Mexican Lifestyles

Guadalajara’s trendy Colonia Americana is home to an excellent but inexpensive new French restaurant. A collaborative venture between three Mexicans and a Frenchman with contrasting but complementary backgrounds, Chez Chouchou serves a range of gourmet meals, fine French wines and creative and original cocktails.

A decadent staple of the Lenten season is capirotada, a bread pudding that uses toasted or stale bolillo soaked in syrup. Frequently eaten on Good Friday, the ingredients have a special symbolism: the bread represents the body of Christ, the syrup is his blood, the raisins are the nails of the cross, and the cinnamon sticks are the wood of the cross. Capirotada can call for a wide range of different nuts, seeds and dried fruits. Sometimes cheese (usually aged) is added on top. Here’s a simple recipe to which you can add extra nuts and fruits, if you wish.

Acclimating ourselves to living in the highlands of Mexico is an ongoing lesson.   Many of us came from locations at or near sea level and don’t give much thought to how significantly higher altitudes can affect  our lives.   For those of us who’ve been cooking and baking for years, it usually doesn´t cross our minds that we´re now living nearly a mile above sea level  and we need to make some adjustments.

Although born within two blocks of each other in the coastal resort of Mazatlan, husband and wife Liliana and Fernando Garcia didn’t meet until 20 years later when they were both working in Guadalajara.

Many chefs flying in from the United States and Canada to compete in Ajijic’s Mexican National Chili Cookoff over the years came with a huge assortment of spices, frozen meat, special canned and bottled ingredients and a favorite pot and skillet in their luggage.  Others just play it by ear.

As promised in last week’s Reporter, here is our guide to the best gourmet/fusion eateries in Guadalajara.