Nut! Goat! Yogurt!

I want to introduce so easy, yet stunning dessert with yogurt. Every weekend I stop by grocery market to hunting a deal yogurt. I am happy to see a full of yogurt in my refrigerator whole week. Have a yogurt every morning or after dinner as a simple dessert. Then one day, around 5 o'clock I had a sense of freedom to be created! Let me mix with something…something..  You know what, you should try this. It is stunning dessert!  Yes,Yes,Yes...   

<Ingredients>

Yogurt
various nuts
goat cheese
honey

nutella

Shrimp ginger salad

Deli in New York City, we can easily see a salad bar. Pick main salad in a plastic container and pass to the salad guy then choose ingredients whatever I want to add up. It's because of a long line of lunch rush or my brain and tongue don't corporate at all,, I don't know. Somehow my mixed salad in a deli is always not good. Probably I choose wrong main (shrimp,turkey,chicken..), vegetable and dressing. The reason why I can't really have a salad for lunch. Well, then what is the correct mixed salad? One day Jose totally broke down my long worries about a salad. My tongue feels fresh and new but also very friendly and comfortable taste. I feel like I have an acupuncture treatment in my mouth. Yummy~~  

<Ingredients>

canned or fresh shrimp
tomato
ginger and nuts
red pepper pickle
blue cheese
arugula
olive

<Dressing>

olive oil 2 spoons/ vinegar 1 spoon/ little bit of honey, salt & pepper, soy sauce, hot sauce 

Mexico Dream:San Cristobal, Chiapas

I don't know where my body goes. I already woke up couple of times but still I am in the bus. 5hours, 3hours, 30min left? Finally when I put my feet on the ground of San Cristobal de las Casas was very sunny noon. Exit from the bust station, walked the narrow streets laid out like a spider's web to main square. It looks like a Oaxaca but I can tell it's bigger city. First, we went to the nearest bakery to buy croissants and cup of fresh squeeze orange juice at the street juice cart. San Cristobal is surrounded by the mountains and the natural historic site but unfortunately I don't have time to tour around. I have only two days left and have to finish my trip. I was so jealousy about leaving alone because he is going to travel 7days more. Even it's my last journey and have to enjoy this time as much as I can though I couldn't. Okay, let it go~
For looking around all over the town we grabbed a small local bus. People looked at us like a stranger because seems like tourist don't know about this bus. After talking with people we got an information about big market around. Walking through a various alley I couldn't stop to look at beautiful vegetables and fruits. Okay, let's buy some fruits. I asked about mango price per piece but 19y/o girl smiled and said it only sell by basket which is 12pieces. I couldn't buy 12mangos so asked her buy a half. Guess how much it was! Six big fresh mangos for 7pesos which is less a dollar. Can't believe!!!  Wish I could live here for few months~~~ For this travel I often move on to other city so that I didn't buy souvenir much. But finally I found what I wanted to buy for a long time but also most hesitated. It was 4KG stone mortar! Yes, That was beautiful and looks very useful too. The grandma says this stone mortar is sell by only here. REally? After came back in NY I could easily find a stone mortar at a popular mexican restaurant and funny thing is all the design was exactly same. Grandma was right. Only problem is that I was thinking it's very useful but too heavy to clean it every single time so eventually be more useful for display purposes. What else I could buy? La paz! Yes, La paz is best product in San cristobal. Last day in my trip, with beautiful la paz ring and super heavy luggage I went to domestic airport to go back to mexico city. Again, I was very jealously I had to leave alone. Little childish and stupid emotion shake me so much. Ah~ When will come again? Perhaps would try to come back soon it's because Mexico is like a big onion. Peel it out, peel it out,, I can discover new things again and again. Adios~   

Seafood rice soup: Add up onion pickles and avocado, lime. Best comfort food ever!

Whole grilled chickens and onions, peppers. Yummy~~ 

If you order drink, always the basic dishes come out together. In Oaxaca chilli power and orange mainly come out, here comes with dry Grasshopper.

Mexico Dream:Huatulco/Puerto Escondido episode2

After real quick packing we took a small local bus headed to Puerto Escondido. I heard many surfers come to enjoy a big wave from all over the world. In the late afternoon we arrived at bus terminal. Luckily we have a little time to jump in the water. Today the waves are mild, but once the waves hit my body then take a bathing suit wildly. Please let me swim~I need one piece bathing suit!!!Some surfers and kids enjoy late wave. Looks so cool but once I grab a surfboard, I was too scared to try. Beautiful and quiet landscape at sunset to wash away all worries and filled me fresh energy. And now, after played in the beach we are starving!! Since traveled to Mexico we kept look for an authentic Mexican food only, but this moment I desperately miss a pizza time. While having a seafood pizza and beer slowly the sunset was gone. Tonight we take the night bus again heading to my final place in Chiapas. It will take13hours. Well,, I just pray that when I open my eyes tomorrow it will be arrived in Chiapas.    

Mexico Dream: Huatulco/Puerto Escondido episode1

I wish I can spend more time in Mexico though my vacation is too short. While staying three nights in Oaxaca it's very tough to choose the city where I go. I know I can't go to Tulum anyway, but still I want to go to beach so bad therefore I decided to go down to south beach area "Huatulco". It takes about 7hours so night bus is necessary. Mexico bus company service is amazingly comfortable and new. For travel in the night, they serve water and soft drink for free. Anyway believing myself that I might can take a night bus without any problem was big big mistake. When we arrived in Huatulco I almost like a dead fish. Huatulco is a small village in the beach town. We wanted to go to Puerto Escondido directly though travel agency guy strongly recommended to go. He said Huatulco is too cute to skip…bla bla.bla. However how come so quiet this town even it's a low season though. After stay one night we just realized the face that momentum has changed. It's not popular anymore and just like a ghost town. No wonder because here beach is not as good as the Cancun neither like a Puerto Escondido with giant ocean wave. (Young people go there to surfing) Rather more surprising thing is Now we are spending all day in a ghost town. Oh~~Jesus~~ What should I do here! I needed to do something to release my stress. Let's find really good seafood restaurant! That's the only we can do. We asked to local people to recommend good one and had a early lunch before leave to Puerto Escondido. Shrimp and octopus with tomato,onion, for the main named 4x4 shrimp that cooked for different ways are totally HANDS-UP!!!! I can tell that was the best seafood in Mexico. Now I am happy to leave this town. Bye Bye Huatulco~

Fresh octopus and shrimp salad. Perfect mix with tomato,onion,lime,chilantro

Best shrimp menu ever!!

Often see those kind of craft in Mexico. For example,, making a doll with flower or big bird with towel in a hotel room.  It reminds me early '80s, which were popular soap craft.

Mexico Dream:Oaxaca episode2

Mexico's vegetable colors like a toy. Vivid bright colors and shinny body. I am little jealousy they have a beautiful fruits and vegetables everywhere also super cheap. We woke up in the morning and went to "Benito Juarez Market" for fresh fruit juice. Benito market is big local market in the town has many food vendor inside but also easily can see people sale chocolate and mole which is trade product in Oaxaca. Through bakery, chocolate, cloth alley we found a meat alley that most popular in the market. When you select as much as you want of displayed various raw meat, they put them on the grill right away and bring them up. If you choose to side salad, grilled vegetables and tortilla it can be ordered separately. We decided to stay away from the meat though it was hardly leave without a taste of it so I just took a seat without any second thought. After order the food 5min later large bamboo dish served with amazing looking thin sliced pork and chorizo and juicy grilled scallion. WOW~~ Wrap a piece of meat and topped with grilled vegetable, salsa, lime and There we go~ A blend of each fresh ingredient was excellent and with local beer! I l already ready to take a nap after lunch. But only bother thing is that in spite of the thinly meat it's very dry and not juicy at all. I love the local style BBQ though after finish the meal I had little pain in my jaw. Beside of BBQ we ordered big round "pizza" looking crispy baked thin tortilla topped negro mole with tomato, Oaxaca cheese, avocado. Delicious~ That was really good. During stay in Oaxaca I came by in the market every day because I was very concern about eating but that's why I totally forgot to  shopping some souvenir. Thanks god I bought famous hot chocolate and Mezcal but then again after come back to NY I realized it's all food. How can I keep the memory of Oaxaca!!!

Mexico Dream:Oaxaca episode1

In Mexico City, more than 50% of travel expenses already ran out. Hotel bill is not enough cheap also at a restaurant we spent $20 per person every meal.(Even though we ate like a king) So it makes no difference what I spend money in NY and here. Too expensive than I expected. How do I stay the next ten days? Finally after first four days in Mexico city we decided to move to Oaxaca. 6hours by bus all the way south. Cross finger to be more warm and little cheaper. Our hotel was just center of the town and looks like a18 century room. High ceiling, little balcony with luxury heavy curtain and elegant bathroom. So beautiful and luxury and only half price of Mexico city one. Also weather was just like a summer! I've been so worry since I worn same outfit everyday in Mexico city what if I don't have any chance to wear summer clothes. haha. All the street are surrounded by colorful wall and houses, easily to see a pastel-colored old Volkswagen,, This is exactly what I imagined Mexico. In the night, young people gathered in the main square and enjoy their Friday night. Traditional music performer Mariachi plays old folk songs to grandma tourist at outside of cafe. Oaxaca is really romantic and beautiful city. I remember reading article about sex satisfied ranking in the world. According to this magazine No1.sex satisfaction traced the country is Mexico! Sure enough! They are kissing lovers everywhere and so much easier to see. It just like a human magnet. They keep stick together over10min. lol  I felt the power of love here in Mexico. Oaxaca's trade mark are hot chocolate and Mezcal(flow of tequila). Especially the hot chocolate served with big ball bread taste is delicious!! Oaxaca~So far so good~           

I love their bowl!

Romantic Friday night in the square