I just returned from a two week trip to Mexico with David, where we visited Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Mérida and Progreso, and I have to say, it was amazing! The people were so kind and gracious, offering their hospitality as if we were family. And the food…well, the food is why I went and okay, add to that the beautiful beaches. So, let’s talk about the food of the Yucatán peninsula.I would like to start by saying one thing about United States grocery stores verses Mexican. We in the States are getting SCREWED! I’m serious. David and I went grocery shopping because we had a kitchen in our condo in Playa del Carmen and decided that we would rock our little Mexican stove. We went to a store called MEGA and bought the following for only $27 USD.

pack of 5 heads of garlic- .85
4 poblano chilis- .23
2 mandarin oranges- .70
8 limes- .14
6 roma tomatoes- 1.20
box of salad greens- .39
3 avocados- 1.08
1 28 oz. can black beans- .70
1 28 oz. pinto beans- .60
1 15oz. can salsa Mexicana- .28
1 big carton of V-8 juice- 1.60
2 small cartons of guanabana juice- .37 each
1 lb. piece of cod- 1.80
3 different fresh Mexican cheeses- 1.80/1.60/2.10
1 bunch of cilantro- .48
1 bunch of epazote- .48
1 dozen eggs- 1.60
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper- .85
2 six packs of pacifico beer (bottles)- 4.20 each
1 lb of bananas- .27
olive oil tin (small)- 2.50
small bottle of vinegar- .29
and a few other items that I can’t decifer from the grocery bill.

Oh yeah, and a pack of fresh, and I mean still hot and wrapped in paper, corn tortillas- .32

It was incredible. MEGA was similar to a Super Target (as I over heard one gringo saying to their amigo). They sold housewares, clothes, appliances, music, etc… except organic produce, although, someone told us that they are going to start carrying organics. Everyone brought their own shopping bags as well, so I bought a beautiful orange oil cloth bag for myself. I used it for our groceries as well as our trips to the beach.

We made breakfast almost every morning, but we bought our coffee at a wonderful Italian café on the corner called Il Baretto, where they made the best Caffe Americano con leche. A typical breakfast for us was Huevos Rancheros which consisted of eggs, beans, tortillas, queso, avocado and salsa or Huevos Mexicana that was made with scrambled eggs, salsa and queso.

One afternoon, I whipped up Paella Tortillas for our lunch, using leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. I mixed the Paella with some egg whites and cooked it in a pan over low heat until all the egg was thoroughly set. Then I served them with fresh corn tortillas, avocado and salsa. It was a simple solution of what to do with our previous night’s dinner.

We made dinner only once because there were so many great places to eat, but what we did make was really awesome. I called it “Pescado con Cilantro.” I made a quick sauce of cilantro, epazote (a Mexican herb with an earthy flavor), garlic, olive oil, salt and a touch of vinegar that I pureed in a blender.

I placed a cod fillet in a skillet and poured the cilantro mixture over top of it, simmering for about 20 minutes until it easily flaked.

As a side, I made Chili Rellenos, where I blackened the poblano chilis over a flame on the stove.

I steamed them in a bag to loosen the charred skins. I removed the skin, seeds and membrane from inside and stuffed them with some local queso from Oaxaca.

Rolled them in whipped egg whites.

Rolled them in bread crumbs.

And lightly browned them in a skillet.

I also made a quick side of refried beans.

I topped the fish with some sauteed yellow bell peppers and made a smear of hot sauce as garnish.

We always ate outside on the balcony where we could listen to the black birds cawing to each other in the palm trees. It was really perfect.

One of our neighbors in the condo had a five year old daughter named Sophie. I asked her when we were swimming in the pool what her favorite food was and she exclaimed, “Mac and Cheese!” Her father said, that she really wanted to eat some Mac and Cheese in Playa del Carmen, but he explained that they don’t make that here in Mexico. I could tell she really missed it. On our last day in Playa, I went to the bodega (quickie mart) and bought some pasta shells. I took the 3 cheeses we had left over and made her some amazing homemade Mac and Cheese. David and I took it to them and her eyes lit up. Who knew I would be personal cheffing in Mexico!

I would like to suggest to anyone who visits a new country to try to get a place with a stove. It’s a great way to experience the flavors of the country, visit their markets/grocers and submerge yourself in the culture. And at the very least get your culinary toes wet. Some people might think that I was out of my mind, wanting to pick up a pan and cook on vacation, but for me cooking is a passion. Being able to play in another country’s kitchen and explore their markets was a blast.

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I love pumpkin seeds, especially ones that are already shelled, bagged and ready to eat! What could only make them better would be to take those earthy, buttery flavored seeds, toast them, grind them into a paste, then add spices and tomatoes to make a dip…a nutty salsa, if you will.

What you get is something the Yucatan people call Si Kil Pac. In the markets of the Yucatan you can find large bowls displaying varied degrees of toasted pumpkin seed that have already been ground to a paste. Much coarser and drier than peanut butter, the pumpkin seed paste is used in many different ways from sauces to thickeners in stews.

I also bought a tortilla press a few weeks ago and was determined to make fresh corn tortillas. I have to say it wasn’t as hard as I thought it might be and once I got the hang of the press I moved right along like a machine. Plus, it took me back to having a Playdoh Fun Factory as a kid. Seriously, the taste was well worth the effort and since I had made this fabulous dip I took the tortillas one step further and turned them into chips - Baked, not fried.

Try this at your next party, on a piece of pita or eat it with a celery stick…anyway you do it you will love it.

Pumpkin seeds.

Already toasted pumpkin seeds.

Ground to a course paste.

Roasting some plum tomatoes under the broiler.

Roasted tomatoes, ready to be diced.

Dicing an onion. I also diced one habanero chili and some cilantro, mixed them into a bowl with the tomatoes and pumpkin seed paste, squeezed in the juice of a lime and added salt to taste.

In another bowl I mixed a cup of masa flour with a bit of water until a dough formed then I rolled into a snake and cut equal pieces.

I wrapped both sides of the press with plastic wrap and placed one ball of dough on the bottom plate.

Pressing the dough.

One Tortilla ready to be lightly fried, then cut into wedges and baked…and enjoyed with some Si Kil Pac!

Get the recipe here.

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