Thanks to all those that rallied for our second brunch event. The sun was merciful, people lingered and the remixto crew had a chance to linger with them. New friends were made and everyone made it home before the late afternoon rain arrived.
Bloody marys flowed as usual, but were this month eclipsed by our guava sorbet mimosa slushy. These little puppies moved faster than a New Orleans Hurricane at a drive through daquiri bar. Perhaps we were stupid to doubt the magnetic draw of an alcoholic slushy in summer heat!
Our friend Erich from intheyucatan.com was there with camera in hand to document the event. Video below for your viewing pleasure.
Things are heating up as we hit the final stretch for this Sunday’s brunch. There are still a few tables left, but they’re going fast. So if you need a bloody mary this weekend and some fresh baked goodies, make a reservation
Meanwhile, in the kitchen we are eating well as we put the final tweaks on our dishes. Yesterday, we perfected the “green eggs” portion of our green eggs and jamón. It was not a moment too soon, as after a day of hard labor, we were ready for a delicious meal.
Made with chaya and poblano pepper, it’s a little like quiche florentine, but with a subtle warmth from the char-grilled poblano.
It’s been a hot few days in our test kitchen with our oven and stove on full flame. We’ve been on a rampage combining flavors, honing our techniques and testing a number of the new dishes to feature on this month’s brunch menu.
Some surprise hits so far include a whole wheat griddle bread inspired by the many tortas we devoured in Mexico City. Channeling a griddle-cooked flat bread spotted in Argentina, we think the new bread is a little more substantial and will work perfectly with our pressed (hen)wich. Another success is chicha de piña, a pineapple punch made from leftover pineapple trimmings. Paired with piloncillo for sweetness, it’s what’s cooling us down during these hot times.
Along with hits, there are misses – like pineapple chips intended to give our piña colada parfait a bit of crunch. All we can say is, what came out of our oven was a mangled triangle of floppy pineapple with absolutely zero crunch. This is when a dehydrator would certainly come into good use.
Still, we cook on. For those of you wanting a sneak peek at the menu, check it out. We promise it won’t change too much by the time you sit down to eat.
We are back with a new brunch event for June. The official date is Sunday, June 13, from 10am until 3pm. We hope you can make it.
This month’s menu will reprise the breakout hit, lechon benedict, mixed up with two new creations – green eggs & jamón and a toasted (hen)wich. To top it off, we’re serving up a candied piña colada parfait and a few other surprise treats. Bloody marys and mimosas will be flowing, and this time we promise not to run out.
Brunch will be served at hotel Casa Mexilio on calle 68, #495, x 57 y 59. Seating is limited, so reserve a table now by emailing reservations@remixto.com or calling (999) 9 01 54 30.
After getting a haircut this morning, my instructions were to bring Stan something back for lunch. Cutting through the central market on the way back, I was on the hunt for something quick and easy. Upon spying some flor de calabaza (5 pesos), and having just talked about making quesadillas with them a few days back, a decision was made.
The quesadillas are really simple to make. On a corn tortilla, add a little queso and top with a flower. Fold in half and place on a hot comal or skillet (do not use oil). Fry until crisp and the cheese completely melts. Eaten with a little salsa picante, it’s a satisfying lunch without breaking a sweat.
We’re just back from the Mercado Fresco (Slow Food Market) with a little bundle of joy – a freshly-made ball of Queso Oaxaca. Usually found hanging out in markets in Oaxaca, this little cheese seems to have gotten lost and (lucky for us) wound up in our basket in Mérida.
Queso Oaxaca has a subtle, slightly salty taste and is not unlike a flavorful mozzarella. It is made by pulling cheese curds into a long rope before coiling it into a fat ball. The result is a stringy cheese that melts nicely and is excellent when teased apart and sprinkled atop dishes before broiling. It is also a perfect filling for a quesadilla – encased simply in a folded corn tortilla with a flor de calabaza (zucchini flower) and toasted on a skillet.
The best Queso Oaxaca is hand made by local artisans and can be found, in various incarnations, in Oaxaca’s expansive food markets. An inferior copycat product is mass produced by the big cheese companies in Mexico, but pales in comparison to the real deal. As such, we tend to skip the supermarket and instead dream about it while scoping out flights to Oaxaca on Kayak.
Today, however, we smile. Our plump ball of yumminess was actually made in Campeche, a place that seems to be producing a lot of good cheese. Although initially skeptical, we’re happy to report that it tastes like the real deal – fantastic! We are in for a week of cheesy enchiladas, Oaxacan-style pizzas (otherwise known as tlayudas) and tomato, basil and queso oaxaca salads.
We had a craving for some enfrijoladas – fresh tortillas bathed in refried black beans and topped with a little crema and queso. After picking some avocado leaves off our neighbor’s tree (pictured below) to flavor the beans, we set to work.
Cooking beans takes time, and after 30 minutes we were already hungry. With leaves to spare and time to kill, we made some impromptu tamales with leftover chicken and salsa in the fridge. Tamales wrapped in avocado leaf are popular in Oaxaca, and so we figured we could whip some up, especially since we had enough leftovers for a quick bite.
Below are the results. As they were just a snack, we didn’t go overboard with the wrapping and left the ends open. They kind of remind us of sushi, which while looking cute, also made us crave a good spider roll. Such is the pain of wanting it all.
We recently scored ourselves a great source for organic eggs. Our “egg lady” gives us a dozen of the richest and tastiest eggs we have yet found in Mexico. The yolks are dense, intensely yellow and thick. The whites are firm, springy and hold together nicely. And did we mention they actually taste great too?
In honor of our new egg hook up, we made flan. Not your typical pale Mexican flan that skimps on eggs and uses wimpy commercial grade eggs. Our Mexican flan is organic egg rich and baked until it is just set. Silky smooth, lusciously creamy and gone within a few minutes. Check out the recipe and make it for yourself.
We picked up some great tomatoes today from Yury at the Slow Food Market in Mérida. She has been talking up the 110 plants she’s been growing for months and finally they’re bearing fruit. We scored a few early samples last week, and this week we were back for more. They are gorgeously sweet, juicy and a real treat.
Tonight they will be served simply as a companion to some grilled arracherra steaks. After being cut crosswise into thick slices, we’ll top them with a little sea salt, fresh ground pepper, a drizzle of avocado oil, balsamic vinegar, and a sprinkling of basil picked from our garden boxes. Finally, a little queso cotija crumbled over the top and they’ll be absolutely perfect.
For our brunch last Sunday, our fruit guy at the central market (although not technically “ours”, he’s cute so we covet) sold us two great pineapples. Of the varieties he had in stock, he recommended the fat “Esmeralda” for its sweetness. Purchasing a day in advance, he selected pineapples that would be perfectly ripe 24 hours later if left at room temperature. Such are the benefits of having knowledgeable purveyors in one’s back pocket.
It turns out that people weren’t feeling all that healthy last Sunday. We only sold six portions of our fruit plate and had a whole uncut pineapple left over. What to do, what to do?
It’s now Friday and the pineapple is a little past its prime. Time to get baking. Granted, a pineapple upside down cake is not very Mexican, but with fresh tropical fruits aplenty in Mérida, it will be tasty all the same.
