oaxaca, part 1.

As I wrote before, I recently visited Oaxaca for a pair of weeks and had some truly amazing experiences. The art and the food are both incredible, but the people are what made Oaxaca so special. While I cannot transport the true Oaxaca spirit to you, these pictures may give you a good idea of why I loved it so much, although they cannot do it justice.

Mapuche weaving at the Museo Textil de Oaxaca. 

View from Calle Reforma. 

Maguey cactus.

Monte Albán. 

on frida.

First off, let me apologize for the absence. Back-to-back trips to Oaxaca and Atlanta left little time to catch up on writing. However, I now have plenty of new adventures of all kinds to transcribe!

One of the first days I was in Mexico happened to be the 105th birthday of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. As someone who was in Mexico to study art, and who loves the work of Frida, this was too perfect. July 6, the night of Frida's birthday, I happened to eat dinner at a restaurant that had several examples of Frida-inspired art as well as a Frida impersonator. While I didn't get a chance to take any pictures, I can assure you, it was really great.

Frida as a Tehuantepec Woman
http://art-glossary.com/art/frida-kahlo-1907-1954/

While in Oaxaca, I saw a beautiful necklace that Frida's husband, Diego Rivera, gave to her, as well as many references to her work throughout the city. One of the neatest things I saw was a girl dressed in the istmo style, with the headdress, like the painting above. Seeing the "living art" had to be one of my favorite things in Oaxaca. Of course, when I got back, I found a reference to Frida on Man Repeller regarding her red lipstick and wild hair. So, I took this as some kind of artistic-divine inspiration and rocked the red lipstick and messy hair for a day. I will probably do this again soon, all while trying to avoid that oh-so-trademark unibrow, which is hopefully not a trademark of my own. Which is also why I will be getting my eyebrows threaded very soon.

Here's to you, Frida. Lipstick, eyebrow(s), and all.

recipes: dijon-cayenne salmon.

As I have written about before, I love sushi, and fish in general. Whenever I go back to the east coast, I always make sure to eat plenty of fresh fish to tide me over during months in the dry desert where nary a body of water and therefore, delicious fish, is to be found. However, one of the staple fish you can easily find in New Mexico just never appealed to me: salmon. You can find it in almost any restaurant, and it's often local, fresh caught, and good to quite a few people. I don't know whether it was the taste, smell or a combination of the two, but I just never really liked salmon. That is, until I realized when prepared correctly, how good it can be. I recently tried salmon at Jennifer James 101, a local favorite of mine, and I was blown away and decided that maybe salmon wasn't all that bad. However, getting it to taste as good at home as it did eating out could proved to be a challenge - until I created this recipe. The flavors are just spicy enough to add something extra to the salmon, but not overpowering, and cooking in the oven makes sure the salmon doesn't get too soggy or overcooked. Needless to say, this salmon is a new favorite in my kitchen repertoire.

Dijon-Cayenne Salmon
makes 1 serving


Ingredients:
1 salmon filet (about 2" x 5")
2 tablespoons of good dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of cayenne
pinch of kosher salt
cracked black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. While oven warms, prepare salmon on small baking sheet with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
2. Right before putting the salmon in the oven, cover the top and sides with the dijon mustard and sprinkle cayenne over the top.
3. Cook for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, or until fish flakes with a fork.

why to keep a journal when you travel.

Today is my last full day in Oaxaca, and I thought it only appropriate to clarify why my updates have been rather absent. When I was twelve and thirteen, I would keep a diary religiously. Like write down everything - because to preteen me, everything really was that important. However, as the writing and reading for school increased, then really increased in college, I fell out of the habit. It's still not something I do regularly, unless profound inspiration strikes. However, when I travel I much prefer the portability and accessibility of a bound bunch of paper to anything digital. Around Oaxaca I can whip out my journal whenever the fancy strikes, whether I want to write down something funny or remember the name of an artist. Much more convenient than any iDevice. While I will not be keeping up the aforementioned travel journal when I go back home, it is a perfect way to remember everything I loved and saw in this beautiful city.

the nopal is delicious and the people are lovely.

This will be a rather short entry, seeing how difficult it can be to blog on an iPhone, but Oaxaca is really, truly wonderful. It is so much more than I was expecting, and the people living here are some of the nicest I have ever met. While the people make Oaxaca, the food and the fashion are not too shabby either. Local tradition inspires everything, and brings an unbridled joy to the crafts and foodways here. While I can't add images here from my phone, look on my instagram and twitter for pictures of some great food and beautiful Oaxacan dancers.

when you can't eat abroad.

After a long week of stomach bugs and naps, I'm headed off to Oaxaca in the morning. I'm so excited to go speak Spanish, see lots of art, and explore a new place. Unfortunately, my tastebuds will not be able to do that much exploring. I'm already on thin ice with what I can eat, and sadly, lingering stomach bugs and unknown cuisine do not mix well. As I've said before, I love trying out new fare. However, this can be difficult abroad when there is not a ton that you think you will be able to tolerate.  I'm all for trying out new foods abroad - it is one of my favorite things - but you do need to keep an eye out on your health, especially when you're not in familiar surroundings. Because this is not the first time this has happened to me, I have a few tips for when you may find yourself in this plight:

1. Bring granola bars and dried fruit from home. They're easy to carry and make a good breakfast or lunch when there is not necessarily anything around you can eat.

2. Utilize the local market. Bread, jams, and fruits (with peels!) can make an easy and cheap dinner.

3. Follow the line. If people are lining up somewhere, it's probably for a good reason. It if looks good and suits your fancy, join them! Just be sure to get meat and vegetables very well done.

That being said, don't be scared from trying out the local delicacies - you may find a new favorite. Just remember to keep a watch on your body, drink lots of water, and be prepared for any unwelcome bugs or sicknesses. But most of all, when abroad or just traveling across state lines: explore and learn something in the culinary realm! You may find your new signature dish...

what happens in mexico.

In new news, I'm leaving for Mexico for a work trip in the morning. My posts may be slightly intermittent over the next few weeks, but I will try to send along some news, pictures, and sartorial-influenced posts from south of the border. Un beso!