Dia de los Muertos in Los Angeles

My "Dia de los Muertos" altar in Los Angeles, California

My memories of "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead) at the cemetery of Xoxo in Oaxaca, Mexico live on in my California home every November. I honor those who have been in my life and celebrate their lives. The last week of October, I begin to collect my photos, objects in one spot and buy fresh marigolds from the farmers' market. My bookshelf slowly begins to transform into a beautiful altar to remember important people in my life - this year primarily in my thoughts were my grandfather, my cousin Josh and my friend Josh Clayton-Felt, as well as the "Ayotzinapa 43" (the forty-three students who were "disappeared" in Mexico). Each item on my altar is carefully selected and holds special significance. Candles, copal (incense) and marigolds are among the gifts that welcome and guide the spirits' return.

My altar lit with candles at night 

Altar detail

Altar Detail

Altar Detail

Altar Detail

Altar Detail

Among these gifts you will also find water and food, which often was a favorite of the deceased. Potatoes and eggs are offered for the spirit of my grandfather who taught me to make fried potatoes with which he often topped with a fried egg. "Pan de muerto" is a special bread that is made for Day of the Dead. It is slightly sweet, spiced with anise, flavored with orange and topped with sugar. My loaves are made with traditional bone shapes on top, but this year I switched it up and made a full skull shape with crossbones.

Ingredients ready to make "Pan de Muerto"

Making "Pan de Muerto" at home

"Pan de Muerto" at my altar

Crew of Bones Muhroni and my friend, Anselmo, with make up and ready to party.

With our large Mexican community here in Los Angeles, "Dia de los Muertos" has long been a community tradition. The most popular of celebrations is usually sponsored by Self-Help Graphics. This year people gathered around the altars built in Grand Park and celebrated with traditional dance and song.

City Hall in DTLA behind the Grand Park celebration for "Dia de los Muertos"

Downtown LA altar detail

Giant skull on altar in Downtown Los Angeles

The candle on this altar reads "Justice for Tayvon Martin"

Bangin' Beef Birria in Mexico City

(Xhico in Mexico)

Beef Birria Tacos in Mexico City

Rafael prepping Beef Birria for Tacos

I can't complain about my apartment in Mexico City. It's everything an artist could want - spacious, beautiful and full of natural light. Though, I think the best thing is waking up to the smell of quesadillas by Doña Chelo in the morning and coming home in the evening to the air filled with the delicious smell of beef birria. Birria is a traditional Mexican cuisine that hails from Jalisco, Mexico. It's usually prepared with goat or sheep that is marinated with dried chiles and spices.

Right outside my door, I have a wonderful street food stand where Rafael prepares his own version of "Birria de Res" or Beef Birria. It is braised in a seasoned broth for several hours until it is tender and juicy. The texture reminds me of my grandma's pot roast, but the flavor is definitely more robust and slightly spicy.

Beef Birria braising in a giant kettle, the scent wafts thru my apartment

Beef Birria Consomé

Beef Birria Tacos with Salsa

For twelve years, on this very corner, Rafael has stewed his birria. When it's ready he takes it out of the broth and chops it into fine pieces for tacos. The small corn tortillas are dipped in the broth, heated on the comal and served with cilantro and onion. He then served a small bowl of consomé, which is absolutely fantastic. A few squeezes of fresh lime juice over the taco and into the broth adds a brightness which compliments the flavors wonderfully.

Beef consomé, perfect for a rainy day

If you want, ask for salsa at the bottom of your consomé bowl and add some marinated onions and habanero for extra heat. Now get to dipping! Dip your taco into the broth for a taco experience that you won't forget. You can also order a stew with meat in broth.

Visit Rafael at his Beef Birria Puesto on the corner of Chilpancingo and Aguascalientes just a few blocks from Parque Mexico in the Condesa neighborhood. I hope you don't have the same problem I have of not being able to stop eating these delicious Birria Tacos.

Chocolate Churros in Coyoacán

Churro filled with chocolate

You'll see churros all over in Mexico City. It's like Mexico's doughnut. But some of my favorites are the Churros Rellenos (Stuffed Churros) in Coyoacán. Definitely my favorite street food desert (aside from ice cream). If you're going to visit the Frida Kahlo Museum, it's a short walk to Jardin Plaza Hidalgo which joins with Jardin Centenario to make up the main square in the neighborhood of Coyoacán.

Churros sign in Coyoacán

Fresh churros

You'll find plenty of restaurants, shops and street vendors. But what you want to find is the Churros. Delicious tubes of deep fried dough is filled with your choice of fillings. They have everything from chocolate or cheese to strawberry of mango. I love the chocolate or cajeta, which is like a rich burnt goats milk. It's sweet and gooey like caramel.

The list of delicious filling choices for Churros

Deep-fried churros

Whistle of the Camote Man in Mexico City

(Xhico in Mexico)

Some people find the sound of the Camote Man irritating. But the loud shriek  has me run out the door like Pavlov's dogs. 

Camote (sweet potato) covered in lechera

It seems to be one of life's cruelest tricks it likes to play on me. I hear the loud whistle and run outside into the cold, rainy Mexico City nights. Only to realize that he may still be blocks away. Then I wait patiently to hear the sound again. When the steam engine blows I can then tell which direction to start walking. Eventually, the smell of the wood burning fire gets stronger and I see a plume of smoke. Where there's smoke there's camotes.

Plantain, steamed and covered in lechera and cinnamon

Camotes are sweet potatoes. The sweet round belly bombs are smoked along the side of plantains in a steam engine that is pushed through the streets if Mexico City. The hot, mushy snacks have a smokey flavor imparted by the wood burned in the fire. They are then covered in "lechera" (sweetened condensed milk) and sprinkled with cinnamon. The plantains have quickly become one of my favorite street foods in Mexico.

Steam engine of the Camote Man

Cecina, Delicious Marinated Beef and Pork in Mexico

(Xhico in Mexico)

Taco of Cecina (Pork, Enchilada Style)

I haven't seen it on the menus much in Mexico City, but cecina is definitely food of choice a little over an hour outside of the city in a pueblo called "Chalco". I went on an adventure with my friend, Antonio. His family lives in Chalco and I was invited over for lunch. An invitation that I could not resist. Though it was a bit of a trek it was worth every bite.

Inside the church courtyard across from the mercado.

We started out the morning for "desayuno" (breakfast) at the Mercado Municipal in Chalco. Like many of the markets in Mexico City, there are puestos (stalls) selling fruits, vegetables, cheeses, meat and poultry. Of course there are also many places to eat inside and around. The main difference was that there were many puestos dedicated to preparing "cecina" for the drones of people packed inside the market. Beef and pork, pounded flat and piled high into a wall of meat separating the patrons from the cooks. As the people line up and are seated into long-narrow tables, the meat is put over a hot fire and cooked to perfection.

Stacks of beef cecina waiting to be grilled

Cecina being cooked up at the mercado in Chalco, Mexico

The cecina is lean cuts of beef and pork that has been cut and pounded into thin slices, marinated and served hot off the fire. We ordered the pork "enchilada-style" which means that it has also been marinated in chilis which gives it a reddish hue.

Cecina meat - Beef (left), Pork Enchilada Style (right)

Fresh made blue corn tortillas are the foundation of taco construction

Tacos of Cecina (beef)

We decided on the puesto called "Becerro de Oro", got a seat and ordered. Antonio ran to go get some cheese at a nearby stand. He insisted that the double-cream cheese was delicious when making tacos with cecina. I was so hungry I could hardly wait as I got wafts of grilled meat arousing my olfactory receptors. Then it came. The beef and pork steaming hot and simply served on a banana leaf. Blue corn tortillas were served along the side with cream and salsas. Everything was complete to let the taco making process begin. I put a slice of meat, salsa, cream and the double-cream cheese atop a tortilla and began to eat my first cecina taco. It was slightly salty, spicy and creamy - everything delicious should be. Even though after two tacos, I was full. I couldn't stop snacking on the meat.

Craving Carnitas, Tacos in Mexico City

Carnitas Taco in Mexico City

Pork is one of my main food groups. I can't get enough of it. After bacon, carnitas is my favorite form of pig meat. The tender, deep-fried pork pieces are juicy and perfect for a taco. Fortunately for me, there's a puesto a few blocks away from me that has delicious carnitas. So when I get my carnitas cravings, pork heaven is just a hop-skip-and-a-jump away.

Chopping the meat for my tacos

Carnitas (Maciza) Tacos in Mexico City

On the corner of Aguascalientes and Insurgentes Sur, where Condesa meets Roma, there is "Ricos Tacos de Carnitas, Estilo Puebla". A giant vat of oil sits under a rack various pork parts - carnitas. Aside from the roast cuts of meat, there is also liver, tongue, pig snout and other offals. I think I'm actually going to give the pig nose a try next time. I've never had it. Speaking of things I've never had, I also tried a green called "papalo". It had a bright but soapy taste.

Various pig parts sit over a vat of hot lard

"trompa" or pig snout is also served

Papalo is a green with a bright, soapy taste that is served with carnitas tacos

Be sure when you our out in Mexico city to try all the street food you can. Order carnitas tacos. If you want pure, clean-cuts of roast meat without the fat, be sure to ask for "maciza". But I actually like mine with a little fat. And skin too if they have it.

Carnitas Tacos with Salsa

Carnitas Tacos with Salsa

Chef on the streets of Mexico cooking up carnitas

Ricos Tacos de Carnitas, Estilo Puebla
Corner of Aguascalientes & Insurgentes Sur
Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, Mexico

Vayista Mexican Craft Beer Tasting

(Xhico en Mexico)

I have the great privlege of knowing Michelle of Vayista. She has a great service offering unique experiences across Latin America. She creates connections with travelers and unforgettable experiences in Mexico. She creates custom iteneries around your interests. Whatever it may be - cooking, art and culture, sports, or any other adventure - she's got you covered.

Recently, she hosted a craft beer tasting from Mexican Breweries and I was fortunate enought to be invited. On the beautiful rooftop of Linneo restuarant in Condesa, we enjoyed a variety of pairings of delicious food and tasty Mexican beer.

Four different craft breweries were represented. Each with their own unique depth of flavor. I think my favorite of the night was the Witbier Calavera. 

On the menu for the night:

TRIPA OCOZOL

Tripel Belga

WITBIER CALAVERA

Witbier

LONDON PORTER SCHOENFELD

London Porter

TEMPUS DOBLE MALTA PRIMUS

Altbier Imperial