Spaghetti Carbonara; and Enchilada Casserole

I confess I got a little discouraged about my international food project -- but only for a minute. Last week I cooked some international comfort food, supposedly Mexican, but I doubt you’d find it in Mexico. It was a tasty and easy Enchilada Casserole. Last night, I was inspired again, because Dusty asked me if I’d abandoned my international food project, and I told him that I sort of had, because I didn’t think he was into it. He suggested that I make Spaghetti Carbonara. I had never eaten that, didn’t really know what it was. So I started reading recipes and decided to give it a go. It came out really good.



Spaghetti Carbonara calls for bacon. Bacon in U.S. grocery stores isn’t so good, except for breakfast when you cook all the fat off and make it nice and crispy. In England the bacon is about what we would call ham. So for the Spaghetti Carbonara I used a center cut ham slice, that the grocery stores sell as “ham steak”. It’s about ¼” thick and I angle sliced it to make it thinner.

My Spaghetti Carbonara:

Ingredients -

½ box of spaghetti - 8 ounces

Olive oil

¼ cup dry white wine

1 center cut ham steak - angle sliced, and the bone piece discarded

2-3 cloves of garlic - minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons flour (I actually used corn starch, and I don‘t know how much)

1 ½ cup low fat milk

½ cup low fat sour cream

¼ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated (I used good quality pre-grated cheese, but not the one in a can)

¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Pepper



Sauté the ham in olive oil in a large skillet. Then cook the spaghetti noodles. As the ham is cooking add the onions and garlic, stirring frequently. Next add the oregano. When the onions are soft, and the ham is slightly browned, add the flour or corn starch. Stir so that everything is coated evenly. Add the milk and wine; keep stirring so that the sauce starts thickening. Remove from the heat and stir in sour cream and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle pepper and parsley on top, makes a nice presentation. (I should have taken a picture.) Served over pasta, and a tossed salad on the side make an easy and sophisticated dinner. Preparation time was about twenty minutes; cooking time about the same.



Dusty, my favorite food taster and critic, said it was good, that I had the taste just right. He also said that my sauce should have been a little thinner, (maybe the corn starch wasn’t such a good idea). I didn’t know how this dish was supposed to turn out, and of course adjusting the thickness of sauce is easy enough, I could have just added water.

Enchilada Casserole:

Ingredients -

2 lbs. ground beef (I use 93% lean)

1 ½ teaspoons cumin

2-3 cloves garlic

4 teaspoons chili powder

Pepper

Water

1 cup sour cream

1 lb cheddar cheese

2 cups picante sauce

12 tortillas (I used flour tortillas, but corn tortillas might give it more the enchilada taste)


Brown the ground beef, and drain the fat. Add cumin, garlic, chili powder, and pepper to taste. Then add some water and let it simmer until most of the water evaporates. While it’s simmering away, spread ½ cup of picante sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Then place 6 tortillas on top of the sauce, letting the edges overlap to fit. Spread another ½ cup of picante sauce on top of the tortillas. Place all of the beef mixture on next. Spread sour cream on top of the beef mixture. And spread half of the grated cheddar on top of that. Place the remaining six tortillas on top of all of this. And then on top of that spread the remaining cup of picante sauce; and sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake covered for 40 minutes; and uncovered for five minutes. Mira!

Easy and tasty. This dish would be a great crowd pleaser for a Cinco de Mayo party. Serve with some guacamole and margaritas. It also is good the next day reheated in the microwave.

Third Annual Whale Shark Festival ~ Isla Mujeres, MX ~ July 16-18

Isla Mujeres is one of my favorite places on earth. Dusty and I found this island paradise together on our very first vacation together. And WOO HOO! We are going there again soon on vacation. Can't wait. I wrote about the Second Annual Whale Shark Festival last year, and it's that time again. The Whale Shark Festival is next weekend in Isla Mujeres, MX. I can't make it, wish that I could. Maybe next year.

From a press release posted on Ceviche Tour's website:

Celebrating the beauty and culture of Isla Mujeres, Mexico, and championing the need to preserve a fragile marine ecosystem, ecotourism travel agency Ceviche Tours and the Isla Mujeres Department of Tourism have partnered to announce the Third Annual Whale Shark Festival, a community extravaganza that showcases the achievements, the traditions and the environmental splendor of Isla Mujeres.


The Festival will be held July 16-18, 2010 in Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Last year thousands flocked to the family-friendly Whale Shark Festival, which offers guests an opportunity to participate in ecotourism adventures such as swimming with whale sharks, the largest fish in the ocean and an endangered species; traditional dancing performed by local troupes; exploring ancient Mayan ruins and much more.

A portion of the Festival proceeds will be donated to several environmental not-for-profit organizations.

Sustainable Eco-Tourism

The Whale Shark Festival is an effort to raise awareness of the need to preserve the area’s marine ecosystem. Isla Mujeres is part of the second largest barrier reef on the planet, and serves as the nursery of the Caribbean and the migratory path of whale sharks as well as sea turtles, water foul and game fishes.

“Sustainable eco-tourism engages guests in the effort to preserve the indigenous culture of Isla Mujeres, their way of life and the marine environment,” said John Vater, who co-founded Ceviche Tours with his wife, Adriana, and longtime friend and Isla Mujeres native Luis “Cuco” Refugio and his family. “Environmental preservation and sustainable eco-tourism will help sustain Isla Mujeres for generations to come.”

Exciting Activities for All

Guests of the Festival can participate in a wide array of activities: Bloom of 200+ Whale Sharks -- Kicking off the Festival will be the much anticipated whale shark bloom, where hundreds of these gentle giants will come together to swim in a group near the coast of Isla Mujeres. Last year was the largest aggregation ever witnessed.

Approximately 1,400 whale sharks make their way through the waters of Isla Mujeres every summer, according to Dr. Robert Hueter, Director of the Center for Shark Research, Mote Marine Laboratory and speaker at the 2009 Whale Shark Festival.

Swimming with Whale Sharks -- Guests can swim with whale sharks and join an effort by Project Domino, a conservation program implemented by the Mexican government, to protect and preserve these graceful creatures. Guests can add their underwater photos of the whale sharks to Project Domino’s visual database of the unique markings, or spots, that can identify individual whale sharks and track them. Images from the Project Domino regional database are shared with a global database from nonprofit ECOCEAN.

“International events, and especially those such as the Whale Shark Festival which have a strong local element as well, are absolutely essential to increase the conservation culture through environmental education,” noted Rafael de la Parra, Lead Marine Biologist for Project Domino, a sponsor of the 2010 Festival.

A Family-Friendly Event -- The Festival will feature activities for kids to learn about helping the environment. “Educating children about the importance of recycling, showing them how they can get involved to protect the marine environment and its biodiversity -- with beach cleanups, and just the choices they make every day – is vital to our future,” said Catalina Galindo de Prince, executive director of the nonprofit Amigos de Isla Contoy, A.C., a sponsor of the 2010 Festival.

Academic Seminars and Film Showcase -- Scientists from around the world will attend to present a series of Academic Seminars on marine biology, sustainable ecotourism and Mayan architecture.

Booking Travel Travel arrangements and bookings for whale shark tours can be made through the Ceviche Tours Website (www.cevichetours.com).

For More Information For a complete listing of 2010 Whale Shark Festival activities and for more information, visit http://www.whalesharkfest.com/ or http://www.cevichetours.com/. Ceviche Tours provides sustainable ecotourism and travel services to the Yucatan and Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Founded by John and Adriana Vater of Spa Adriana in Huntington Village, NY, with longtime friend and Isla Mujeres native Luis “Cuco” Refugio and his family, Ceviche Tours works with the indigenous islanders of Isla Mujeres to help preserve their culture and maintain the integrity and beauty of the surrounding marine environment. Through education and photo identification efforts, Ceviche Tours joins the worldwide effort to protect and preserve whale sharks. As participants on our whale shark tours, guests are invited to be part of those identification and tracking efforts.

For more information, please contact http://www.cevichetours.com/.

Photo by John Vater

More About Whale Sharks

The biggest fish on the planet is the Rhincodon typus, the whale shark, growing up to sixty feet long; primarily roaming the depths of the seas. These behemoths prefer deepest waters, only spending time in the shallows to mate or spawn. Whale sharks have been sighted as far apart as the Great Barrier Reef, the Maldives, and the Caribbean. Because of their persistent shyness, little is known about these great creatures. Scientists are not completely certain whether whale sharks should be classified as an endangered species; so worldwide efforts are taking place to count and track whale sharks. I find it fascinating to consider that an animal larger than a school bus can be so difficult to track.

Because of the ongoing oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico scientists are especially interested to know the effect on all marine life. Non-profit organizations, researchers, and promoters of eco-tourism have drawn together to sponsor this event to raise awareness about whale sharks and the environment it calls home.

The purpose of the festival is to draw attention to the whale shark and the fragile ecosystem of the Caribbean waters surrounding Isla Mujeres. During the event, festival guests will be invited to take part in tracking the whale sharks, by being “citizen scientists” and contributing their original whale shark photos to the regional and international databases. Festival goers can swim with the whale sharks; according to John Vater co-founder of Ceviche Tours, “Swimming with whale sharks is an unforgettable experience. The Whale Shark Festival will be a tremendous opportunity for travelers to participate in ecotourism adventures and to immerse themselves in the culture of Isla Mujeres”,

Whale sharks earned their common name because of their size, not because they are whales. Whale sharks are sharks, distinguished from whales by many structural and biological differences. Like all sharks, whale sharks have a cartilaginous frame, rather than bone; and a leathery skin without scales. They also “breathe” through gills, as do fish; and lay eggs instead of giving live birth. Although whale sharks are enormous they are no threat to humans since they feed only on microscopic plankton or krill. As these ocean going giants swim along, they open their mouths wide to capture their food. Once inside their mouths, the tiny marine organisms are encased in a net-like membrane that prevents their escape. Whale sharks swim with their mouths open so wide that their mouths block their view, and they cannot see where they are going. Over time and through evolution they have adapted. They have sensors all along their bodies that allow them to locate objects in the water. This way they navigate without seeing.

San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

    San Miguel De Allende is unforgettable. Located in Guanajuato four hours north of Mexico City; the entire downtown is a national monument for its splendid architecture. I’ve been there twice; most recently in 2003. On my first visit many years ago, I happened upon San Miguel while roaming Mexico. After some of the dusty villages I had been through, I was instantly impressed with the rustic fairytale look of the town. A huge gothic church, La Paroquia, dominates one end of the main plaza, known as El Jardin. This main plaza is the true center and heart of the historic town. It is here that adults relax, and children play. Most evenings there is entertainment, like fire dancers, or a Mariachi group singing Mexican folk songs. On my second visit there, I found that although the town had grown some, the atmosphere had remained.

    Christmas of 2003, my brother, my niece and I stayed for two weeks in a rented house on a hill above the town. The house was not old, but its design was in keeping with the rustic feel of the entire town, down to the paint color palette - rust, yellow ochre and blue. The house was not only lovely, it was fully furnished and equipped -- full kitchen; dishes; satellite tv; bedding; and even daily maid service. Sometimes we cooked dinner, but more often we called for a taxi to take us into town. In town we chose a restaurant for dinner;  had drinks after; and then walked around and shopped.
  
    In the old part of town, there are many restaurants to choose from serving everything from Mexican cuisine, to tacos, to hamburgers. Clustered around the town center there are taverns and bars, catering to locals and tourists alike, also many shops and art galleries. San Miguel is very much an art town. The Instituto Allende, an art school founded in the 1930’s, is still very much a part of the local culture. It attracts artists and students from all over the world due to its long standing reputation.
  
    When I was in San Miguel, my traveling companions, preferred to sleep late in the mornings. Although I would never claim to be a morning person, I always rose early so I wouldn’t miss one second of any day. One morning, while they were still sleeping, I walked down the hill into town. I left them a note - Went to town, I’ll sleep when I’m dead. The walk into town was a mile or so downhill, down narrow sidewalks and cobblestone streets.
  
    As I was walking down the hill, a man stopped me and asked me if I was from Australia. Surprised by the question, I told him no in my all American southern accent. It turned out the man, Clarence, was an American artist from Virginia, and had been living in San Miguel for over twenty years. We talked a long while standing on the sidewalk, then Clarence asked me if I could please hold his dog while he went inside the butcher shop to get his dog some bones. I held the little mongrel’s leash for another long while, hoping I hadn’t become this dog’s new owner. When Clarence finally returned he invited me to his studio to see his art.
  
    So Clarence, the dog, and I wound our way through the cobbled streets, off the main road into a neighborhood barrio. Like much of Mexico his neighborhood was a work in progress, under construction all around. I’ve never been quite sure whether in Mexico people build in fits and starts as their money dictates, or whether it is just the Mexican way. Clarence’s house and studio was like the neighborhood, partially completed. Almost directly outside the front door was a pile of broken up concrete that looked like it had been there weeks, months, or years. Inside was a long galley kitchen which appeared functional, but primitive. The rest of the interior was austere open plan, a hammock where he slept, a sitting area, and studio space; upstairs was an unfinished loft. Clarence’s art work in progress was a larger than life oil painting of Arthur Ashe embroiled in a passionate tennis match. The enormous action painting spanned an entire wall; home made scaffolding allowed the reach for rendering of the top details. Clarence explained that he and Arthur Ashe had been boyhood friends, and he planned to present the painting to the Arthur Ashe Foundation. I don’t know whether Clarence completed the painting. We kept in contact for a time, but eventually lost touch.
  
    During our two weeks in San Miguel we made some day trips to surrounding areas and attractions. One day we went to Mexico City which was wonderful and another complete story in itself. We also went to the neighboring city of Guanajuato, which has the same name as the state, Guanajuato, and is the state capital. It is about four times larger than San Miguel with a population of around 400,000, and a completely different atmosphere. The expatriate population in Guanajuato is not nearly as noticeable as in San Miguel, where there are around 10,000 or more expats of various nationalities. It seems more like a typical Mexican town than San Miguel, and not a tourist town at all. There is much to see, and like San Miguel, a town made for walking. I caution anyone walking in Guanajuato to be aware of the high altitude, as it is more than 7,000 feet above sea level.
  
    One day in El Jardin we met a man selling tickets to the bullfight. My niece wouldn’t go. She didn’t like the idea of senselessly killing a bull. She had a point, but my brother and I went anyway. Mexico is one of a handful of countries where bullfighting is part of the cultural heritage and perfectly legal; a hold over from Roman gladiator times.
  
    Many times we had walked past the entrance to the bullfighting arena, just on the edge of downtown, not noticing it, or knowing what it was. There is stadium seating around the arena, some seats are under cover, and some are not. When you buy your tickets, this is your only seating choice, sun or shade, sol o sombra. Sol is cheaper. Before the fights begin, the matadors come out, bow to the crowd, then walk around the inside perimeter of the arena. As the matadors walk, spectators throw them flowers and hats, to wish them luck and support. The matadors pick up and keep the flowers, and throw the hats back into the stands.
  
    I couldn’t take my eyes off the action during the bullfights. There wasn’t just one bullfight as I had expected, but around seven or eight. Different matadors, different bulls, each time. The matador and the bull engaged in a fight, a dance, to the death. The matador always wins.
  
    On the other side of the arena, in the stands with the shade, an orchestra plays. Vendors walk through the stands selling shots of tequila and bottles of beer. Most of the spectators were Mexican.
  
    Another of our day trips was a few miles out of town to a mineral spring, La Gruta, located just off the road to the small town of Delores Hidalgo. There are dressing rooms with lockers; a restaurant; and concrete swimming pools that range from lukewarm to hot. To reach the hottest part of the springs, you walk through a long four foot wide and four foot deep tunnel, into a cave. The water becomes increasingly hotter as you go. The cave, which is naturally lit by openings in the stone ceiling, is round and about 25 feet in diameter. After wondering only for a moment, why people were lining up, I found out. Every twenty minutes or so, a spout of hot water is released from above, and people take turns standing under the spout, to let the hot water beat down on their necks and shoulders. I took my turn under the spout and found it to be more relaxing than any massage I’ve ever had. My muscles felt like jelly the rest of the day. I slept like the dead that night.
  
    My two weeks in San Miguel de Allende went way too quickly. I want to go back. Not long after that trip I rented the movie, “Once Upon a Time in Mexico” with Johnny Depp, Salma Hayak, Mickey Rourke, and Antonio Banderas. I was delighted to discover that it had been filmed in San Miguel and Guanajuato -- I had no idea. The restaurants, the streets, the internet cafes were all in the movie -- even the red spiral fire escapes in Guanajuato. Every time I see that movie, I want to go back.