More Oaxaca: Food, Food, and Mezcal
We knew when we planned this trip that food was going to be at the center of all of our activities. Oaxaca has not failed in that respect. There are foods here that I’d never even HEARD of, even though I live in Mexico. Different region, different food. Not as much seafood (mariscos) here, but there are memelas, tetelas, LOTS of moles, empanadas and quesadillas that are very different from home, the list is never-ending! The food here ranges from…
Oaxaca adventure begins
We have been “accidental Mexpats” for almost 3 and a half years. During that time we’ve experienced “the before times”, full pandemic lockdowns, gradual easing of restrictions, flagrant disregard for a SERIOUS health threat, and eventual calming of emotions and acceptance of the “new normal”. Through this time, our dreams and joy of travel and adventure have languished behind a screen of uncertainty and health prerogatives. We are now embarking on the first of (hopefully) many adventures to new places,…
Penedès: Cava
As a special experience this trip, we decided to venture out of the city to the region of Penedès – the heart of cava country. If you’ve never experienced Spanish cava – the Spanish version of sparkling wine – then you are missing out. Of the three types of sparkling wine, French champagne is the best known, followed by Italian prosecco, and least known is Spanish cava. In my (not so) humble opinion, my preference runs in the opposite direction…
Barcelona: FOOD
First a note: We have not EATEN at all of these places, some we couldn’t get in, some we just loved the look of the place, some had no gluten-free options. We could spend YEARS in Barcelona and not eat at all the great places. We do the best we can – thank goodness we are walking so much! We have been quite lucky (and diligent) in finding a LOT of celiac friendly restaurants. The EU makes it a priority…
UPDATE: Experiments with Sourdough
I can’t help myself. I’ve spent my ENTIRE adult life as a scientist. Experiments MUST go on! In my last sourdough post, I had to admit that my frustrations and tribulations with my sourdough focaccia were primarily self-generated. If only I could have *known* that the pan I was using was OVER TWICE the square area of the recommended pan!!! LOL! I’ve since found an appropriate, albeit round, pan that gives nice, fluffy, tall focaccia. The funny part is that…
Math is HARD
No, not really. Math is not hard, but sometimes one ASSumes certain things without checking. That can get one into trouble. The “one” is me. The assumption had to do with the size baking pan needed for a new gluten-free, sourdough recipe. Since my first couple of posts about sourdough, there have been MANY experiments. (Those of you who know me are not surprised!) The short story is that I’ve changed my starter over to 100% brown rice flour. I’ve…
Sourdough – The second round (really a boule)
My first (two) attempts at sourdough were … pretty good. They both used a very simple recipe (4-Ingredient Gluten Free Sourdough) that was clear and gave a timeline for the two day process. The bread was beautiful to look at, however the crust was so tough that it was nearly impossible to cut, and the bread itself was on the gummy side. I understand that GF breads are often gummy, but this stuck to the knife, once you got through…
Lovely Loreto
Not really a post so much as some photos from the “Pueblo Magico” (Magic Town) of Loreto, BCS. Located on the Sea of Cortez this small town boasts being the original capital of ALL the Californias – including much of what is now in the United States. The town is small and friendly, loaded with places to get great seafood and Mexican art (I found my new coffee mug and some small ceramics for the house!). It is very relaxed…
(Mostly) GREAT Road Food in Baja
I don’t just mean taco stands and Oxxo! This is a very short list of some REALLY GREAT places for food in Baja (Baja California and Baja California Sur). This is by no means all inclusive. I also have very few pictures of the amazing food we’ve discovered, usually because we eat it so fast that it is gone before I remember that I should take a pic. NOTE: Everyplace mentioned has at least some items that are celiac-safe and…
Late to the Sourdough craze
2020 was the year that everyone rediscovered baking, and especially sourdough baking. Thousands of pictures of bread flooded my feeds. They looked good, but there was a lot of other stuff going on in my life during 2020. Like becoming an accidental Mexpat. For me, 2021 has become the “Year of the Sourdough”. Why now? Well, the motivation was initially a suggestion/request from the Basha. Then it was the excitement of getting back to baking bread – which I did…