Taking it to the next level

Back in San Cristobal de las Casas after a stint in Oaxaca, and I’m back in the kitchen, using new ingredients I’ve found along the way, and learning even more cooking techniques from my roommate/chef.

Day 36. Enchiladas con mole colaradito. Enchiladas with dark red mole sauce. Oaxaca is famous for their mole, a sauce made with chiles and chocolate. I brought back some mole in powder form to do my own experimenting. Pretty tasty! Although I prefer spicy sauces to sweet ones…

Day 37. Salsa al Diablo. Super hot salsa. I used four different kinds of hot peppers to create a salsa that turned out to be super spicy. I use it sparingly, and have also mixed it with tomatoes and onions to tone done the spice. Day 38. Croquettas al platano. Plantain croquettas. I mashed up some sweet plantains with onions and potatoes, breaded and fried them to make this yummy treat. Day 39. Tamales. Every Saturday chefs all over San Cristobal shine a red light outside their houses, which is commonly known as se vende tamales, or we sell tamales. Only on Saturdays. Only red lights. But the type of tamale varies – after lots of hunting I was able to find 2 vegetarian kinds. One with black beans, and one with herbs and cheese. 

Day 40. Enchiladas de juevos. Egg Enchiladas. The best part about this dish is how easy it is. Tortillas fresh from the tortilleria across the street, the salsa and egg filling thrown together by what was on hand. Complemented with some refried black beans. 

Next up: Guatemala!!