Farsighted Fly Girl

Browsing through a destination's market supplies so many revelations. The sensory overload of colors, smells and sounds show so much about a place and culture. I was excited to see Merida's Mercado Lucas de Galvez and I was not disappointed. The sprawling covered market offers everything from paella pans to pet parakeets. Walking through the endless aisles was like a lively tour of the kitchens and tables of a local house. I was amazed to find that all of the fruits above are different variations of mangoes. Spices are essential to Yucatecan cooking so peppers, herbs and spices were everywhere. A whole section is dedicated to dulces  or candy, which meant I was in heaven. I felt compelled to buy pounds of my fave cajeta , which almost required me to check my luggage at the airport. But the most unexpected site for me were the vendors for fresh chicharrones  or pork cracklings. I learned that Mexico is one of the world's top producers of pork rinds...

The Yucatan is famous for dazzling beaches but the bustling capital city of Merida  makes you forget that you're surrounded by coastline. So I was taken aback to glimpse the pearly sands of Progreso Beach just 20 minutes outside of the city center. Old fishing boats decorate the end of the beach and vendors stroll with Mexican candies and fruits. Palapas line the beach for fresh seafood but I focused on the flawless stretch and gentle waves. The beach was quiet with only a few strolling locals but on weekends, it's a popular spot. I splashed through the Gulf of Mexico and lounged on the sand until I couldn't ignore the prospect of fresh fish any longer. Yucatan cuisine is one of my favorites so I immediately ordered pescado tikin-xic,  a regional fave of fish seasoned with achiote and other herbs and baked in banana leaves. Nothing beats the taste of freshly caught fish with an ocean breeze washing over you. Afterwards, I meandered down the malecon  and soak...

I believe in experiencing the culture of every place I visit. That's how you really connect with the essence of a location. So I was a little taken aback to discover that Huatulco's essence is buried in little, wiry, grasshopper legs. Located in Southern Mexico, along the coast of the state of Oaxaca, Huatulco pulses with Southern Mexican traditions. Munching grasshoppers or  chapulines , is one of those traditions. I was hosted by Secrets Huatulco Resort  and when an array of Oaxacan dishes was presented to me on my arrival, chapulines  were the first ones. As you can see from the photo above, they are toasted and seasoned into a mound of spicy critter snacks. Traditionally, chapulines are served with a variety of salsas, guacamole and totopos or tortilla chips or sprinkled on a taco. I was lucky that my first servings were small ones that once covered with guac and salsa, I could forget that I was munching grasshoppers.  I know the closeup above...

The Yucatan region draws visitors with dreamy beaches and fascinating archaeological wonders but I think the cuisine deserves just as much attention. Ancient Mayan cooking techniques and ingredients like the chaya pictured above, meld with Spanish spices to create some of the tastiest dishes in Mexico. There's a dizzying array of Yucatecan  specialties but these are five of my favorites: 1. CHAYA This leafy green vegetable is a hallmark of Yucatan dishes and healing. Chaya  leaves boast more iron, calcium and potassium than spinach and regulates blood sugar.  You'll see it in soups, stews and in drinks like the zesty J ugo Verde.   Chaya pronounced (chi ya) can also be prepared as a simple side flavored with garlic, which is how I like it. 2. PESCADO TIKIN XIC I never leave Mexico without consuming generous helpings of  this grilled fish recipe, pronounced (teek n cheek). Fish, typically grouper or red snapper, is ...

( Warning: do not read on an empty stomach .) Mexico's regional cuisine offers a rich and varied tasting experience, it goes way beyond tacos and Margaritas.  One focus of my visit to Playa Mujeres was to document the traditional foods and Villa Del Palmar supplied lots of examples.  The state of Quintana Roo, where Playa Mujeres is located, emphasizes seafood from the coast, Mayan cooking techniques and fresh produce.  My first sample was tasty Sierra fish tosadas , pictured above. The fish was fresh and the addition of lime and avacado added just the right flavor punch. Above, mole en pollo features a rich chocolate sauce with chicken, queso quesadillas represent simplicity at its best and barbacoa tostadas  provide a zesty version of Mexican barbecued pork. This plate represents a sampling of all my favorite dishes, above. There's stuffed  calabaza  or pumpkin, chile relleno  or stuffed poblano pepp...

What's a meal created by a top chef master taste like? Does it transcend mere earthly dishes? Does it haunt your dreams and inspire drooling? I headed to Rick Bayless' newest restaurant creation Xoco, to discover the answer. You might have heard of Rick Bayless. He hosts some cooking shows. Wrote some cookbooks. Won a fancy top chef title. Known for his innovation with Mexican cuisine, Bayless' Xoco, (SHO-ko)which means "little sister" in Aztec slang, focuses on Mexican street food. Now Rick likes to take his liberties with Mexican food. He whips up traditional dishes with flourishes and twists, to appeal to the American palate. His take on Mexican street food involves a small selection of tortas or sandwiches, caldos or soups and most importantly, freshy ground, hot chocolate and churros or fried dough. Most of the ingredients are locally produced and organically grown. My favorite part of the experience was drinking aguas frescas , fresh fruit j...

Mexican cuisine is rich and varied enough to warrant extensive culinary tours. And I'm not talking about tacos and tequila. Each region boasts its own dishes, spices and drinks. The Yucatan Peninsula, where Cozumel is located, displays a particularly diverse cuisine due to centuries of isolation from the mainland and influences from the Caribbean and Europe. I conducted some research on Cozumel cuisine on my plane trip down. Alex, my seat mate, supplied me with a list of all the essential Cozumel dishes including salbutes , pescado tikinxic and cilaquiles con pollo . More on those later, my first sample of the seafood-focused cuisine was heavenly grilled grouper with coconut and mango sauce with fried plantains pictured above. It was so delicious that I received Park Royal Hotel's very first doggie bag so that I enjoyed the rest for breakfast. A tempting array of appetizer's at Park Royal's Mexican restaurant included salbutes , a popular street food of half-fried corn...