Crunchy Broccoli Slaw

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Chatty Kathy

Huge thanks to SmittenKitchen for this delicious, crunchy and addictive slaw. We loved it! I’ve tried a few recipes out, but this one hits all the notes and it will be on repeat all summer long.

Makes about six cups of slaw

2 heads of broccoli
1/2 cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Buttermilk Dressing
1/2 cup buttermilk, well-shaken
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (or if you are like me, and always have some pickled red onions in the fridge, use those ….. so pretty!)

Using a jar, combine all dressing ingredients and shake vigorously to combine. Set in fridge while you prep the salad.

Peel the broccoli stems and either use a mandolin on a fine setting, or dice quite small. Separate the broccoli florets into bite size pieces, slicing the larger bits.

In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cranberries, and red onion. Pour dressing over, and stir to mix well, sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Enjoy! This works exceptionally well as a side to any grilled meat – tonight we served it with smoked baby back ribs.

Baked Sticky Spicy Chicken Wings

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Chatty Kathy

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I don’t think I can have enough chicken wing recipes. These are perfect if you are looking for a sticky, slightly spicy, chicken wing. Make sure you have plenty of napkins handy, you will need them. If you like them extra spicy, just use more of the chile paste.

CHICKEN MARINADE

2 pounds chicken drumettes
1 TBSP toasted sesame oil
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP freshly squeezed lime juice
1 TBSP chile garlic paste (sambal oelek, or Korean chili paste)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp grated ginger

Using a ziplock bag, mix all ingredients except chicken wings. When all ingredients are blended add the chicken and give it a good massage. Put entire bag in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

SAUCE

3 TBSP honey
1 tbsp of the same chile paste you used in the marinade
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP toasted sesame oil
1 TBSP freshly squeezed lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced

GARNISH (if desired)

sesame seeds
slivered green onions

Preheat oven to 425.

Spread wings out on a parchment lined baking sheet. You will thank me later for reminding you to use parchment …

Bake for 20 minutes.

While chicken is baking, whisk to combine all sauce ingredients in a heavy bottom saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and allow to thicken.

Brush over chicken (or toss in a bowl to evenly coat) and return chicken to oven for another 5-10 minutes until crispy and browned in spots.

Garnish with sesame seeds and slivered onions.

Best Chocolate Oat Cupcakes

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Chatty Kathy

Chocolate Oat Cupcakes

If you call these a muffin, and focus on the oat flakes you could even consider this a breakfast item ….but I don’t know if you’d get away with that in my house. Putting oat flakes into these chocolate muffins may make them a healthier snack, but they are still a treat!

1 cup quick cooking oats (not rolled oats)
1 3/4 cup very hot strong coffee (use decaf if you like)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten and best at room temperature
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 TBSP real cocoa powder (unsweetened)
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (mini ones melt best, but if you like a bit of a chunk of chocolate in there use the larger ones)

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins and set aside.

In a bowl, combine quick oats with VERY hot coffee. Stir well and set aside, covering to keep warm.

In separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt cocoa powder and cinnamon.

In stand mixer cream butter with both sugars, using paddle attachment. Beat until light and creamy. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well.

Add dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Add hot oat/coffee mixture and chocolate chips, mixing it in by hand. If you used mini chocolate chips and your oat mixture was warm enough they will melt, however if you used larger ones you will still have mini bits which I thought was perfect …

Spoon (or use ice cream scoop) mixture into paper liners, filling about 2/3-3/4 full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, just until an inserted toothpick comes out almost clean.

Allow to cool in muffin tins.

These are great with pretty much any topping, or even left alone. Today I made them with a raspberry buttercream icing and they were a real hit.

Coconut Curry Noodle Bowls with Peanut Dressing

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Chatty Kathy

I’ve been trying to simplify some of my dinner plans ….. as much as I like puttering in the kitchen for a couple of hours after work (what I call kitchen yoga), there are times I just need to make a quick dinner. This is one of my favourites …. quick, easy, healthy and most of all, absolutely delicious. You don’t really have to make the peanut dressing to drizzle over, but honestly, isn’t everything better with peanut sauce?

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Tonight’s version of this bowl included prawns, mushrooms, snow peas, bok choy and lots of colourful peppers.

PEANUT DRESSING:
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 heaping Tbsp natural salted peanut butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
splash of lime juice
scant 1/4 tsp chili garlic sauce
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
splash of very hot water (only if too thick)

COCONUT CURRY:
1 tablespoon oil
2 shallots
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 14-ounce can regular coconut milk
1 ½ cup reduced sodium chicken or veggie broth
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon hot chili paste (sambal oelek)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice (optional)

BOWL: (These are suggestions, use whatever veg you have on hand)

4 ounces rice or egg noodles
1 tablespoon oil
half an onion, chopped
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup chopped asparagus
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
sesame seeds & chopped peanuts for topping
limes for serving
a handful of fresh basil & cilantro for serving

I’ve also used snow peas, zucchini, sweet peppers & bean sprouts.

To prepare your peanut sauce combine all ingredients except the hot water, blend well and stir in just enough of the hot water to allow everything to become smooth and creamy.

Preparing the curry sauce is pretty easy. Heat oil in a sauce pan and stir in shallots and fresh ginger, saute briefly just until translucent and stir i the curry paste. Fry curry paste for 2-3 minutes, just to allow flavours to wake up. Stir in the coconut milk, and stock. Simmer for a few minutes just to allow flavours to get to know each other…… Taste …. if you can handle a bit more heat stir in the hot chili paste. Remove from heat and add the sugar, fish sauce and soy sauce. Taste again and adjust. Remember, every brand of these ingredients will have a slightly different profile, and you need to make adjustments for that. Last thing is to add the lime juice. It should wake everything up and make you want to keep tasting …..

The method is fairly flexible, saute your veg in a wok with the oil just until crisp tender and set aside. Alternatively, if you are using egg noodles, once you have removed the egg noodle from the boiling water, plunge the veg in for just 1-2 minutes until crisp tender and remove.

SERVING TIME:

Place noodles in the bottom of your bowl, layer on the veg, and sprinkle with toppings. Gently pour over the coconut curry. You can make this as saucy as you like by doubling up the curry sauce if you want more of a soup. Drizzle over the peanut sauce and enjoy!

Puerto Escondido feels like home!

Posted on December 5, 2016 by Chatty Kathy

We’ve spent a lot of time in beach towns along the Pacific Coast of Mexico, and I think we’ve come to realize that Puerto Escondido provides everything we love about relaxing along the coast. There is a bay to visit for whatever your activity; from calm waters to surfing the waves. We’ve discovered Rinconada is our favourite area, quiet and calm, most residential and great restaurants. Not only that, it is a great walk to Playa Bacocho.

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Playa Bacocho, 2 km long and a fantastic morning walk. These waves and undertow can be treacherous, so watch the waves for 10 minutes or so before getting in. We enjoyed swimming and bobbing in the waves every day here.

Playa Carazalillo is perfect for playing in the water – safe and entertaining with snorkelling around the rocky areas, where turtles are often spotted. This is also a great place for learning to surf or boogie boarding. A popular spot with both locals and tourists, the entire bay is lined with palapa restaurants.

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It is difficult to figure out when it is going to be a “day off” in Mexico, but when it is the beaches are full of locals. It is so much fun to watch the families arrive by the bus load, or truck bed, carting food and drink, swimming in clothes and generally having a fantastic time. They laugh as they bob in the waves and their joy is contagious. Who wouldn’t love to be hanging out on this beach?

La Punta ….. a great beach for watching surfers, boogie boarding or body surfing. Not for the faint of heart or weak swimmers. Find a nice shaded palapa and relax with some guacamole or tacos while you are scanning the horizon for dolphins or whales. We were treated to quite an amazing dolphin show here, with them leaping out of the water and playing for an hour or so. I so wish either my camera or my skills had been able to capture that!

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Zicatela is the primary surf beach, and on a high surf day the waves will be packed with surfboards.

Our home in Puerto Escondido was amazing. We loved staying at this small 6 unit complex with truly magnificient ocean views.

Take a peek at those ladders between our pool and the beach view …… The “ladder rep” wandered the streets with this push cart selling ladders. Seems unlikely, but we watched that ladder carrier go from maximum capacity to these few over 2 days!

Right across from our gate at Las Turquezas was a path winding down to the beach at Playa Bacocho, every day started with a trip down that path for a morning walk and bobbing in the waves.

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Okay, well maybe we didn’t manage to get Vivi out of her hammock EVERY day …

Going local …. we had use of a wash machine so instead of taking our clothes to the lavanderia we washed them and hung them on the rooftop clothes line. Now, that is my idea of laundry heaven.

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Sunsets were amazing here, so colourful and while the colours lasted for a while, it is always surprising how quickly that sun goes from just above the ocean to dropping off out of sight.

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sunset

Puerto Escondido is a prime growing area for sesame seeds, peanuts and mango to name of few of the crops. I’ve never seen how sesame seeds grow before so that was fun!

Gina, the “information goddess” has a tourist information booth in Puerto Escondido, and she can organize pretty much any tour you’d like to take. We did go on an agricultural tour with her, and while it was informative and entertaining, it was probably a bit overpriced at 600 pesos per person.

Loved the plants here, such vivid colour everywhere you look.

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One of the people we met on our tour is Gallo …. He runs a sanctuary for critters, everything from iguanas to turtles, to crocodiles and birds. It was amazingly clean and well organized. For years he did this on his own, from his own pocketbook, but is now partially subsidized. Here he is, explaining that the reason he looks like Zapata is because that was his great uncle … or great great great uncle …. some things get lost in translation!

Once you leave the interior of Mexico, often the best food is also left behind, but not here! We had some amazing meals here and can hardly wait to go back. We usually mix things up quite a bit when we are away, cooking at home with local ingredients and eating out as well. This time, I’ll admit, we ate out more than not, but it was an easy decision with such good restaurants within walking distance.

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Almoraduz Cocina Mexicana de Autor – OMG …… we ate here twice it was so good. last year I also had back ribs here that I still dream about.

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Turtle Bay Cafe was also a real winner, this sesame crusted tuna was out of this world, and so were the prawns with saffron aioli.

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After day at the beach you just know you want a popsicle ….. we tried the lime, the strawberry with slices of kiwi and mango, and the fresh grated coconut popsicle, all were simply refreshingly perfect!

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I know, I know, the crowds are quite bothersome …..

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Thinking of this moment at home …. remembering the feel of the sun and the sound of the waves ….

The nightly crib match kept Grant and Wilson competitive right to the trip home.

Need a pick me up? Juice water …. I love them all, from this pineapple water, to my all time favourite, green juice.

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Normally we eat at Mexican places ….. but the aromas drifting out of El Sultan finally dragged us in, and we had their chicken schawarma pita twice! They make their own pitas fresh daily (about 4 times a day!) and it was fantastic.

The ultimate moment of the time spent in Puerto Escondido, of many fabulous moments, was the trip out to swim with bioluminescent plankton. This is a spot you should visit after dark, preferably really dark, or raining. Anything to avoid a bright moon. A short drive from Puerto Escondido and you reach Laguna de Manialtepec, where boats are waiting. Originally the plankton was thought to be a curse by the fisherman when their nets were illuminated enough by the bioluminescence that the fish avoided them. Only a short ten years later they no longer think of it as a curse as 20% of their income is derived from tourists to see this phenomenon. If you are brave enough, you jump off the boat in darkness …. I wasn’t, but Grant, Vivian and Wilson sure did. Once in the water the movement is totally illuminated by the plankton, and it is like your body is covered in sparkly jewels. A few nibbling fish too ….. Another moment where I wish I could have taken a photo.

In many areas of the Pacific coast this is the time of year turtles come ashore to lay their eggs in droves. We’ve participated in helping at sanctuaries, when the baby turtles are ready to make their journey to the sea, but this is the first time we have been around when the turtles make their way onto shore to begin that process. It is pure magic. Just take a moment to sit and watch the waves, and a turtle will suddenly appear, then another, then another.

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This entire beach is covered in mounds ….. how many turtle eggs are under those mounds is anybodies guess. Each turtle lays between 80-150 eggs.

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With a determined pace they make their way up the beach.

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This same beach can see 2500 turtles appear on one night ….. and no, I didn’t take this particular photo, our driver had taken it on an earlier morning trip out there. We went at dusk to watch them coming in.

These poor mama turtles work so hard to get up the beach, dig the hole with their hind flippers, drop in their eggs, cover them back up with sand and tamp the sand down. It was amazing for us to watch the whole process, and listen to the sound of the weight she uses to tamp it all down.

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The eggs dropped out in singles and doubles until the hole was filled. Once done, she makes her way back down the beach to return to the sea.

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We are usually in Mexico for the Revolution day parades, and they are so entertaining!

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Those dancers knew that Vivian and Wilson were tapping their feet, so they pulled them right into the street with them.

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Ahh, Puerto Escondido ….. love these beaches, the sunshine, the amazing food and I just know we’ll be back.

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Hasta la vista Puerto Escondido ……

Mexico City, revisited!

Posted on November 26, 2016 by Chatty Kathy

Mexico itself is a country full of contrasts, and truly evident in the city. Grandiose architecture and magnificent art galleries alongside signs of poverty. In that I am sure every major city in the world is similar. What is very different are the smells – walking down any given street you have the contrast of delicious meat grilling, fresh cucumber being sliced or …….sewage.

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The contrasts between old church spires, modern buildings and electrical mayhem are everywhere!

If you haven’t been to Museo Soumaya yet, then please try to get there. Built by Mexico’s wealthy Carlos Slim in honour of his wife the entire structure is amazing itself, but once you get in and have the opportunity to view the largest collection of art work you simply won’t believe it. His son in law designed the place and it is as elaborate inside as out. The different floors wind up along inside the building so you are either slanting in or out, depending on which floor you are on. The displays change somewhat too, the last time we were here an entire floor was devoted to Sophia Loren. Better still, it is free admission!

Sculptures by Rodin, paintings by Van Gogh, Renoir & Matisse to name a few, you can wander here for hours.

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The “Gates of Hell” was a particularly masterful piece, and just huge.

We were pretty fortunate to be in the city for longer than we have before so thoroughly enjoyed both eating out and touring art galleries and museums. It is literally impossible to not eat well in Mexico City. From spending mere pesos for a street taco to dining in one of the more elegant restaurants it is always less than we would spend at home and the food is fantastic.

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Try a roadside tostada, in this case shrimp ceviche.

Or – if you are fortunate enough to have a cozy place like we did, just pick up a rotisserie chicken for dinner. This Columbian chicken dinner was 110 pesos, and fed us for 2 nights. Not only that, it was incredibly delicious. Under the skin they had rubbed an amazing herb blend and that skin was something Auntie Brigitte would have fought for ….

If you can’t find what you need at a mercado, then you either don’t need it, or you aren’t in the right mercado. Smiling vendors are raring to sell you whatever you need, at a very reasonable price and guaranteed to make you smile too.

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In case you haven’t tried it ….. these large sheets below are pork fat. Yep, pure pork fat fried up in all its goodness. Mexicans eat it by the sheet, and as tasty as it is, we find a few crumbles on guacamole or in a soup are enough to hit the spot.

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Palacio de Bellas Artes – or the Fine Arts building. Inside it is even more impressive with murals and incredible art galleries. We have yet to make it to one of the traditional folk ballets they feature here, but one day ….

Viewed from what was at one time the tallest building in the Americas, the Latin America building:

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Take the elevator to the top of the Latin America building and you just won’t believe how far you can see – particularly on a clear enough day when the smog isn’t too troublesome.

Is there anything better than travel with family? We think not! Our youngest granddaughter Liv is already loving Mexico City as much as we do…

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Take some time at Chapultepec Park and Castle, well worth it to wander around, enjoy both the park and the walk up to the castle.

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These little guys are everywhere, hoping to catch the popcorn or peanut you drop.

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At the top of Chapultepec Park is the Castle, as you can see not an especially brilliant day – smog combined with cool cloudy weather.

Not sure if I was meant to live in a more elegant time or not, but I sure could have become accustomed to my bedroom and bathroom looking like this ….. Who am I kidding though, I would have been one of the servants!! ha ha

Imagine playing hopscotch or soccer inside these hallways … the stained glass is just incredible.

Museum of Anthropology …… take a day. In just over 3 hours we managed to view one side of the 3 you see here…. it is a touch overwhelming, but absolutely amazing and a must see.

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The reproductions of actual structures of ancient cities are so well done it is easy to imagine civilization as it was. Just love the colours – and can picture how vivid the homes were.

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Amazing murals everywhere telling the stories of each civilization.

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And …. once you are worn out from walking your feet off (on this particular day we walked 13.3 kms….) it is entirely justified to stop and have a pastry … our favourite is La Boheme, situated next to Mercado Roma and serving up the most amazing pastries along with a perfectly Vivian size mug of hot chocolate.

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In Mexican culture, the mid day meal is very important … they linger over it, usually taking hours, and they certainly enjoy their alcoholic beverages along with it. In fact, in a busy lunch spot like this, I think we were the only table without!

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Hungry for a light lunch or just a snack? This tuna tostada is light, refreshing, and absolutely delicious. Contramar is one of the seafood restaurants in Mexico City that you must try to get in to. Like many great places, they are only open for the main meal of the day, from noonish until 6ish. Yes, that is how long lunch can be ….

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Oyster Bar in Mexico City? Definitely!! La Docena Oyster Bar has an impressive array of seafood choices and these oysters were so fresh and sweet we had 2 plates. Incredibly delightful and this plate of raw oysters probably cost about the same as a small plate of chicken wings at home. The crunchy oysters on top of the salad were a perfect crouton, and the sandwich a treat.

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Reforma is one of the busiest streets, and yet every Sunday morning they close it to vehicle traffic and it is full of Mexican families out exercising, bike riding, roller blading or doing dance classes. Such a great idea, and I just wish we thought to do that in some of our major cities as well.

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Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are much loved in all of Mexico, and the museums dedicated to their lives and art are plentiful. This particular one is in San Angel, which is a beautiful neighbourhood in the city, very artsy and upscale. Saturday market holds some of the most tempting pieces you will find anywhere.

necklaces made of ribbon and corn or beans

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Every neighbourhood has a spot like this to sit and enjoy peace and quiet.

The Frida and Diego museum is actually one of their former homes- in this case they each had their own home, created by an architect friend. See the walkway above to join the two? Small bedrooms but huge art studios! (Frida’s house was the blue one, no surprise there, given the Blue House Museum in Coyoacan)

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Diego’s art studio sits as he left it ….. fullsizeoutput_476a

Time for another snack in the park ….

Well, it’s taken me some time to get this blog on Mexico City completed, but it is time to move on to the beach at Puerto Escondido. We always seem to find a lot to do in DF, so I’m sure we will be back.

Oaxaca

Posted on November 15, 2016 by Chatty Kathy

Oaxaca is a beautiful city, full of amazing restaurants and many beautiful buildings. The zocalo always has something happening. Whether it is families socializing or protests underway it is lively. We’ve been a few times now, and will be a few more I’m sure.

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The zocalo is the heart of all Mexican communities, big or small. Families gather, young people “court”, vendors sell necessities like balloons and ice cream, and music is everywhere. At any time of day the zocalo is entertaining, but Sundays are particularly lively.

We had a great place to stay in Oaxaca this time, loving AIRBNB for granting us access to these places – so nice to have a place that feels like home to relax and enjoy while being able to explore whatever area we are in.

We have explored the ruins of Monte Alban a few times, and are always amazed at the sheer size of it all. Originally home of Zapotec people, these ruins are still being uncovered. This visit we explored Atzompa, newly discovered! Seriously, Mexican officials and archeologists must be suspiciously looking at every hillside and wondering what is underneath.

We took a collectivo taxi up to this area, about 8 km from Oaxaca itself, and then continued uphill to explore the ruins. It is crazy that every time you think you have reached the top you only uncover more terraces.

From here you can look across at Monte Alban – they were all part of the same community, and the vantage point is incredible.

The ever present ball court …. maybe we find them so fascinating because of the soccer similarities … you can use any part of your body except your hands. Authorities are divided on whether the loser or winner was sacrificed ….. it is a great honour to be sacrificed though so I guess it is all depends on your point of view.

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The flora …… Honestly I don’t often take so many photos of flowers in Mexico but the flowers alongside the ruins and the road leading up to it were just stunning, and I couldn’t help myself.

From the site, we walked down the road (2 km) to the nearest town in order to get a taxi back to Oaxaca. You really don’t ever know what you are going to encounter along the roads in Mexico.

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From livestock to world renowned potter …. this roadside gallery was a real surprise.

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It was only 2 km from the archeological site to the town, but it was hot!

Every year we try to bring back a couple of “Servin” mugs … the pottery is a marvel – wonderful to hold, perfect for coffee or tea and so beautiful. fullsizeoutput_4759

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It seems like there is a cathedral on every corner in Mexico, and it is likely true. They are absolutely beautiful, and regardless of your religion it is a wonderful spot to just sit and take a moment … maybe just to realize how lucky we are to travel.

We toured the Cultural center and once again, we marvel at both the building and the art it houses.

This is the ceiling …. seriously …. this much effort going into the ceiling.

Yes, more ceilings …. how on earth did they do this?

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Every floor had an area where they had outside space – no doubt to reflect and appreciate your environment. This one overlooked the ethnobotanical gardens below.

As for the food ….. oh my goodness …. eating in Oaxaca is a foodie dream. We had outstanding food here.

Origen Restaurant – the food here is without doubt picture perfect and the flavours live up to the image, I’d encourage anybody to eat here.

In fact, every meal we ate in Oaxaca was outstanding. We kept saying “that was the best, I’d like to eat here again!” We need more time in Oaxaca to do that.

However, it is time to move on ….. time for Mexico City!

Puebla

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Chatty Kathy

One thing is constant in Mexico, and that is cathedrals – each area uses the stone from that region, so they all have a slightly different colour to the rock but in all cases, they are beautiful.

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We have just missed “Day of the Dead” celebrations, and everywhere is evidence of the festivities. Really, it might sound morbid, but it is a lovely and fascinating way of celebrating all those that have passed before us. Family and friends gather to discuss and remember the loved ones, their favourite foods are cooked and the parties are endless.

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Our 3rd time in Puebla, and I finally bought a small piece of the pottery Puebla is famous for, Talavera Pottery. The clay is sourced locally and most colors are also found naturally in local areas. Blue is the only colour they import, from Morocco. All colours are made from natural and traditional dyes. They have over 100 employees in this building – we did a tour and the place just went on forever. It takes about 8 weeks for each piece of clay to become a piece of pottery, get fired numerous times, painted, glazed, hand marked with the year and then prepared for sale. I asked about seconds, because I didn’t see any in the shop, but they don’t sell any seconds – instead the pottery is broken up and sold by the kilo for work in art pieces.

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Inside the Uriarte Gallery – established in 1824, and specializing in certified Talavera Pottery. Until very recently it was exclusively managed by the Uriarte family, however recently it has been bought out and is now owned by 3 Mexicans and 1 Canadian.This large stone goes around the rocks to crush them (in this case the blue stones) and once it is a fine powder they add the water to get their colour. This stone is now powered by electricity but for years it was by a donkey going in circles. Poor guy.

Clay work stations, small pieces are created by hand on the wheel, (anything that is in size from fingertips to elbows) and larger pieces are created with molds.

Pieces air dry first, before being fired in the kiln – now heated with gas where it was previously wood or coal.

After being fired the pieces air dry again.

Once fired, there are a couple of guys that spend all day correcting minor imperfections by sanding. Before glazing anything they test each piece to see if it has survived the firing without any damage to the piece – the sound is amazingly bell like on a good piece, and very dull on a piece with a hairline crack that the eye can barely see.

This guy attentively dips every single piece into the glazing. We couldn’t believe how quickly it dried onto the pottery. After this it is ready for another firing.

Talk about dedication – this sole employee is responsible for hand signing (with a donkey hair brush) each and every single one of the pieces produced.

First painting – then more firing. The firing changes the colour significantly – the light blue turns very strong, and the orange turns yellow.

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This definitely requires attention to detail.

We loved the tour and each came home with a small piece. Difficult when travelling – it would have been nice to come home with more!

Puebla is known for food, and one of their specialties is the cemita. A sandwich, to end all sandwich dreams.

Piled high with (traditionally) pork Milanesa style, avocado, cheese, lettuce, onions and served in a special bun, which is what makes it a cemita, other than a “torta” (sandwich).

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Fusion has hit Mexico and these are upscale cemita’s. Served with some delicious dipping sauces that really hit the spot.

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Moles are another big thing here, and I don’t mean little critters. Pronounced “molay”, it really just means sauce.

fullsizeoutput_46f9 Enchiladas tres moles. Means, enchiladas served with the 3 traditional Mole sauces – the red is Colaradito pepper sauce, the black is mole negro, made typically with leftover tortillas cooked until they are black and ash like and chocolate. The green is a pipian mole, made with pumpkin seeds. That sounds simplistic and it certainly is not a simple sauce. Each one has many many ingredients, and every cook/chef is very protective of their recipe.

fullsizeoutput_46fa Mixiote (pronounced misheeote). Really fabulous meat dish cooked low and slow in parchment paper, in this case lamb. The flavour is out of this world. In days gone by the parchment paper would have been ant larvae, but now they settle for parchment.

fullsizeoutput_46f8 Tinga. Sounds easy, and looks kind of boring, but one bite and you will wake up. Honestly, so frickin delicious.

fitbit Yes, that really does say we walked 15.89 km in one day. At that rate we can eat and drink whatever we want!!

churro-lineup So, needless to say in Mexico, that means Churros. This place had a line up every night and it was easy to see why. Delicious, no really really delicious.

got-the-churros Finally made it to the front of the line.

churros-yum The best …. sorry, photo is blurry.

Taken through the window, this guy works incredibly hard hand stirring this massive pot of churro dough – SUPER impressive.

If you haven’t done enough walking in a day, there are always other snacking options too ….. every street will have vendors selling fruit or vegetables. Our favourite is jicama and cucumber, sprinkled with salt, lime squeezed over and lightly drizzled with hot sauce.

snacks Puebla is a beautiful city, in fact probably one of the cleanest and home of the most courteous drivers! They stop for yellow lights and pedestrians…. amazing.

Sloan’s apple pies

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Chatty Kathy

Sloan and I love to be baking in the kitchen together, and most days we would make our own pie dough, but for a little after school baking time, these individual frozen pie tart shells are fantastic. This amazing little granddaughter is only 6, but she did this totally on her own, with a little verbal guidance while I helped 3 year old Stella make biscuits, which believe me – takes all my attention! Before I know it, this little one will be teaching Nana!

For 12 tarts:

1 1/2 cups apple, chopped up quite small
1 TBSP white sugar
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp corn starch
1 TBSP grated butter

Mix everything together really well, and divide into each tart shell. Sprinkle a little crumble topping over, and bake at 400 for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

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Pumpkins Pumpkins Pumpkins

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Chatty Kathy

pumpkins-anyone

Pumpkins, anyone????? It’s October and pumpkin season in the Okanagan. These adorable little pumpkins are super for decorating, and make the best pumpkin flesh. Roast up a few, and freeze it for using in the middle of winter when pumpkin season is just a memory.

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I like oven roasting my pumpkins, seems to intensify the flavour and – not only that, super easy!

Cut pumpkins in half, scoop out seeds and turn upside down on roasting pan (I like to cover with parchment paper for easy clean up)

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Set those yummy pumpkin seeds aside for another day …. roasted with some seasoning they are a great snack or addition to salads!

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Once you scoop out the roasted pumpkin flesh, use an immersion blender to puree it all, then turn it into a heavy bottom pot and allow to reduce slightly …. (4 cups pumpkin flesh should reduce to 3). Removing some of this water makes for more flavourful pumpkin flesh.

chattykathychatsandcooks

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Category Archives: Recipes