Not too long ago a new cookbook came out called Herbivoracious by Michael Natkin and published by Harvard Common Press located right here in Boston. Herbivoracious is the same name as Michael’s very popular blog. This book has quickly become my favorite and has earned the honor of sitting in the cookbook stand on my kitchen counter for easy access when I need inspiration for a meal.

Browsing around in my local bookstore one day the rich turquoise color and the bright mouthwatering dish on the cover immediately caught my eye and made me want to dive right in and make it. I purchased my copy, ran home and spent the rest of the afternoon lost in its exotic but simple recipes and amazing photos shot by the author himself.

As I sat in my kitchen perusing through the book, my interest immediately went to a tofu recipe. Tofu has never been a favorite of mine to cook with. I don’t mind eating dishes in a restaurant made with tofu, such as pad thai or hot and sour soup….but making it home….I never have. So the die was cast and I was going to make the first recipe that caught my eye, Caramel-Cooked Tofu. Not only did it have just 12 ingredients in the recipe, but most of the ingredients I already had in my kitchen so if it turned out I didn’t like the recipe I wasn’t out a lot of money.

My Caramel-Cooked Tofu with Baby Bok Choy

Well Caramel-Cooked Tofu was a huge hit and I have made it many times in the past few weeks, each time trying a new vegetable in it like baby bok choy. This one recipe converted me into a tofu lover. Not only is it vegetarian, but it is also a quick and easy recipe that satisfies my cravings for a sweet, spicy and fairly healthy dish. I am not a vegetarian in any sense of the word, but once or twice a week it is good to have a meatless meal that doesn’t seem meatless.

In the time since I bought the book, I have made several of the recipes and all have been great. This is such a fun book to read, and read it you can. Not only has Michael filled it with great recipes but useful information about leading a vegetarian life or having a meatless day now and then. He does not push his vegetarian lifestyle on you, but educates you.

Besides the Caramel-Cooked Tofu, there are lots of other tasty recipes. Quite a few I have tried in the past few weeks, like Tempeh-Filled Potstickers, Cool Tomato and Buttermilk Soup, Thai Tofu Salad, Fresh Fettucine with Broccoli Rabe in a Light, Lemony Sauce, Corn and Tomato Confit Risotto (don’t worry he tells you how to make tomato confit), Swiss Chard and Tomatillo Enchiladas, and of course desserts-Mango Puffs with Lemongrass-Coconut Pudding.

Michael's Chevre with Sauteed Grapes.

I did have the pleasure of watching Michael make a fabulous, simple and refreshing dish at a book signing party-Chevre with Sautéed Grapes. This appetizer is made in a flash and is so unique and refreshing that you will impress anyone who eats it!

I had the privilege of having brunch with Michael and some fellow food bloggers at Moksa in between his book signings in Boston. This was an appropriate group since Michael is the first food blogger that has written a book for Harvard Common Press. While at the brunch someone asked Michael what was his favorite recipe in the book. He refused to answer saying it was like choosing a favorite child. He did say that at the moment he was really enjoying Charashi Sushi, which is sushi in a bowl instead of rolled up in nori sheets. You get the same flavors without all the hassle of rolling it up.

This is a great book full of meat free ideas and filled with great inspirational photos that almost make you drool. Once you open the book you will easily see why this is my new favorite cookbook and I can’t wait to make another recipe from it. I think the next recipe will be the Loaded Otsu Noodles wish a cold sesame noodle dish, but instead of the usual peanut butter in the sauce, Michael uses sesame paste. Plus the photo of the dish always makes me hungry!

Share with me your favorite cookbook and why in the comments below and be entered to win a copy of Herbivoracious. A winner will be picked at random on June 30, so please leave a way for me to get in contact with you in case you are the winner.

Herbivoracious can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indiebound.

Looking for a change of pace when it comes to brunch? Tired of the eggs benedict and the omelet station? Head over to Moksa Restaurant on Massachusetts Ave in Central Square. Moksa is the creative culinary brainchild of Chef Patricia Yeo of Ginger Park and Om fame.

Chef Yeo is calling Moksa an izakaya, which is a Japanese drinking establishment with some food. But Moksa is an eating establishment with some drinking. The drink menu is impressive and unique and you won’t be disappointed no matter what you order. But if you are going for brunch you might as well try a bloody mary, but don’t order an ordinary bloody mary or a Sake Mary. Spicy and flavorful with fresh ginger, this Sake Mary will wake you right up. Not a bloody mary or sake fan, give the Eye of the Tiger a try. A single malt scotch with mango with habanero is another drink that will wake you up. How about bourbon? The Red Viper is bourbon infused with hibiscus and kaffir and is the color of cranberry juice, but a lot stronger. No matter what drink you decide on, all of them are bound to prepare your palette for the culinary pleasure before you.

 Your first glimpse of the paper menu/placemat may make it seem small, but it is big in adventure and flavor. For those of you who have never had dim sum, it is basically the Asian version of tapas. The menu is divided up into six sections: Asian BBQ Meats, Fried, Pan Fried, Steamed, Noodles & Rice and Eggs & Savory Pancakes.

Dim sum, like tapas, is the perfect way to share and try many dishes. Starting off with Asian BBQ Meats, do not miss the Tea Smoked Duck. Thin slices of perfectly cooked duck breast are served with a slightly sweet and spicy cucumber and apple salad. From the fried section you must of course go for the spring rolls. Whether you go for the Five Vegetable Spring Roll or the Five Spiced Chicken Spring Roll you can’t go wrong. Both are full of flavor and crispy and crunchy and not at all greasy.

 When you are looking over the Pan Fried section of the menu, do not skip over the Edamame Potstickers. Even if you think you don’t like edamame, order these as they might just be the best thing on the menu! As for the Steamed section, the buns are always a sure thing and Moksa has a huge hit with their Miso Eggplant Steamed Bun. You will never know that this is a vegetarian steamed bun. It is full of big and hearty flavors that even the most carnivorous of people will be satisfied with.

 Make sure you leave room for the Noodles & Rice dishes. This section of the menu has such intriguing dishes, that it will be hard to not just order them all. The Silver Pin Noodles is a vegan dish but don’t let this keep you from ordering it. The noodles are a little bit chewy, but in a good way, the mushrooms and the snap peas are a burst of freshness. The Mushroom Chow Fun is….well fun! The big broad noodles are always fun to eat and the mushrooms add a nice contrast to them. If there is one dish to steer away from it might be the Vietnamese Beef & Rice Noodle Egg Pho. It tastes a bit bland, but maybe the addition of some acid from a lime would have brought it to life or some spice from peppers. 

Last section of the menu is Eggs & Savory Pancakes. The Spicy Kim Chee & Shrimp Pancake is unlike anything else. Tangy kim chee is offset by the pop of sweet shrimp and the fire of sriracha. Mere words cannot describe how good this dish is and you better order more than one because you won’t want to share it.

No matter what, save room for dessert! The dessert menu changes daily at the whim of Chef Yeo, but if there is Green Tea Ice Cream on the menu, get it! The color itself is a feast for the eyes and the subtle green tea flavor along with the creaminess leaves this as the perfect ending to the meal. Chef Yeo’s version of Churros…..just get them, they are that good!
So if you find yourself hungry in the Central Square area of Cambridge on a Saturday or a Sunday between 11am and 4pm, head on over to Moksa at 450 Massachusetts Avenue and take your mouth on a culinary journey.



So the other day Carlos surprised with a birthday trip to Beijing and Tokyo, most of it being an award trip Carlos earned from work. Now my birthday and the trip are not until November, but it’s going to take us that long to get our paperwork together to get our visas to travel to China.

You may be wondering why I am writing about this. China has nothing to do with Guatemala, but the Gringo Chapin needs to see other parts of the world as well. I never thought I would be going to China and walking the Great Wall of China. This getting our visas is a learning experience and I want to share with you how it goes if you too should decide to ever go to China.

I will keep my remarks kind as to not madden the lovely Chinese government, isn’t it a communist country? They seem to be, how shall I say it? Shafting Americans with the price of the visa. Americans are paying one very hefty price while the rest of the world is paying a far far less price. But I am not complaining (hear that China), I am just stating a fact.

Now the visas have to be applied for either at the Chinese Embassy in DC or at a not so nearby consulate. The nearest one for us is NYC. You can’t apply for it until a month or so before your trip as the visa is only valid for 90-180 days from issue. It takes 4 days for the visa application to be processed at which time you can pick it back up at the Consulate/Embassy. Why can’t they mail it to you?

One way around this is to hire a visa agent to submit all the paperwork for you. Sounds like a great idea, but they charge almost as much as the visa itself. I guess it is cheaper then spending 4 days in NYC. The only problem I am having with it is you have to send your passport to them to be submitted with all your paperwork. That makes me nervous, but Carlos was given the name of a visa agent that a coworker has used. This is probably the route we are going to go………

Look at the all the paperwork and photos that need to be submitted and it is probably easier to get a marriage license and almost easier than buying a house.

Stay tuned as this story unfolds. Learn from our mistakes, I mean our experience.

There is the thought in this country that hotel restaurants are only for hotel guests or that the food is not very good. Untrue! No way! The Hyatt Regency Cambridge on Memorial Drive is fighting those pre conceived notions of a hotel restaurant.

Executive Chef Robert Daugherty

Every Friday the hotel offers the New England Seafood Market in their restaurant, Zephyr. Executive Chef Robert Daugherty was trying to think of a way to showcase the bounty of seafood that is available here in New England when the idea of a seafood buffet came to him. But to call it a seafood buffet was boring, so it was decided to call it a market? Sounds much more fun doesn’t it? You are going “shopping” for what you want to eat right then and there, but you don’t have to do any of the cooking or cleanup. You get to sit back, relax and enjoy your evening with an amazing view of the Charles River and the Boston skyline in the background.

The Raw Bar

As easy it would be to fill up on the crunchy and chewy pretzel bread that they first serve you, along with a spicy honey mustard dipping sauce….don’t, save room for the bounty of seafood in your future. Chef Robert and his team select the freshest ingredients with local being the first choice, of course. Each Friday night they offer a help yourself raw bar where the offerings range from oyster flights (it’s fun to see if you can taste a difference between the three), Old Bay Steamed Gulf Shrimp, Grilled Calamari Salad, Steamed Mussels with Coconut & Lemon Grass Broth (and to quote Zephyr serve Sonya “they are life changing!”), and of course the prerequisite New England Clam Chowder.

Then after you are filled up from the raw bar and are too full to eat anything else, you get to sit back and relax and let your server do the work for you for the rest of the evening. Your entrée that you forgot you ordered before your many trips to the raw bar will magically appear. The usual five entrees could change depending on what piques the interest of Chef Robert that week and what comes in at the Gloucester Day dock. On this particular day the choices ranged from Crab Stuffed Acadian Red Fish, Grilled Alaskan King Crab Legs (which were finger licking good with their smoky grilled flavor which you then dipped in melted butter), a beef and chicken option (just in case), and of course you have to have Steamed Maine Lobster (bib included).

By now you have no room for dessert, but you have to have one! The dessert menu is small but with a great variety, something for everyone. Whether you are the chocolate lover, the tart dessert lover or just want something light…..you will find it at Zephyr. How about a Lemon Tart with a Pomegranate Cream, or a Roasted Pear Tart infused with Honey Ginger Syrup? Want chocolate? The Decadent Flourless Cake with Raspberry and Grand Marnier Sauce or want something lighter, try the sorbet.

No matter what you order you will leave the Hyatt Regency Cambridge full, satisfied and very happy. You will not be shocked by the check when it arrives as the New England Seafood Market is only $43 a person. Throw in a locally made Fisherman’s Brew beer from Cape Ann Brewery and you still can’t beat the price. On top of this you get three hours of complimentary parking at the hotel. You don’t often get free parking in Boston!

Note: I was an invited guest of the Hyatt Regency Cambridge and thus did not have to pay for my dinner.

Catalinas Colombian Potato Salad

Many years ago I  met a beautiful woman from Colombia (no, not Sofia Vergara) named Catalina. We struck up a friendship and before I knew it Carlos and I were having dinner with her and her husband. The food was excellent and I remember all too well the potato salad that Catalina served. I was brought up in a house where potato salad was mayonnaise, boiled egg and maybe some scallions. Catalinas potato salad opened my eyes to a whole new world of potato salad, literally and figuratively.

Pepian and potato salad we were served at Luis'

Now when you think of potato salad, you think of summer picnics in the USA, not of a side dish in Guatemala. But while we were in Guatemala in February we had gone to a friend’s house where we were served Pepian and potato salad along with ceviche I have written about in an earlier post. The photo above is not the best since I was trying to take it inconspicuously since I was sitting in the middle of the room while eating. I was somewhat shocked and pleased and I realized that it wasn’t just Americans who ate potato salad. There is probably some form of it in almost every culture, Central and South America included. The one I had in Guatemala was very similar to Catalinas, it just didnt have hot dogs in it. Hot dogs!? Yes, hot dogs. Catalinas potato salad had hot dogs in it (anything with hot dogs is fine by me) along with Hellmann’s mayonnaise, cilantro and thawed frozen green peas and carrots.

If I remember correctly the potato salad I had in Guatemala was potatoes, mayonnaise and green beans and carrots. Or at least that’s what it looks like in the picture I took. So I decided to track down Catalinas recipe which has been a staple in our house since I had gotten the recipe out of her years ago. This may not be a Colombian recipe, but it is made by a Colombian…..And yes when I specify Hellmann’s mayonnaise, trust me and use it, it does make a difference. I did try and make this potato salad with another brand once and it was not nearly as good…..Hellmann’s does make a difference and no I am not getting anything from Hellmann’s to promote their product.

Over the years, as a lover of seafood I have eaten many varieties of ceviche. But it was on my last trip to Guatemala that I had my favorite. We were down there for Carlos’ sister wedding in Antigua. It was a long, tiring but very fun and happy weekend. It was great seeing people I hadn’t seen in years even if I was speaking spanglish to them. Everyone was drinking Johnny Walker (even to my surprise, Carlos)because Guatemalan tradition is a bottle of Johnny Walker is placed on each table on with some Coke, 7up, water and ice. Even I danced the night away in true gringo fashion, but it had nothing to do with the Johnny Walker……..

As usual I digress……one of the wedding guests that night was a family friend Luis, who invited us to stop by his home in Guatemala City on our way back from Antigua on Sunday. Very tired and maybe a bit hungover we rode back to Guatemala City wanting to only crash in our own beds after this very long weekend. Yes, our own beds as Carlos’ parents house after all these years feels like home to me with my own bedroom. Our wedding weekend started with not being able to get to Antigua on Friday night for the wedding rehearsal and bachelor party because of a major accident on the only road into Antigua, which led to a whole lot of stress on Friday, mostly for us……Carlos’ sister was fine.

So needless to say not many of us were in the mood to stop and socialize, but socialize we must! We were warmly greeted at the entrance to the apartment building by Luis and I immediately thought ”hey, I know him, this won’t be so bad”! As we walked into Luis’ apartment we were taken aback by all the people sitting around. It was obvious we had intruded upon a child’s birthday party. We were all quickly rushed into the cool (temperature wise) apartment and I huddled in a corner with Carlos’ brother Walter and their cousin Christian for “protection”. We were quickly offered a Gallo beer and I thought ”Okay this won’t be so bad, Gallo makes everything better’. Soon after, some fold up chairs were brought out from somewhere for us to sit on and  then shortly after that a card table is set up for the three of us to sit around and eat. “Food? This is getting better!” Homemade Guatemalan food is always a favorite of mine. Nothing better than food made with simple ingredients and love.

So as we sat there on a folding chair in the middle of a room filled with strangers, balloons, kids birthday presents and games, we were served a small bowl of shrimp and fish in a cold refreshing tomato broth. It was almost like having a bloody mary “the morning after”. I gobbled up my ceviche and had I been asked if I wanted more, I surely would have said yes! As quickly as my empty ceviche bowl was whicked away a clean plate was shoved in my hands to partkae in the rest of the meal which paled in comparison to the ceviche. We were served pollo de pepian and ironically mine is better than what I was served that day in Guatemala City (no offense to our host). Along with the pepian we were served potato salad, which was cold and creamy and felt great in my over indulged stomach, but I was still wishing for more ceviche.

A few minutes later as I sat there in a food coma, Carlos’ sister told me I had to recreate the ceviche when I got back to Boston, and recreate I did. It took many attempts before I got everything just right, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make. It was tough, but since Carlos would not eating any ceviche it was all mine, which I was fine with. I suffered through ceviche version after ceviche version, until the memories of sitting in Luis’ apartment came flooding back to me while eating one of them.

The next step was to find some friends to try it and see if they liked it. Ceviche is one of those things you either love it or you don’t. Luckily I found three guinea pigs, I mean friends, who loved it, tried my version and told me not to change a thing. So a big thanks must go out to David Remillard of Whole Foods on River Street in Cambridge, Vicky Devellis and Lena Hanson of the great blog lenaonthebeach. So a huge thanks goes out to all three of them!

Now for the fine print. I have never had a problem eating ceviche no matter what country I was in. Of course when making ceviche it is wise to follow three important food safety “rules”. First-buy your fish from a reputable fishmonger. Do not be afraid to ask to see the fish up close and to smell it. If it smells fishy, don’t buy it. I have even used frozen fish and shrimp when I was not happy with what I could find fresh. There are several trustworthy fishmongers around Boston and even Whole Foods is a great place to shop. They will also take the time to educate you and listen to what you are making. Second-Since the shrimp and fish are essentially cooked in the lime juice, make sure all of the pieces are opaque and when touched springs back. If there is any doubt about whether it is “cooked”, leave it in the fridge a while longer. Better safe than sorry. And third-keep all the ingredients as cold as possible at all times.

Now for what fish to use. I would get into heaps of trouble with some of my friends if I did not talk about using sustainable seafood. Whole Foods is great about walking you through sustainable fish that they carry. But if you don’t have a Whole Foods nearby, a great resource  to use both on the web and as an app is Seafood Watch from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Some housekeeping notes: please promise me you will use lime juice from limes you squeeze yourself…..do not use the juice from that plastic lime. This is a great recipe to make for when you have guests coming for dinner you want to impress. Make this in the morning and then whip it out as an appetizer before dinner…..your guests will be impressed because most people don’t know how ximple ceviche is to make. Lastly…..since I am the only one in my house who eats….I do make it often as it stores in the refrigerator for up to two days (it has all been eaten before then anyways) and makes a great snack or light supper served with a salad.

The fish and shrimp "cooking".

Lis and I eating guacamole tostadas from a street vendor in La Antigua

Last week the Huffington Post tweeted “@HuffingtonPost: Help us solve a heated newsroom debate: Should guacamole be made with garlic? #huffpostgarlicdebate”. Of course I responded “no” since I have been taught Guatemalans never put garlic in their Guacamole. Which then led to a heated Twitter debate between myself and @wickedrandom and @DaphnesHouse. I will save you the details, but it seems most people do put garlic in their guacamole as we are used to the Mexican version in this country.

I have been taught that Guatemalans do not put garlic in their Guacamole and the only thing required in Guatemalan guacamole is the avocado. Over the years I have had guacamole many different ways in Guatemala and became very aware of what people put in it on my most recent trip. It may just be coincidence or it may just be me looking for something that is not there, but what is in guacamole seems directly related to the financial status of the person making it.

Guacamole on a tostada.

Guacamole was one of the first Guatemalan foods I learned to make, and actually filmed a short video on how to make it. I, like most people was used to the Mexican version of guacamole, you know the one with garlic and jalapeno in it. According to Carlos, Guatemalan guacamole doesn’t have either one. The first time I noticed that guacamole doesn’t have to have all the “typical” ingredients in it was in Antigua. I was eating a guacamole tostada (photo at top fo the page) and I noticed that tomato was missing from the guacamole. When I asked Carlos about it he told that they can’t always afford tomatoes because they can be expensive. I do the same thing at home now. I don’t feel pressured to make what we know as traditional guacamole, often I leave the tomatoes out.

It was only on this last trip that I noticed what people were putting in their guacamole. Yes, at the better restaurants it is full-blown guacamole, avocados, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice……but at one friends house we went to it was just avocado and salt.

I recently had a reader tell me that her Guatemalan mother in law does just avocado and salt but sometimes as a treat adds chopped onion and even oregano. Now I am unsure of her finances but it just goes to show how varied guacamole can be. This led to me thinking that there could be a correlation between a persons income and what is in their guacamole. We can call it the guacamole effect.

Well, it’s hard to believe that I have been home for Guatemala for a week now. The ten days down there went by so fast. The main purpose for going was for Carlos’ sisters wedding. She and her husband (that’s a story for another day) were getting married in Antigua and I was so excited to be spending some time there. On past trips we drove to Antigua for the day, did some touristy things and left. This time I would actually be spending two nights in Antigua, although one of those was for the wedding. Due to circumstances out of our control we didn’t spend as much time as we all had hoped.

Carlos’ sister, her husband and kids flew down about a week before everyone else to get the house ready and finalize things for the wedding. I decided (well Carlos did actually) that I would fly down a few days before everyone else, flights were a lot cheaper on a Monday and spend a few quiet days with his sister before everyone arrived and things got crazy. I was more than happy to spend a few extra days in Guatemala and some quality time with his sister and kids…and husband…..and her mother in law. So I flew down to Guatemala by myself……even my luggage didn’t make it. It got left behind in Miami. So right away my “spanglish” got put to use. I must have missed the lost luggage section of Rosetta Stone. But to my surprise and amazement I handled it well, even if Carlos’ sister was about to leave me at the airport. I had no cell service….NONE! I would have gladly paid roaming charges, and I didn’t know if I left the terminal whether I would get back in…..security is STRICT! But my luggage arrived on the next flight and we retrieved it with no time to spare. It was just like a movie, with Monica and I running through the airport hoping to make it to the airlines office before it closed. But I must say everyone I encountered was very polite, friendly and helpful. They were good to this gringo.

Esquipulas

We traveled all over the heart of Guatemala and over the next few months I will share with you some of the places I saw and foods I ate. One of the places we visited after what was probably a 6 hour drive was Esquipulas. This gorgeous town is home to what I have been told is the largest Catholic church in Central America. This church is also famous for another reason, but I will save that for another day. On the way to Esqipulas we stopped about half way to visit family and have lunch. You have not experienced a meal until you are eating carne asada with your hands and being served pineapple that was just picked that morning. This was one of the simplest meals of our trip but my favorite, by far. There is something about eating outdoors in the heat, with a cold beer and carne asada hot off the grill stuffed into corn tortillas that were handmade mere minutes ago a few feet away. Oh I am making myself hungry thinking about it!

Downtown San Agustin

One of my favorite places to visit in Guatemala is San Agustin where Carlos’ mother grew up. This is a very small town nestled between some mountains. It does get very hot there but is always very relaxing. San Agustin is a small town and most of the citizens are relatives. The mercado is always set up in the center of town with the biggest one of course being on Saturday when the whole downtown is closed to traffic. This is the small town where you feel completely at ease and safe to just wander around, which we did, I even got left behind a few times when I was taking some photos. I look forward to the day Carlos’ moms house is done and we can spend a good amount of time there.

Homebase in Guatemala City

Don’t get me wrong, our house in Guatemala City has been our home for years now. But there is only so much you can do in a gated community. We drive to where we need to go and get out and go right in. There is no walking around unless it’s in a mall. In an ironic twist, I went to the mall in Guatemala City more times in ten days, then I have in the last five years here in Boston.

As I write this I am working on the first recipe I brought back with me, Sopa de Albanil, a variety of black bean soup. I have quite a few others to work on , so there will be plenty of new ones coming over the next few months. A couple of ceviche recipes, updated carne asada (after all these years I finally found out the secret ingredient to the family carne asada!!!!), caldo, and a red beans and rice recipe that was all the rage. Maybe I will work on flan, a dulce de leche candy and taste testing some new nuts roasted with the flavors of Guatemala by a nut roasting friend of mine who I was tweeting with constantly while there. Thank goodness for free restaurant Wi Fi!

Some of my souvenirs bought at Paiz

I will leave you with a shopping tip. If you love food as much as I do, try shopping at the local grocery store for souvenirs. You get to bring home the flavors of the place and usually at a great price. I brought home some great stuff that can’t be found here. I wish I had bought more.

Mosh for breakfast

No, it’s not the mosh pits found at concerts. Mosh in Guatemala is for breakfast and is made of oatmeal. You may be thinking “oatmeal, I know all about oatmeal”, but not the way it is made in Guatemala. Mosh is a slow cooked oatmeal dish that when done resembles a beverage more than a warm cereal. Since it is slow cooked for more than an hour most of the oatmeal breaks down and becomes a thick liquid that is sometimes easier to drink than eat with a spoon.

I can only think of one time I have had mosh in Guatemala, but that one time made quite the impression on me as I have never forgotten it. One of our favorite places to eat breakfast in Guatemala is at a restaurant by the name of Nais. It is at Nais that I had my first encounter with mosh and have wanted to learn how to make it ever since, not realizing how easy it is to make. I just remember this cup of a thick rich “beverage” being set down in front of us before breakfast and just relishing it as I felt it nourish my body for the busy day ahead. Of course when I asked what it was I was just told “mosh” and then the conversation moved on. Not until a few weeks ago did I learn what it really was and now has become a regular lineup on my breakfast menu.

In Guatemala it is often served as a treat for breakfast or served as a nutritious snack at school or in my case the perfect start to a cold day. If you like it a little thinner like I do, just add more milk at the end.

Provecho

Recipe: Mosh

In Guatemala, Christmas Eve (Noche Buena) is the big celebration and Carlos and I spend it with his family. Early in the evening I received a text message from Carlos who was in the next room to “come here and try this”. He and his sister Monica were sitting there eating Pico de Gallo (roughly translated means roosters beak) that Mama Neca (their grandmother) had made, but it wasn’t the Mexican version I was used to……her version was made with ground beef. I wasn’t to sure about it at first, but once I gave up my preconceived idea that Pico de Gallo was a type of salsa I quite enjoyed it. Apparently this ground beef version is popular in the Alta Verapaz department of Guatemala where Carlos has lots of family, mostly in Coban and the Zacapa area where his grandmother grew up.

Everyone is familiar with the Mexican version of Pico de Gallo which is basically tomatoes, onions, cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice, but why is it made with ground beef in the Alta Verapaz area of Guatemala? No one seems to know, it just is, accept it. Maybe at one point in time tomatoes were hard to come by and some resourceful woman decided to try and subsitute beef, which there is plenty of in this area. All I know is that it is an easy and delicious snack. The ground beef is not cooked in the traditional sense over heat, it is “cooked” like ceviche with lime juice. This may be due to the fact that many houses in the Guatemalan countryside do ot have stoves or anything like one. Thus they needed to cook the ground beef somehow. I know some of you are skeptical about eating ground beef that hasn’t been cooked with heat, but fear not, I have this version of Pico de Gallo several times and have never had a problem.

Once again I find another recipe in guatemala that has the same name as a Mexican one but is completely different.Like the Mexican version, Pico de Gallo is served as an appetizer with chips or tortillas along with some beer. Some have been known to add some chiles to the Pico de Gallo to spice it up and to go better with Guatemalan rum or even their much-loved American whiskey, so feel free to spice it up and let me know how it comes out.