Tepache

Friend Jonna has made Tepache a number of times.
Tom and I have been invited to share in it with her a few times,   Uber Yummy!  She tends to make a quite alcoholic version that is best treated as a digestive.

Pineapples are incredibly cheap right now so I decided to try my hand at making Tepache!
I've also been noting quite a few trici-vendors with the big blue and orange striped barrels advertising Tepache; tis the season I guess!  

Tepache is a fermented, often alcoholic, drink made with pineapple; skin and all.  I am unclear in my memory of Jonna's recipe, and I thought she had blogged it....not being able to find a blog by Jonna on Tepache

I Googled, don't you just love Google, Tepache and came up with a number of plausible recipes of varying degree of alcohol content.  I decided that since it is killer hot right now something more refreshing than intoxicating was in order and selected the following recipe from Pati's Mexican Table:


INGREDIENTS 
1 ripe pineapple or about 3 cups
4 liters water or 16 cups
1 pound piloncillo or dark brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
1 cup lager beer

TO PREPARE - Using the traditional big eathenware jug (or a large pot), bring to a boil the 16 cups water along with the piloncillo, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves.  Simmer, stirring once in a while, for about 10 minutes or until the piloncillo has dissolved.

While the water is simmering, wash the pineapple thoroughly, and remove the stem and bottom.  Cut it into 2 inch cubes, without taking off its rind.

Once the flavored water is ready, add in the pineapple chunks and cover.  Let rest for 2 days, or 48 hours, in a warm area of you kitchen.  The mixture will begin to ferment and bubble on the surface.  Add a cup of lager beer, stir well, and let it sit for up to 12 hours more.  Don't let it ferment much longer, or you may end up with vinegar instead!

Strain tepache through a fine strainer or cheesecloth, and serve very cold.  You can either refrigerate it, or serve over ice cubes.

Today I added the beer, which I think is more for the increased fermentation that the alcohol - so tomorrow we see how it worked - I have to say it is really fermenting!   Gads, it smells horrible!  But it is all bubbly.

So here is my pineapple, piloncillo (dark sugar), and stick canela (cinnamon).

and here is my dissolved liquid, and cubed pineapple.

I don't have a traditional Tepache jarra, but I do have my grandma's old lemonade crock!

And here you have the first glass of Tepache, Cool and Refreshing, NOT!  Just a bit too much fermented flavor for my taste!  I will definitely be trying a different recipe!

There's a new kid in town

Mérida has a number of Spanish language news publications.  One of these, The Diario has recently started offering, for an additional fee, and only to subscribers,  a once weekly insert of selected New York Times articles, in English.

There are also a small number of English language Mexican news publications available from other States in Mexico; their coverage of things Yucatecan is quite limited.

Several months ago a new kid came onto the scene as an electronic English Language Yucatan newspaper.

The Yucatan Times!

Today Tom and I attended the premier of their first paper edition - 

An English Language newspaper focused on the Yucatan, and Mérida specifically.

It was a lovely event, typically Mexican in that the speeches seemed interminably long, thankfully they were cut short because the power kept failing and they wanted to show a lovely video highlighting the ORJUVE, which is essentially the Mérida Youth Orchestra, here's a TheYucatanTimes Story on them.

The premier was held in the cinateca nacional of the gorgeous Teatro Armando Manzanero (formerly Teatro Merida).  The event was also held bilingually, possibly a first for an official City event.

Those responsible for The Yucatan Times

our lovely Joanna van der Gracht de Rosado, hostess

a surprise performance by members of orjuve

the reception

Here It Is - and this lovely woman seemed proud to inform me that this was in ingles!

 Each attendee was gifted a copy of this premier edition.

teatro lobby

teatro entry

teatro facade

You can read The Yucatan Times' announcement of today's event here!

Dog Day Afternoons

WikiPedia defines:   

"Dog Days" (Latin: diēs caniculārēs) are the hottest, most sultry days of summer. In the northern hemisphere, they usually fall between early July and early September. In the southern hemisphere they are usually between January and early March. The actual dates vary greatly from region to region, depending on latitude and climate. Dog Days can also define a time period or event that is very hot or stagnant, or marked by dull lack of progress. 

And that's exactly what its like around here

 

a trip to Xcooch

Friend Joanna, and a group of stalwart do'gooders (I do not say do-gooders as a negative thing, it is a VERY positive thing, To Do Good) from the International Women's Club of Merida have taken on a project in the small community located just outside of Uxmal called Santa Elena. They are working with one family in particular trying to assist them into a more sustainable life. From this family, more families will come to see the value and benefit and the circle will complete.

This particular family were previously quite sustainable with their chicken, turkey, and pig production but relied on Abels income from a nearby resort restaurant for those things they could not grow or trade for. Unfortunately that position was eliminated a few years ago and the ability to pay for things like masa and medical care became nearly impossible.

Another fine article on this very same family was done by some other local do-gooders Yucatan Living

Here is where Joanna and her group stepped in - They set the women up in a cottage industry of producing oil cloth market bags, hand painted table linen and wall decor, and crochet items such as glass cozies and handbags. 

Abel himself leads tours into the countryside.  We recently had the opportunity to contact him and set ourselves up for one of his 'Tours'.   With friends Kathy and Ken visiting from Colorado we met up with Abel just on the outskirts of Santa Elena.  First order of business was to stop at The Pickled Onion restaurant for a quick bite to get us through our wilderness adventure and then set off, fully intending to return to Valerie's after our excursion to cool off in her pool and with something refreshing and cold to drink.

Our tour that day would be to the unexcavated ruin of Xcooch, (shkoshhh).  We had read a bit about this site in our John L. Stephens, Incidents of Travel in the Yucatan book.   I must say the one rendering of the site from their 1840ish journey was quite similar to what we saw that day.  Not much has been done, save keeping some of the brush cleared, and the placement of a sealed iron gate over the mouth in to the cave where water was found.

Here are some photos from that trip

(I will apologize in that there was some setting wrong on my camera and my photos all came out as if on a viagra weekend binge; blue tint)

 

Abel telling us stories about the region



Abel, Ken, Rosa, Kathy, and one of the sons



this turkey let me pet it and feel its blue and red parts,  eeeschk!

Contact with Abel can be made through Joanna and/or Valerie - 

joannavdg@gmail.com or  valerie6971@hotmail.com

Earth Day 2011, April. 10 event here in Merida

Some of you may know that I am a member of Merida Verde, a local group concerned with the environment and with creating a sustainable future!  I am the Leader of thte Composting Task Force.
As a part of the upcoming Earth Day festivities I will have a table with info about Composting -
 See the invitation below!

Please stop by - I'd love to see you, meet you, share info with you!


******************************

Dear Members of Merida Verde.

We invite you to attend Mérida Earth Day 2011. It will take place on April 10, 2011, from 9-18 pm at the Iberica Cultural Center located at 39th Street, x 74 and 74A, Garcia Ginerés. This event will provide fun for your family and at the same time teach more about important actions to improve our city. There will be short films, forums, fashion, green and fair trade items, exhibitions, music, healthy food and more.

Les invitamos al evento del Día de la Tierra Mérida 2011 que se llevará a cabo el día 10 de abril de 2011 de 9-18 hrs en el Centro Cultural La Ibérica ubicado en Calle 39 x74 y 74A, García Ginerés. En este evento podrán divertirse junto con su familia y al mismo tiempo aprender más sobre acciones relevantes para mejorar nuestra ciudad. Habrá cortometrajes, foros, desfile de modas, comercio verde y justo, exposiciones, música, comida sana y mucho más.

See you there!   ¡Los esperamos!