In the Mexican kitchen

My most memorable food experiences are definitely here from the house, cooking with Doña Petrita (who comes couple of times a week to cook) or without her. Never before have I chopped so many beans, peeled so many mangos, or helped clean and cut chicken or chicken lungs (and it´s still horrible). Every time I´m surprised how good the food turns out, whether it be soup, salsa or fried rice.

If you think Mexican food is the quick tex-mex we serve in Europe or in the States, you´re wrong. There are similarities, but still it´s so different... Mexican food is heavy, but good, and since its so filling, I can nowadays easily go with breakfast and dinner, and skip lunch.
Here´s a quick dictionary:

Tortillas= the basic sidedish for any food, be it breakfast, lunch or dinner, or just a snack. Made of corn or sometimes flour, and about the size of your hand. Mexicans eat 12 of these each day on average, i.e. 120 million tortillas per day. Phew. Fills you up good.

Fajitas= chicken or other meat cut in slices with onion. Just the meat.

There are a variety of dishes made of onion, tomato and tortillas. Anywhere you go, you will find them with different names or variations, but its all the same: meat, tortillas, tomato and onion (and chile).

Chilaquiles=fried tortillas with tomato, onion and tomatoes. One day I tried to make tortilla soup (with the same ingredients) and cooked them long enough to become chilaquiles. Oops.

Enchiladas=like Italian cannelonis, but with tortillas. With tomato and onion.

Burritos=this would maybe be closest what we called fajitas in Finland, i.e. tortillas filled with meat, cheese, sometimes mushrooms, and beans all wrapped up. They only serve these in the north.

Tacos= small tortillas (like the size of your palm) with meat, onion, salsa and coriander. Mmm.

Quesadillas= my favourite: tortilla filled with meat and melt cheese. Add sauce to your taste. Best from the street.

The best quesadillas in Puerto Vallarta.

Then there´s the chile: If someone tells you its a bit spicy (pica un poco) I can eat it. If they say it´s spicy (sí, pica) I won´t touch it. I don´t want to know what "muy picante" tastes like.

Another typical dish are the tortas, i.e. sandwiches. Here in Puebla they are called cemitas, but they are all include ham, cheese, tomatoes, avocado, onion and some surprise ingredients (often chile).

Mexico isn´t really know for its desert (although they have a huge sweettooth for candy, Coke and buns). Often in restaurants you´ll find different pies such as apple, cheese or lemon. Here is hot chocolate which is typical around Mexico City, with the (Spanish) churros. Warms you up real good.

Here are some typical breakfast options: on the left hotcakes (pancakes) with syrup or honey, on the right an omelette (or scrambled eggs, huevos revueltos) with beans and tortillas.

And this is how you eat the eggs; mix all you got on your plate in a tortilla, wrap it up and have a go. This works with any dish; be it meat, fish or breakfast. And always add beans :)

This is breakfast the way I like it; a huge plate of fresh fruit. With or without yoghurt and honey. We came back here with Annina, after I ate here with Tuomo, in Mexico City.

Here is the most typical dish in Puebla, chichen in salsa verde (green spicy sauce) and behind mole rojo. The mole is made of a zillion different ingredients, such as tomatoes, a dozen different chiles, chocolate, onion etc.etc. Really good.

And this is were we ate it, La Gruta, a restaurant in a cave in Teotihuacan.

Here is a quick lesson on how to make guacamole (thanks Alex for the pics): cut a couple of onions and a couple of tomatoes into pieces. Smash some 4 avocados and mix all. Add a tint of salt, and lemon juice. Serve with totopos (nachos in Finland).

And these I will miss the most, all kinds of fruit in all forms. Fresh or as water, mango water, limon water, watermelon water, just to mention a few. And the fresh orange juice in the morning, irreplaceable.