Borscht. One very good reason to visit Verintort.

Borscht. One very good reason to visit Verintort.

“Pokhlebkin and the Soviet Union are dead, yet Borshchland lives on. Recipes, like birds, ignore political boundaries … The faint outline of the Tsarist-Soviet imperium still glimmers in the collective steam off bowls of beetroot and cabbage in meat stock, and...
Mamey, how I love ya, how I love ya.

Mamey, how I love ya, how I love ya.

Portions of this post have appeared on Don Day in SMA previously. I don’t remember my exact age when I tasted my first banana but I remember I was already a few years old. I’m not sure if it was rationing, scarcity, price, or just that they hadn’t...
It’s all Greek (and all good) to me.

It’s all Greek (and all good) to me.

Long ago, in a land not so far away, there was a town called Toronto where, much to my sadness, the sidewalks were rolled up each and every Saturday at 11:00 pm. Fortunately there was a remedy. At five minutes before this weekly event, I could go to a large glass box...
Chile peppers. The guide to the dried.

Chile peppers. The guide to the dried.

As I write this, it is Tuesday in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Tuesday is the day the weekly market comes to town. Hundreds of stands offer everything from used blender parts to bras in every color of the rainbow. To me, that means it’s the best day of the...
When it’s prime time, it’s time for a drive to California.

When it’s prime time, it’s time for a drive to California.

When mighty roast beef was the Englishman’s food, It ennobled our brains and enriched our blood. Our soldiers were brave and our courtiers were good. Oh! the roast beef of old England. Roast beef is in my blood. I was born in England…in Hereford, no less, home...
How to prep prickly pears.

How to prep prickly pears.

Today’s guest post comes from one of my favorite bloggers, Fabiola Rodriguez Licona. Fabiola blogs at myheartofmexico.wordpress.com. On her website, you’ll find not only articles about Mexican cuisine but posts about a lot of other subjects of special interest to...
Everything’s coming up rosés. And good affordable ones in Mexico.

Everything’s coming up rosés. And good affordable ones in Mexico.

It was the first bottle of wine I ever bought. A rosé. Turner’s Rosé. You see they didn’t ask for ID at the Turner’s shop. And Turner’s Rosé was $1.30 a bottle, the cheapest bottle of wine anywhere in town. I graduated to Mateus (loved the shape of the hip flask...
Sweet dreams are made of cheese

Sweet dreams are made of cheese

Who am I to diss a Brie I Cotija the world And the Feta cheese Everybody’s looking for Stilton When it comes to queso in Mexico, it’s definitely Cotija (ko-TEE-hah) for me. Because, plain and simple, I think Cotija is the best cheese in Mexico and, not only that, a...
Eat your favorite tacos without ever leaving your home.

Eat your favorite tacos without ever leaving your home.

I read almost everything written about Mexican cuisine. But there’s a problem with most of the English language books. They’re written primarily for the U.S. market and Mexican food prepared and eaten in the United States is different from Mexican food in Mexico. Let...