious matter, no cafeteria-like trays filled with greasy food that was just tossed there, instead you get the chefs to prepare your plate in a gourmet-like presentation, taking care of every detail, this way you get a quality, tasty dish in a perfect portion, without wasting any of it. Have a look at some of the super-delicios food we got to taste (I know, it's cruel but I just had to show you!):

Mexico lindo y querido

He upon whose heart the dust of Mexico has lain will find no peace in any other land.
—Malcolm Lowry in Under the Volcano

A year ago I started this blog (time flies!), and since then I've been trying to write a post about my country, the thing is, nothing feels satisfying when I'm trying to describe it. I left Mexico almost 12 years ago and although I've kept visiting at least once every two years it has changed so much that I'm begining to wonder if I've lost the words in the change. I was very happy growing up in Mexico City, but when I discovered Italy and fell in love with it I moved here without even really thinking about it. But everytime I go back I enjoy it, the food, the people, the weather, the culture and of course the family and friends, everything keeps welcoming me in the warmest of ways.
Now that I come to think of it, I don't have any pictures of Mexico City but here are some of one of the most beautiful places on earth: the Mayan Riviera.

Tulum

How to piss off a Mexican

I'm a fan of the Matador Network, a travelers community with great and interesting articles for travelers (not tourists).
They have a series of articles, written by different travelers, on "how to piss off a (insert nationality)", like: How to piss off a Dane, How to piss off a Canadian, How to piss off an Italian, How to piss off a German, etc. in which they give you tips if you really want to piss off a person of a given nationality. Obviously this is done as pure entertainment, using stereotypes that most of times are wrong but they are good for light reading and a laugh. And I've been dying to write my own tips on how to piss off a Mexican, so here they are:
(please Mexican readers, this is just for fun, I know we are not all the same but there's one thing we are the same at and that is we are able to laugh at ourselves, right?)

Tortilla time!

After my visit to Wahaca in London, I came back home inspired and decided to make one of my favorite Mexican dishes: tortilla soup.
As you may have noticed, I'm no pro when it comes to cooking, and I can't find many ingredients here in Italy so I always search the internet to get the easiest recipe and in this case I found one and added my personal touch :)
It was fast and pretty easy to make so everyone can try it!

Tortilla Soup (my way)
Ingredients: (serves 4)
2 medium tomatoes (or half a bottle of tomato sauce)
1/2 an onion (diced)
1 garlic clove
4 cups of water
5 teaspoons of chicken broth powder
1 sprig of parsley
1/2 teaspoon of dried origano
1 pasilla (or ancho) chile (remove seeds)
12 tortillas cut in thin stripes
Frying oil

To serve with:
1 avocado, diced
sour cream
fresh cheese (panela type), diced
1 pasilla (or ancho) chile (remove seeds), diced

Heat enough oil to fry in a big pan or wok, once it's hot add the tortillas and fry until crispy. Keep wrapped in kitchen paper.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a deep pan, mix the tomatoes (or the sauce), the onion and garlic in a blender. Strain and pour into the pan, fry for a couple of minutes, add the water and let it boil. Add the chicken broth, the chile and the parsley and cook it, mixing once in a while, for 15 minutes. Remove the parsley.
To serve: add 1/4 of the tortillas in each plate, add the soup and the diced avocado, cheese, chile and a teaspoon of sour cream.

Wahaca? Sounds good!

Hey there! We spent this weekend in London but I'm not gonna bore you with pics and description about the touristic sights since probably most of you have already been there (if not, turn off your computers right now, ok, but not before booking a ticket to London!). Instead I'll write about Wahaca. What? Wahaca, it is a Mexican food chain with diverse locations in London serving market food or street food, stuff that you would typical find in a Mexican street cart or a market stand.
I must confess that after living in Italy for over 10 years, I have never found a real authentic Mexican restaurant anywhere in Italy so everytime I find the real deal the least I can do is write about it.
Anyhow, after wandering around Soho we found it in Wardour Street, what I would call "Foodie Street" after all the nice restaurants we passed by (and the bakeries like Hummingbird Bakery - one of the hardest things I've ever done was passing by and not stopping for a cupcake!). The place is casual, relaxed with friendly atmosphere, street art in the walls and minimalistic decor; visit the bathrooms downstairs, they are nice! and the tequila bar with foosball tables!

inside Wahaca Soho

 Your menu card is also your place mat and your reference list since when you order your waiter circles your orders in it. The menu has well explained dishes varying from appetizers, salads, main courses, desserts, etc. a great selection of tequilas (please try the Don Julio!) and a not so bad selection of beers. They got me when I saw they had Pacifico beer, my favorite!

Pacifico, best Mexican beer!

So, together with our beers we had an order of guacamole, the Pork Pibil tacos (3), the chicken mole tacos (3) and a big chipotle chicken quesadilla to share. Everything was great, authentic market food, and if a Mexican tells you, then you should believe it!

Pork Pibil tacos

Chicken mole tacos (couldn't resist to eat one before the pic!)

Chipotle chicken quesadilla

 We could have eaten more (and I would have loved to get a glass of horchata water -almond and rice milky drink- !) but we were going to have dinner in a couple of hours so this was just to nibble. The total was around £25 including tip. They don't take reservations so be prepared to wait, it's totally worth it! Oh, and with your check they bring chili seeds so you can plant your own at home, how conveninent!

Wahaca Soho is located in 80 Wardour Street, London. Other locations: Canary Wharf, Covent Garden, Westifield White City, Westfiled Stratford and a street cart that moves around London! Don't forget to check their nice website: www.wahaca.co.uk