One old kitchen!

Never Have I eaten such glorious Mexican food as I have in my grandmother’s home, and with good reason. I know no one with her dedication to the pursuit of great Mexican cooking. (If her enthusiasm were not beautiful, it would border on mania.) She introduced me to and taught me to make what I consider one of the greatest drinks (is it a cocktail? I’ve never been able to decide) in the world, sangrita (not sangria). It is made with sour orange and the juice of pomegranates. Drunk, of course, with tequila. But beyond that…her food!! Is there anything to equal her pork in chili sauce, or squash in cream, or tamales fixed in any of a dozen fashions. No wonder her kitchen used to smell better than most kitchens! One of the intriguing things about her cooking was her talent at improvisation. “These tamales” she said “are Veracruzana style, with pork and chilies and wrapped in a softer masa. I didn’t find any herbs they use in Veracruz, so I used an avocado leaf. It tastes very much like it!”. I’ve tasted some good dishes around Latin America but nowhere have I seen such variety as in Mexico. This made me wonder more and more about the coincidences of history and topography that brought about such combination of cultures to produce such fascinating cuisines-for in Mexico it can hardly be called ONE cuisine. Far too many people know Mexican food as a “mixed plate”: a crisp taco filled with ground meat heavily flavored with an all-purpose chili powder-a few fried beans and something else that looks and tastes like all the rest. Where is the wonderful play of texture, color, and flavor that makes up an authenthic, well-cooked Mexican meal? It has been said that the Chinese cuisine is based upon four thousand recipes and the Mexican on two thousand delicious recipes full with life, energy and color like its country!