Mayonesa con limón

Since the tianguis (market) in the llano (plaza) down the street has moved (apparently it was damaging the paving), I was directed to a local market on Murgia and calzada República for my fresh produce needs. I bought some avocados* and tomatoes from a mustachioed guy who called me "güerita," and some mandarin oranges and bananas from a nice older woman who actually accepted my 100 peso bill to pay for 15 pesos worth of fruit, without any comment. I definitely felt slightly out of place, since I was the only non-mexican there. But it's closer and cheaper than the market on 20 de noviembre. And the "güerita" comment is meant in a friendly way.

After my trip, I decided that I really needed some mayonnaise in order to make tortas de quesillo (cheese sandwiches). Ordinarily I despise the stuff: the taste, the slimy texture, and the fact that it's over-used. A sandwich that squirts mayonnaise when you bite into it is probably one of the most revolting food items I can think of. And don't even mention potato or tuna salad to me. One of my former students, in an essay about what the world will be like in 100 years, wrote that mayonnaise would not exist in the world of the future. I gave him an A.

That said, I was willing to make an exception in this case. I had once unwittingly ordered a torta de quesillo that came with mayo, and discovered that it actually adds something to the sandwich as long as it's used in moderation. (Also I have to admit that esquites are really lacking something without mayo.) Anyway, I stopped at the Piticó to buy a very small jar of mayo and discovered that it all comes with limón. You literally cannot buy a bottle of plain mayo. Which is fine with me; it's much tastier this way.

I also purchased a stick of unsalted butter for my morning toast. Any guesses on the ingredients in a stick of "mantequilla pura de vaca sin sal"? Salt. Yes, salt. My unsalted butter has salt in it. Also, water. In fact, water is the second ingredient after milk fat.

*Aguacate (avocado) means testicle in Nahuatl.

Impressions of Mexico City

The idea of Mexico City scared me. I had heard so many things about how dangerous, large and polluted it was. Dragging 21 students from one historic site to another in a crowded city full of potential pickpockets sounded like an insane headache.

Much to my surprise, therefore, I LOVED the trip. Granted, we stayed mostly in the historic center, which felt relatively safe, colonial, and almost European. There was also much better shopping than in Oaxaca; a Zara and Pull & Bear right near our hotel, as well as an amazing ice cream place, and the main archeological sites. But I found the city to be relatively clean, the pollution didn't bother me, and I never felt threatened or unsafe, although I was very careful with my things.

While the U of C had very restrictive rules stating that students were not allowed to go outside the hotel without me or T to accompany them, in reality we were given a few hours of free time per day, which we used to shop, wander, sleep, and eat, all on our own or in small groups.

Trip highlights include seeing the Templo Mayor where Moctezuma lived and crazy sacrifices took place; Tlatelolco where Sahagun worked with his informants to write the Florentine Codex; and going out to a bar called Guadalajara de Noche to see a folkloric dance performance with the two professors who accompanied us on the trip. Professor K bought his table drinks and got talkative, while Professor W howled like a wolf several times in accompaniment to the mariachi music, and danced salsa with several students. M tried to get Professor K to dance with her and he kind of freaked out and ducked away into his wife's lap. Turns out he doesn't know how to dance and refuses to do so until M, A or V give him and his wife some lessons.

I also found 5 books I need for my thesis. They are all hard-cover editions from reputable editorials, and the best part is that I bought them for a total of for about 400 pesos, or about $35. In the US I would pay $35 for ONE book. The only drawback is that I ended up with volume II of several authors, but still lack volume I for the sets. My plan is to go to the educational bookstore here in Oaxaca and ask if they can order them for me.

Silly side note: There was a chicken restaurant, kind of like a Mexican KFC, kitty corner from our hotel, called Gili Pollos (explanation: in Spanish from Spain, a gilipollAs is someone who's a real jerk, basically the biggest jerk on the planet. Pollos means chicken. Get it?).

More Mexico City pics here: Teotihuacan, Anthropology Museum, Castillo de Chapultepec, Templo Mayor and Tlatelolco).

Soriana - a cheaper, dingier Wal-Mart

My tiny kitchen came woefully under-furnished. Most of the cooking vessels are large shallow pots with nicks in the ceramic coating and mis-matched lids. They are so thin that it's impossible to saute anything without scorching it, especially since the "low" burner setting should really be labeled "medium high". I also lack hot pads, dish towels, a coffee maker, and a toaster. After about 4 days without coffee when I first arrived, I weened myself off caffeine and no longer really miss coffee. But I still needed everything else, and the general consensus among oaxaqueñas was that the items I needed were most readily available at the mall or at Soriana. So today I finally decided to make the trip to Soriana, which is much closer than the mall.

It was exactly as described: Wal-Mart, but much cheaper, and filled with a bizarre variety of items. I easily completed my grocery list and also got some workout pants into the bargain (they're a bit short, but tall in the US = giant in Mexico, so I was expecting them to be short).

I was definitely the only gringa in the store, given that I was obviously venturing into a non-tourist area of Oaxaca, although it did still have a colonial feel. Here are some interesting observations:

The older woman in front of me at the check-out bought a lottery ticket and scraped it off as she was standing there. I had to wait for her to finish playing before I could check out. The check-out girl did not seem to mind.

The check-out aisles are extremely narrow and would barely fit a heavy American.

Items on shelves are neatly organized but the store felt seedy and a bit old.

Although it had many of the same brands you see in the US, the actual products were slightly different, especially compared to the Super Wal-Mart in Cabo San Lucas, which basically offered exactly what you'd see in a US Wal-Mart.

Many items have labels in Spanish and English, especially electronic goods.

You can buy chocolate fountains there.

I cannot find white sugar in any stores around here. I must be looking for the wrong package. I've been using honey instead, which is just as good and better for the throat anyway.

When I got home, I googled Soriana and discovered that they deliver, kind of like Peapod. And their web interface looks suspiciously like Amazon, with tabs across the top and even the same color scheme, if not the same font. Anyway, the pictures make the produce look much more fresh and less dingy than it is in the store. Most people buy produce at markets around here anyway. It's cheaper and fresher.

Can't wait to make tortilla española in my new frying pan tonight! I'm definitely bringing this pan home with me. I hear purchased items from years past have mysteriously disappeared from this apartment (another frying pan, a coffee maker).