As Mexico has one of the highest populations of street dogs in the world, Mexicanista Manuela Gomez Rhine joined with two other women to start Furry Tails of Oaxaca, a non-profit organization that raises money to fund sterilization clinics for cats and dogs throughout the state of Oaxaca. Among the first project the nonprofit funded was a sterlization campaign in Manuela's neighborhood of Guadalupe Victoria. After the event in which more than 200 cats and dogs were sterilized, the vets and volunteers came to a dinner at Manuela's house as a thank you for their hard work. Food Editor Jill Lust, who organized food and drinks, shares details and recipes.
Grilling outside on the deck with a scenic mountain view made pleasant work of preparing tlayudas for a dozen people. Even looming storm clouds and occasional bursts of showers could not dampen our enthusiasm.
Making tlayudas requires the use of a very large and thin tortilla that is only available regionally. For that reason we haven't provided a recipe for those, but we rounded out the menu with Sopa de Hongos (Mushroom Soup), Ensalada Betabel (Beet Salad), and a refreshing twist on a gin and tonic we named Verano. We hope you enjoy making and eating these dishes as much as we did! Each recipe serves six; we simply doubled them for a crowd.
Sopa de Hongos / Wild Mushroom Soup
This hearty, savory and dare I say meaty (though it’s vegan!) soup will warm your body and soul. The ginger gives it a lovely kick and is oh so good for you. It tastes as if it's cooked all day but takes an hour to make.
2. Remove mushrooms to a bowl using a slotted spoon; set aside.
2. Add garlic, onion, ginger, tomatoes, the chopped carrot, guajillo peppers and salt to the pot. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until everything is a rich golden brown. Don’t skimp on this step as this is where the rich flavor of your broth will develop.
3. Now add 1/2 cup of the cooked mushrooms back into the pot along with 2 cups of water. Continue cooking until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
4. Use an immersion blender (or transfer ingredients to a regular blender) to blend everything in the pot. It does not need to be perfectly smooth but no big chunks should remain.
5. Add 4 cups of water, sliced carrot, zucchini, kale, lime juice and epazote (or oregano) to the blended mixture in the pot. Simmer for about 20 minutes, then add the remaining mushrooms. Simmer 10 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender as desired
Serving suggestions: Line soup bowls with nori (thin sheets of dried seaweed) Top with 1/2 cup of cooked rice. Ladle soup over the rice. Serve with thinly sliced cabbage, red onion, lime wedges and fresh herbs such as epazote and/or cilantro.
Our Verano cocktail was the result of a desire for a Mexican twist on a gin and tonic and serendipitous happenstance. Berta, a local cook who helped with the party, had just made an agua fresca using pineapple and celery. She set it on counter next to the bottle of Oaxacan gin that I had procured to experiment with. I mixed the two together and voila! From that happy accident this most refreshing cocktail was born. It’s summer in a glass so that’s why it's called...
Verano
6 stalks celery cleaned and chopped
3 cups of fresh pineapple; peeled, cored and chopped
Juice of 2 limes
2 cups water
Combine all in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain and press mixture through a colander. Discard solids; refrigerate liquid until ready to serve.
To finish making the cocktail you'll need:
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Sal de gusano (or Tajin -chile and lime salt)
Ice cubes
6 ounces gin
12 ounces tonic water
6 thin wedges of pineapple
Lightly dip the rims of six 10 oz glasses, first in honey and then in the salt mixture. Fill glass with ice. Pour 1 oz of gin over ice, add 1/2 cup of juice mixture. Top with 2 ounces of tonic water. Garnish with thin slices of pineapple.
Add a stir stick or bamboo straw and sip in the summer.
