The Beginning

For quite a long time now, friends have encouraged me to write my ideas about food, dining, ingredients and life in Mexico. It has taken one particularly close friend, who blogs regularly about myriad items, to actually get me to do it. So this first post is about why? For those who know me or read my columns or eat my food, the basic why? is an intense and passionate love affair with everything food. I can walk into a mercardo and find an item I have never seen, speak to the people who work there, come home and research the item and then test it out in the kitchen and this kind of experience is what spins my propeller.

Just yesterday, a friend picked me up to go do some food shopping for a dinner I am cooking this weekend and asked, tienes hambre? (are you hungry) to which I promptly responded that I was. The next thing I knew he was driving us what seemed an immense distance to La Cruz to a taco stand he knew. Again, he asked, do you like carne asada to which I had to reply ... not really. I find beef so generally overcooked, flavorless and tough here in Mexico that I seldom order it. His response: wait and see.

When we finally arrived my friend pulled out a good bottle of Mexican red wine and explained that this was one of the few taco stands that was byob. We walked in and a very large, not at all my image of a taco stand, surrounded us with probably 30 tables. Then he introduced me to the owners, all family, who somehow managed, each one of them, to be stunningly beautiful. Two of the men had the most green eyes I have ever seen and while I attempted to be respectful and only speak my broken Spanish, they responded in almost perfect English.

So where was I? It turns out that this taco stand is famous and I had no idea. In high season there is a line around the block to get in and it is not uncommon to see Alejandro Fernandez and his friends and family at a table or sending in his people to order 100 tacos. Because at that time we were the only people there, we chose to sit on the street .. hence the name of the restaurant ... Tacos on the Street. My friend ordered for me: carne asada taco, carne asada tostada, carne asada quesadilla. Immediately the required condiment plate was brought out and included my favorite raw radishes, a red chili salsa and two grilled fresh chilis - one I know and love as Hungaro (a pale yellow and moderately spicy chili) and jalapenos.

Soon after, our meals arrived and I have to admit, I was shocked. The carne asada, while bien cocida (well done) was so moist and tasty that I immediately had to rethink my opinions on this dish. Ever since I woke up today I have been craving more of these tacos.

Once I had seconds we left and I went and purchased whole ducks for a dinner I am preparing this weekend - more on that later. But this is what I will be writing about on this blog. Inspirational moments of food. I am never happier than when I am sharing a meal with the people I love. And all kinds of food! While most of my cuisine is French based, I love all food that is delicious and thought out carefully. What we have here in Mexico is an amazing array of flavors and product with which to create memorable moments.

• Tacos on the Street
• Huachinango St. 9
• La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico
• Phone: (329) 295-5056