From restaurants to street food to home cooks, for the last seven weeks I have been making up for eight months away from my favorite Oaxacan food.
Molcajete de Aguachile – Asador Bacanora, Oaxaca de Juárez
Camarones al Mezcal – Asador Bacanora, Oaxaca de Juárez
Sopa de Flor de Calabaza & Quesadilla – Tlamanalli, Teotitlán del Valle
Camaron Baja – Taco Sireno, Oaxaca de Juárez
Empanada de Amarillo filling – El Buen Sasón, San Antonino Castillo Velasco
Empanada de Amarillo – El Buen Sasón, San Antonino Castillo Velasco
Tamales de Mole Amarillo – Emilia Gonzalez Martinez, Teotitlán del Valle
Unwrapped Tamal de Mole Amarillo – Emilia Gonzalez Martinez, Teotitlán del Valle
Mole Negro simmering on stove – Emilia Gonzalez Martinez, Teotitlán del Valle
Mole Negro served over hen with rice – Emilia Gonzalez Martinez, Teotitlán del Valle
And then there was Barbacoa de Chivo at Adolfa’s stall in the Tlacolula de Matamoros mercado. It smelled so good and I was so hungry, I forgot to take a photo! However, most of the time I’ve been dining at home on tamales from the gal around the corner and my own version of empanadas made with hot-off-the-comal tortillas from the gal across the street.
Last Thursday my BFF took me on an out-of-the-city birthday excursion. She hired a by-the-hour driver, picked me up a little after 9:00 AM, and off we went. Our first stop was Ocotlán de Morelos and besides wandering through the mercado, we stopped at the Municipal Palace to take in the magnificent murals painted by Rodolfo Morales in 1955 celebrating the four hundredth anniversary of the founding of Ocotlán. The murals, which honor its beauty, bounty, and people take up the entire room, including the ceiling.
Main entrance to the mercado in Ocotlán de Morelos.
Doorway murals by Rodolfo Morales in the Ex-Sala del Cabildo, Ocotlán de Morelos.
Murals by Rodolfo Morales in the Ex-Sala del Cabildo, Ocotlán de Morelos.
Next on the day’s agenda was San Antonino Castillo Velasco. As its murals remind one, this is a town famous for its floral embroidery and empanadas de amarillo. I should add, it is also known for Taller Manos Que Ven, the home and workshop of clay sculpture Don José Garcia Antonio (aka, the Blind Potter) and his lovely wife and inspiration, Doña Teresita de Jesús. We did a little clothes shopping (thank you, Miriam Campos), ate empanadas, and stopped in to say “hola” to the aforementioned, Don José and Doña Teresita — where we also made a couple of purchases.
Empanadas de amarillo, San Antonino Castillo Velasco.
Mural in San Antonino Castillo Velasco.
Mural in San Antonino Castillo Velasco.
Our final stop of the day was for comida at the new open air restaurant and vivero (nursery), Almú, set in a reforestation campo (field) in San Martín Tilcajete. Murals throughout the town reflect a village celebrated for its woodcarving and colorful painting of masks and alebrije and where moto taxis (tuk-tuks) are a common form of transportation for locals.
Dining area of Almú restaurant in San Martín Tilcajete.
Mural in San Martín Tilcajete.
Mural in San Martín Tilcajete.
It was a delightful, delicious, and art filled day!
An hour south of Oaxaca city, the Zapotec village of San Antonino Castillo Velasco has much to recommend it. Besides the fields of flowers raised to decorate graves and altars throughout the valley and inspire elaborate floral designs on its blouses and dresses, the cocineras (cooks) of San Antonino serve a distinctive and delicious Empanada de Amarillo — a dish I never miss and one that has earned the village the (perhaps self-proclaimed) title, “world capital of the empanada.”
The main ingredients of the filling are pork broth, chile guajillo, masa, manteca, and cilantro. However, undoubtedly each cook adds her own secret seasoning(s).
Hot off the (tortilla) press, tortillas are placed on the comal to cook.
Once they reach the correct texture, the filling is spooned onto the tortilla and it is folded in half to be cooked, flipped, cooked, and flipped again until ready to serve.
The empanadas are traditionally served on a bed of lettuce and garnished with radishes and lime wedges and there is usually a small dish of pickled onion slices to further enhance the flavor. Yes, I ate the whole thing and it was riquisima!
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 