Food Issues

One of the things people said to me (in reference to no longer having a gallbladder) when they learned I was going to be living in Mexico for an extended period of time had to do with "but how are you going to deal with all the greasy Mexican food?"  As I gently explained, food in Mexico isn't exactly what you might get at your local Ole Taco, where most things are fried and/or drenched with a goodly amount of cheese sauce.  So I though maybe writing a bit about food might be appropriate to illustrate some differences between the perceptions people in the US have of Mexico, and the reality that I'm experiencing.  As with most things I've written about so far, I'm sure I'm over-generalizing, both about US perceptions and Mexico reality, so look for the kernels of "truth" here.

I mentioned in a previous post that Doug and I were continuing our usual habit of eating out frequently and there are many, many restaurants in our immediate neighborhood.  About a quarter of a block away is an intersection with restaurants on three of the four corners, for instance.  With all of the nearby restaurants and all of the eating out, guess what type of food we've had most frequently:  Italian.  We've also had Lebanese, Uruguyan, some kind of stir-fry (that was Doug; I was scared), as well as some hanburgers and sandwiches of various types.  A place that's a block away on our street bills itself as "in the style of a New York deli," which cracks me up.  It's very good, as are NY delis, but really the only resemblance between the two are a case with some meat and cheese. 

When we go out for breakfast (usually not first thing in the morning but more for lunch), Doug will often have an omlette with spinach or asparagus and I will have one of three things:  huevos rancheros (you've heard of that), chilaquiles (you might have heard of that), or molletes (I doubt you've heard of these).  Molletes use day old bread (usually some kind of bun or bread for a torta), which may first be toasted, spread with mashed beans (either pinto or black beans) and a slice of cheese, heated under a broiler until the cheese melts.  They are served with pico de gallo.  Sometimes they have thin ham or thin turkey slices.  We first had them a couple of years ago during one of our homestays in connection with a Spanish language school.  Those, followed by arrachera (a marinated flank steak), are the Mexican foods that I've eaten most frequently since we got here.  Not a single basket of chips has been placed on our table, even in Mexican food restaurants.

I have some other food issues to discuss.  When you travel to Mexico, you are typically warned not to eat or drink anything that's not boiled (the water), cooked or peeled with your own hands.  The reason to avoid vegetables that are not cooked and fruit that is not peeled is that the bacteria and whatever else that finds its way onto fruit and vegetables is stuff we aren't used to.  Same with water that isn't purified in some way.  When Doug and I first started traveling to Mexico, I was paranoid about fruits and vegetables.  Now, I'm conservative at first, with tomato on a sandwich, for instance.  But if I'm going to live here, not just visit for a couple of weeks, I have to be able to eat fruit and vegetables.  From some of our previous stays in Mexico, we learned that there are ways to disinfect fruit and vegetables, so that's what we're doing at home unless they are going to be cooked.  One of the hardest things for me, though, is that I am used to munching on green or red pepper, parsley, zucchini, etc.  when I'm cutting it up in cooking.  I'm having to restrain myself!  We've made it three weeks with neither of us getting sick, though!

Of course, it's always a little weird cooking in someone else's kitchen and I'm having some issues with that, too.  We've rented an apartment that's fully furnished, complete with kitchen stuff, etc.  There are no less than three pair of scissors in the kitchen among the utensils, but there is nothing to measure with--no measuring cups of either kind, no measuring spoons.  There also is no strainer/collander and nothing to stir with in non-stick pans except a spatula.  The first time I cooked pasta, I had to fish it out of the cooking water with a wooden salad spoon and fork!  We made a trip to a Wal-Mart-type store (it is probably even owned by Wal-Mart, sadly) where I was able to buy a large seive and a large spoon of a material that won't hurt the non-stick surface.  I have not, however, been able to find measuring spoons or cups.  Good thing I don't follow most recipes very closely!

One of the things that I really like here is there are many types of stores.  For breads and some other kinds of baked goods, there are panaderias.  For cakes and other types of desserts, there are pastelerias.  There are also frutarias and carnicerias, although I haven't seen either of those in this area.  There is a tortillaria fairly nearby, though.  You can buy all of these types of things at the supermarket, but tortillas from the tortillaria are extremely fresh and good.  And, all of these small, specialized stores are part of the economy.  Even though there isn't a frutaria, there is a guy who sells fruit out of the back of the truck.  Just like in Columbus, it's much better than what's in the supermarket.

All types of fresh food are available in markets, one of which is within walking distance (past the tortillaria).  I'm afraid some of it is a bit too fresh for me just yet, though.  I don't really want to see the meat being "processed" out in the open!  Maybe before we leave I'll get up my nerve.