Chickpea to Cook

Ever wonder what the stomach of a Grouper fish tastes like?

Me neither, but that didn’t stop me from trying it when I was in Mexico last week. It was my last day there and our driver, Avelino, offered to take me to this little-known local seafood restaurant in downtown Cancun while I waited for my flight.

Avelino knew the owner of the place and was a regular. He didn’t even glance at the menu when we sat down. A football match blared on the TV in the unassuming restaurant. Not a tourist in site–I was excited.

Avelino doesn’t drink, so I wasn’t going to order alcohol but when he heard me ask for a juice he spoke up.

“What?? No beer?” he said incredulously. “Seafood always tastes better with a beer.”

That was all I needed to hear. Read the rest of this entry »

I made it my quest to find the perfect Margarita when I was down in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico last week. Usually I am a purist and prefer the standard lime juice margarita on the rocks–nothing blended.

But when I tried this mango margarita served up at Lol Ha Restaurant in Akumal I knew I had found a winner.

Fresh mango juice added just the right tartness to the tequila. Who needs salt and limes? It went down so easily I ordered two more before Happy Hour was over. No hangover the next morning either!

By the way, the Margarita isn’t that old of a cocktail drink, with most experts putting its inception date circa 1938. There are many stories about who invented the Margarita, but my favorite goes to Pancho Morales, a bartender in Juarez, Mexico.

The story goes that Morales invented the margarita on July 4, 1942, at a bar named Tommy’s Place. Supposedly, a famous actress came into the bar and ordered a Magnolia (brand, Cointreau, and an egg yolk topped with champagne). Morales was a little fuzzy on the recipe; he improvised and his creation was a big hit.

Mango Margarita Recipe

• 2 tablespoons tequila
• 1 teaspoon triple sec
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
• 1 cup diced mangoes
• 3/4 cup orange sorbet

Pour all ingredients into a blender; mix on low speed gradually increasing to high speed until mixture is smooth. Ready to serve!