Some snaps I got on my trip to Cesena last week (click an image to open gallery), got some more to put up soon. Next posts should be some recipes and ideas I picked up in my time spent in this beautiful part of the world.
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Umami town. Caldo de hongos silvestres. Wild mushroom broth. Boosted with some pasilla and guajillo chiles. Some flor de calabaza and pasta offcuts in there too. 5 types of shroom, 4 wild and season only just beginning.
Helado de cardamomo con naranja agria conservada en miel | cardamom ice cream, bitter orange peel preserved in honey. Combinaciones que molan. When your housemate is hungry (high) and has inspired ideas for combos. Bowl by talentoso @patorivero
On Wednesday I went to a Nixtamalización workshop @maizajo, a molino y tortillería that's at the forefront of bringing back indigenous varieties of maíz and dedicated to creating the best tortillas for the city's restaurants.
Santiago and his partners are super knowledgeable and the client list (including Quintonil, Carmela y Sal, La Docena) speaks for the quality of their product. Despite being gente de maíz, the likelihood of eating quality corn (i.e. tasty, criollo, non-gmo and well-farmed varieties) in Mexico is getting harder and harder.
90% of the tortillas in Mexico are made with harina de maíz (not nixtamalized masa) and therefore the nutritional benefits and taste remain locked away. This is damaging not only to consumer health, but to the people who grow maíz - now locked in to growing the cheapest grain to compete with the low prices of imported US corn, and the environmental impacts of producing a cheap monoculture with the associated destruction of soil health.
There's a lot of grassroots movement to bring back maíz varieties of the past which have amazing taste, history, cultural importance, and if treated right, health benefits. Making this widespread and democratic is about education, valuing food in a better way and collaboration along the supply chain.
Seeing the process that goes into making a real tortilla from cal to grinding, pressing many ourselves, as well as hearing the work being done to reclaim this culture made for a fascinating afternoon. Highly recommended to anyone interested in food culture here.
I'll also be bringing back a suitcase full of their product for some events in Europe over summer - hit me up for your tortilla orders!
Pipian verde con cebolla cambray y tortillas. Thought it was time to cook some more Mexican food. This green mole is normally served with some sort of protein but I think it's good enough on its own with some tortillas. Its base is pumpkin and sesame seeds and green is from tomatillos, spinach and chard that was dying in the fridge, with garlic, serrano chiles, epazote and coriander bringing the aromatics. Also happens to be vegan as used veg stock and oil instead of lard 😏. #gastronomiamx
Cherry toms, garlic, peperoncino, pecorino. Summer favourites. #keepitsimple
This time last week, back in the kitchen cooking food I love for beautiful people. The first of many. Wanted to do this for a long time, and couldn't have asked for a better first event.
The next one is Sunday 28 July. Already have a beaut new menu in the works, live music planned and plenty more buenas vibras. More details soon.
Thanks to my bro @chaimien for capturing it so perfectly 📷
Great pictures. My favourite’s the clothesline shot.
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Aww lovely! 🙂
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