Mexican Pasta - Everything Done Wrong

To be clear right from the beginning, I love Mexican food.  95% of it has amazing flavor, and I guess about 50% of it is at least somewhat healthy.  (The other 50% is definitely not healthy, but is really, really good.)

There are, however, a few gripes I have about Mexican cooking.  On a day to day basis, in homes and in standard Mexican restaurants there is one thing which Mexicans have a knack for doing entirely wrong: Pasta.

Do you now any rules about cooking pasta? If you do, most Mexicans will probably break all of them, and the consequence is not good.  Step by step, I'll explain how Mexican's cook pasta, and how that contrasts to what I imagine is right.

1.  Fry the dry pasta with onions.  Not conventional but so far, nothing horribly wrong.  The only problem is that Mexicans don't know how to use a low flame on the stove; they will always have the heat on the highest flame possible, and then wonder why the food burns in the 30 seconds that they're not watching.  Needless to say, too often the pasta comes out burnt around the edges.  If they would keep the flame low and stir it enough, this step may not be the worst thing in the world.

2. Boil the pasta in water.  Normally, this part is OK, but several times I've seen people put the pasta into cold water, and boil it from that point, making the pasta mushy (the general negative outcome of Mexican pasta.)

3. Add raw vegetables to the water.  This is where everything begins to go really down hill. The vegetables could include garlic, carrots, zucchini and chayote.   The problem is that these vegetables take much longer to cook than pasta, especially considering the fact that Mexicans like to overcook food - a point which works well with tacos, and other typically Mexican dishes, but not with pasta or vegetables.

4. Add tomato paste to the water/vegetable broth. Of course, tomato paste on pasta works well, but not when you add it to the same water that you boiled the pasta in.  Seasonings such as coriander (cilantro) and salt also get added.

5. Boil until everything becomes mushy.  Because of the love for for over-cooking, everything - veggies and pasta alike - get cooked much longer than the 7-10 minutes that are sufficient to cook pasta.  By the time the carrots are soft and mushy the way they like them (20 minutes or more), if you used macaroni, it would be the size of your thumb, and completely textureless.

The result is a watery, tomato-y mush full of soft vegetables and way over-cooked pasta, which is usually falling a part.   If there are left overs, it turns into a big lump in the fridge, or the pasta just falls apart completely.

Mexicans like to call this soup ("sopa.")  In fact, the word "sopa" generally refers to what we call "pasta;" for example, if they go to the grocery store and buy a package of macaroni, they will say they are buying "sopa."  It can also refer to really thick stews.  What we call "soup," they would call "broth" ("caldo.")  Even though I have no right to try to change Mexican Spanish, this is one point where I refuse to give in and use their terminology.  I believe that the use of the word is directly linked to this cooking monstrosity.  So, I resist, and emphatically tell people that I am buying or cooking "pasta", "spaghetti" or "macaroni" but I NEVER call it "sopa," hoping that this will reflect my intentions not to boil it into a mush.

To be fair, if done carefully, and the vegetables are left out, it can be OK, only when served immediately after cooking.  But I've only seen this happen two or three times.  This is also not isolated; I've had this kind of pasta-soup in homes and in restaurants in different parts of the country; it's a wide-spread problem.  Of course, if you go to a specialized restaurant, the pasta will be done correctly, and it can even be really good!

The frustrating part for me is that with the exact same ingredients, you could make a delicious pasta dish with a vegetarian sauce.  My chances of winning this battle are slim, since I'm resisting decades of habits for 100 million people.  But I won't give up, for the sake of Pasta and all those who love it.

Have you ever flushed your phone down the toilet?

This post is for the person who I love the most in the world!  For everyone else reading it, I have a few questions:

• Have you ever flushed your cell phone down the toilet?
• Have your glasses fall off down into the lower level of subway station, while you were admiring the artwork below?
• How about turning the image on your computer screen upside down while trying to lower the volume?
• Have you broken an AC adapter/charger just by touching it?
• Maybe you've discovered the circuit board on your camera was burnt out by invading ants (which were also fried in the process)?

If you are like most people, I assume you would answer "no" to all or at least most of these questions.  My wife, Cecilia, would answer "yes" to all of them and many, many similar incidents.

Last night, I heard a scream coming from upstairs, followed by "Jacob, you're not going to believe this."  Not knowing exactly what I wasn't going to believe, and thinking we would be making a trip to the hospital (she's 38 weeks pregnant right now), I went running up the stairs to find her looking down into the toilet, and saying "My cell phone!  I flushed it down!  Ahhh!!"

My worry disappeared in a moment, and I began laughing uncontrollably.  She started laughing too, mixed with crying.  I hugged her, but couldn't keep from laughing.  Our 2 year-old son looked on with confusion, not knowing whether to be worried or to laugh with us.  When I stopped laughing, he took me by the hand, and re-explained the situation to me (since he had been informed first) pointing into the toilet to make it clear to me where the cell phone had gone; in his eyes, I hadn't understood the seriousness of the incident.  He then took me downstairs to find my cell phone and ensure that it was safely away from the toilet.  Meanwhile, my wife continued laughing/crying upstairs.

Because of this kind of event, we buy those $30 dollar cell phones that come with $20 of free pre-paid credit. (To be fair, I also lost one - it fell out of a new belt-clip case that I had bought the same day, on the bus.)

Four years ago this toilet incident would have surprised and concerned me.  In fact, about a week after I met her, when she lost her glasses in a Mexico City subway station, I was very surprised and concerned.  Knowing what I know now, it all makes sense.  She has some sort of bad luck with technology, electronic items and glasses.

This is a part of my wife's personality, a part of who she is; and I love this part of her!  Going through life together, she is the greatest motivation, support and inspiration for me, and it's a great joy to be with her every day, so I can definitely live with cell phones being flushed down the toilet, cameras being eaten by ants, and all the rest of it.

I love you, Cecy!

(Tonight, as I finished this post, my son came to ask me for my cell phone to lend it to my wife; again, he took the time to explain to me why she needed to borrow mine ...)

Day of the Dead - An Altar for my Grandparents

Our Altar for Various Friends and Family

For the first four years I spent November in Mexico, the Day of the Dead was a rich cultural experience, in which I saw many traditions, and even participated, visiting homes and altars, and talking to families who had lost a loved one.  This year, the day had a much closer significance; the first and most important altar we made was for someone very dear to us, who had passed away this year. Yesterday's post was dedicated to this very difficult memory and and the altar we built for him. (Click here to read it.)

My wife and I also made another altar for others who had passed away.  The significance of these two days for us was to remember these people.  So, here I will tell you who they were.

My wife's great aunt and uncle.  Tia Lalita and tio Benjamin were brother and sister, and had passed away in 2009.  When my father-in-law was a child, he lived in their home for many years.  When my wife was a child, they were like grandparents to her, and with several other family members, they were among her closest and dearest relatives.

Ulises and Jorge.  These were two very close friends of my wife.  I believe Ulises passed away in a car accident before I met my wife.  Jorge was her best friend for many years.  He passed away the same year that my son was born, and so my wife choose to give our son his name; I agreed to this since she has very good memories of him as a close and caring friend, and a hard-working and dedicated person.  Unfortunately I never had the pleasure of meeting him, since he passed away only shortly after I met my wife.

My wife's cousin.  I can't remember her name at the moment, but my wife and this cousin had been close many years before.  I know her sisters and parents.

My Grandma and Grandpa Wall.  I have a number of memories of my Grandpa, who passed away over a decade ago.  One is when we went to visit their small home in the town of Walsingham, Ontario, he would go to his bedroom to get candies - I think he kept them in his dresser.  Later on, when we visited my Grandma, and during the time she stayed at my parents' home, I remember her asking frequently why I wasn't married yet.  I believe she would be happy now to know that I finally did get married!  Maybe a little disappointed that I've forgotten how  speak Low German; but one day I hope to fix this too.

A close up of the altar.

My Grandma and Grandpa Janzen.  I only got to know Grandma Janzen.  Grandpa Janzen passed away before I was born, and I've only seen pictures of when he was young (like the passport photo we put on the altar,) so I imagine him as a young man.  I remember visiting Grandma at her home (we put a picture of the house on the altar as well,) and seeing her talk with my parents, aunts and uncles.  I remember her as a serious lady, with the impression that she was dedicated to doing things correctly and traditionally.

For me this year's Day of Dead not simply about following a tradition, but much more about honouring and remembering the lives of people.

To read about the first altar we made this year, and who it was for, click here.
If you would like to know more about some of the traditions involved in the Day of the Dead, click here.

Remebering Someone Dear to Us

Our altar for a baby who is dear to us

It's really nice to find information, visit as a tourist, and write about the rich traditions which Mexico has for the Day of Dead, but it's something entirely different actually to participate, and create your own altar.

Two out of the four Novembers which I've been in Mexico, I've helped my wife set up a little table with a few candles on it, but this year we set up a more elaborate altar with most of the traditional elements (click here to read a post about some of these elements).  This changes everything, because now, instead of looking from the outside, making nice observations about how great it is to commemorate the deceased, my wife and I now have our own altar, with pictures of people we knew and loved, and items to commemorate their lives.  These next two posts, I'm going to focus on who the altars were for.

An Altar for a Baby

This year something happened in our lives which has been very difficult, especially for two close friends of ours.  Only a month and half after their baby was born, he passed away.  I admire them for dealing with this very difficult time much better than I believe I would be able to in their situation, but, needless to say, it has been very difficult for them.

The first altar we put up two nights ago was dedicated entirely this baby.  My wife had the fortune of spending a lot of time with him; although I would have liked more time, I also greatly cherish the hours that I was with him.  Yesterday, we sat in front of the altar, with the candles lit, sharing our memories of his short life, the joy that he brought, and the pain that came with his parting.

The altar included a glass of water, a small cup of milk, some toys which our son chose and a picture of him in addition to the marigolds, cross and candles.

This is not a cultural experience, like many of my other posts; this is a real way of remembering someone dear to us.  We placed the altar to remember him, to accompany him and to comfort him.  We know that now he is with God, in whose arms he has more comfort than those who were left here without him.  When we enter the church were his ashes are kept, our 2-year-old son tells us that up above the church's altar, he sees our friends' dear baby in the arms of the Mother of God ("Mama Dios" - these are his own words, not ours, and he was never prompted by anyone to say this.)  We believe this is true.

Day of the Dead - The Symbols and Traditional Elements

An Altar with Many of the Typical Elements

The Day of the Dead is a rich Mexican tradition which takes place during the first two days of November, and focuses on the memory of family and friends who have passed away.  This is my third post about my limited experience with this very special holiday, and the information I give here about the symbols and traditional elements is far from complete, and comes mostly from my wife  (if it's inaccurate, I'll take the credit for poor translation!). For anyone new to the holiday, however, it will give you an idea of what you'll see if you ever have the opportunity to experience the Day of the Dead.  If you know more about it, feel free to share info in the "comments" section below.


The items I list here are usually found on the altars, set up in homes for deceased family members, and seem to have a special association with the Day of the Dead and the emotional, spiritual and community significance of the holiday.

Cempoalxochitl

This is the name from Nahuatl (language of the Aztecs) for the Mexican Marigold (meaning "twenty-flower," I guess because of the many petals), which has various spellings, and is also called the "Flower of the Dead" in Mexico, because of its strong association with the holiday and other related traditions; I've read that in Honduras, they wash corpses with water that has been boiled with the petals.

The flower is placed on the altars, and in the cemetery.

A path Leading from the Door to the Altar


This could be a line of the marigolds, or of ashes, again with the purpose of guiding the souls to their altar.


Candles

Candles are lit on the altars and in the cemetery when family members visit.  The idea is that the candles will help to light the way for the souls of the deceased when they come to visit the altars their family has built for them.


Crosses


This is a plain cross, without Christ on it, and is placed on a central point of the altar.

Pictures


Often, pictures of the person or people for whom the altar was built are placed on the altar, at the base of the cross.


Incense

Copal Resin ready to be burnt as incense

This is a special resin called copal (which is also a word from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, still spoken in isolated villages) which "cleanses and purifies a place and the people in the place" when burnt as an incense.



Sugar Skulls


Little skulls made out of sugar or chocolate and brightly decorated are placed on the altar, sometimes with the names of the deceased. (I assume one for each person.)  See my last post for a picture (there's a link at the bottom.)



Catrina, the Skeleton Lady

Catrina Figure in Playa del Carmen

This is an image of a skeleton dressed as an elegant, upper-class lady from about 150 years ago, and is closely associated with many images related to the Day of the Dead. The image was originally created by a Mexican cartoonist (Jose Guadalupe Posada) who used images of skeletons to make fun of the Mexican elite upper class (hence the clothing of "Catrina.") Later on, the images became associated with the Day

In some places I have seen elaborate scenes of skeletons, like an entire band of little skeletons, or a woman skeleton sewing; this depends on the career or hobby of the person in question, or it could be a skeleton couple, for example, if the couple has passed away.  Sometimes they are a part of the altar, sometimes as separate Day of the Dead decorations.

Water

As with the next few items, glaseswater is placed on the altar for the convenience of the the souls who visit. Many people authentically believe that the souls of their family and friends come and drink the water.

Pan de Muerto

This is a round, semi-sweet bread, coated in sugar on top, and sometimes has a mild orange flavour.  There is also the form of several "bones" shaped with the same bread crossed on the top of the bread.  Besides being placed on the altar, it is sold in very large amounts during October and November, and eaten as a special seasonal treat.  Personally, I love it. Some people find it too dry, but this depends entirely on which bakery you buy it at.

Mole

Mole is a rich, dark, thick sauce, made out of chocolate, ground chilis, sugar, peanuts and many other ingredients.  A small bowl of this sauce is placed on the altar, as a part of the meal for the deceased.  Other food items can also be included, usually the favourite food of the person who has passed away.  Even non-food items can be included such as beer, wine, cigarettes, etc.

While mole is served plain here, it is also a very common food in Mexico, normally eaten with chicken and tortillas.  Someday I'll do another post about mole, one of my favourite foods.

Dry, Sugar-Coated Squash


This also for the souls of the dead, in case they are hungry.  This is a candy-like treat that is very traditional in Mexico but I actually don't too many Mexicans who like it.  I tried it once and I think it was OK, but I like just about everything.

There are many other symbols and elements which are often included in various parts of the country.  Thanks to my wife who helped me put this much together about the tradition she is most familiar with!

To read my first post, which is a brief introduction about my experience with the Day of Dead in Cuernavaca, click here.
To read my second post, which was a brief overview of a few different areas where there are interesting traditions, click here.

Tomorrow I will write about the altar we are putting up this year.

The Day of the Dead - Different Traditions throughout Mexico

Cemetery in Mixquic on Nov. 2

While I'm hardly an expert, and my experience with the varying traditions of the Day of the Dead is limited, I've heard of a few interesting traditions that I feel are worth sharing.  If you are not Mexican, I'm sure these will be intriguing; if you are Mexican, I'm sure you will know a lot more, but read on anyway, and maybe you can add, expand or correct in the comments section below.

In the first post I wrote on the topic yesterday, I described the traditions in small village at the edge of Cuernavaca, which is just south of Mexico City (click here to read).  I've heard that even within the state of Morelos, the small state surrounding Cuernavaca, that there are variations in traditions.


Mixquic, Mexico City

Just a little north, at the south end of Mexico City, there is a very famous and strong tradition in a community called Mixquic in the borough of Tlahuac, not far from Xochimilco (which is famous for its canals, gardens and the colouful boats which visitors can hire for tours of this area.)  The traditions are very similar to those described in Ocotopec in my post yesterday but involves a larger community.  On November 2, in the afternoon, the church bells ring, and a large portion of the population, as well as visitors, make their way to the cemetery in a large procession, where they light the candles at the graves.  The sight is spectacular, and the experience is inspiring.

Lake Pascuaro, Michoacan

Janitzio on the Day of the Dead

Last night, two neighbors were telling me about a very special procession in the central Mexican state of Michoacan, about 4 hours northwest of Mexico City.  In a large lake near the state capital (Morelia) there is an island called Janitzio, which can be identified by the large statue of Jose Maria Morelos, a hero of Mexico's war of independence.  On November 2, the procession to the cemetery for many locals around the lake involves travelling by boat across the lake to the island, which is also an incredible experience.

Yucatan Peninsula

I know that on the Peninsula is cities like Merida, people also make their altars and have similar traditions.  The Mayan people, who are still a very distinct native group in the area, celebrate their own version of the tradition called Hanal Pixán.  I don't know much about the celebration, but I believe that the authentic celebration can probably only be found in small villages.  One of these days, I'll ask a Mayan priest about it, who owns a variety store at the other end of town.

In Playa del Carmen, where I live now, the traditions are weaker, I guess mostly because the people here have come from all over Mexico, and no longer share neighbors with the same traditions.  On Oct. 29 there was a parade down the main tourist street with children and teens from the local schools dressed in costumes related to the Day of the Dead, which was nice.

Parade in Playa del Carmen

One of the nearby theme parks, Xcaret, does a fairly good job of presenting Mexico's culture, history and traditions to tourists, and has a special presentation for the Day of the Dead, which includes music, altars and a reconstruction of a traditional cemetery with the procession.  There is also food and music, and each year they present specific traditions from a different region - I think this year it's Chiapas.  I've heard the presentation is very good, and if you're ever down here, it would be worth the visit.

However, my personal recommendation is is to participate in one of the community traditions if you can.  Instead of just seeing and taking pictures, you can take part, leave candles for the deceased and accompany the family; it may not be appropriate to take pictures, but sometimes, if you know the people, it might be OK.  In any case, you gain an experience - if a picture is worth a thousand words, an experience is worth a thousand pictures. (I guess photographers might not agree ...)

If you're not Mexican, and you visit during this time, find someone who knows the traditions and knows how you can participate.  Many Mexicans are eager to share their traditions with friends from other countries.

If you want to read yesterday's blog, an introduction to my experience of the Day of the Dead, click here.
Tomorrow, I'll  talk about some of the symbols involved. (Click here to read.)

Day of the Dead

An Altar at a Public School in Playa del Carmen

The Day of Dead in Mexico is probably my favorite holiday.  It's much deeper, and a richer tradition than Halloween, which at best is fun with costumes and candies, and at worst is part of the ever more exaggerated commercialism and consumerism that has people buying jack-o-lanterns in July and Santa Claus costumes in September.

The Day of the Dead is something different.  It's a day to remember family and friends who have passed away.  There are no ghouls or goblins, but lots of memories.  For some people the memories are overbearing, and so they choose not to participate.

The basic idea is that on the nights before November 1 and November 2, people make "altars" for their lost family members, which include pictures of the person, candles and food, including mole (a dark, rich sauce made of chili, chocolate and many other ingredients), "pan de muerto," which is a special bread made for this season, the favorite food of the deceased, glasses of water, little sugar or chocolate skulls and burning incense.  Other favorite items can also be left, such as beer, wine or cigarettes.  A special flower for this occasion, the cempoalxóchitl (I don't know what it is in English, or even Spanish - this looks like an Nahuatl name to me) is placed on the altar.  Usually a special altar is made for any person who has passed away during that year, and one other combined for all others from past years.

November 1 is dedicated to children who have passed away, and November 2 to adults.  The traditional belief is that the souls of the dead will come to visit the altars dedicated to them, and drink the water.  This is also the reason for leaving their favorite items.

Pan de Muerto

One of my wife's great aunts claims that she actually saw the procession of souls, in the form of lights, leaving the cemetery entering their respective homes; she says she heard their voices as well.  Very few people have had experiences such as this one, but many people do believe that the souls come to visit.

There are different traditions throughout the country.  The only one I have experience directly is that of the state of Morelos in a village on the edge of Cuernavaca, called Ocotopec.   Many homes are open to the community to come and pay respects to the deceased, and offer consolation to the family.  Homes which are open will offer visitors tamales and a hot fruit punch, made with sugar cane, apples, hibiscus, tamarind and some other small fruits.  Some have music or bands, if music was really important.  Visitors leave a long white candle for the deceased, which are later lit, with the idea of lighting the way for the spirit.

The same night that the altars are placed, family members will go to the cemetery to accompany the deceased, often singing songs or praying.

A Very Decorated Sugar Skull

I clearly remember visiting one man's altar, which had been placed in the village church by his brother.  While the altar was relatively simple, the elderly man spent a good deal of time telling us about he life of his brother; it was shortly after my arrival in Mexico, so I didn't understand much, but I was impressed by the time and dedication of sharing part of his brother's story with us.

I also remember the tamales and punch from the homes we visited - they were delicious!  More importantly it was incredible to see the participation of so much of the community.

Most important to me was the significance of the entire holiday; the celebration of the memory of close people.  I believe that this tradition sharing their memories with the community can help people with grief.  Sometimes it is a personal experience, and the altars are private. For some people this can be more helpful.

I'll write more about the Day of the Dead between now and November 2.
Click here to read about some traditions throughout Mexico.