No doubt about it, it was a Vista Vallarta day! Vista V. as I've written about several times, is a quiet resort that is a 20 minute stroll from Casa Juan Marcos. Today, I simply wanted to listen to last Sunday's sermon in a beautiful setting, do some recreational reading to surpass a self-imposed goal of 10 books while in Mexico, and to simply take a siesta with the waves crashing in front of me. Score Three!

After the two weeks of a unusual weather pattern that had rain & clouds dominating the skies, it has been refreshing to get back to boring. High of 80 and a low of 65. Love it.

Buenos Tardes, mi amigoa!

Juan Marcos

Carrots, celery, garlic, red/yellow/green peppers, red & white onions, poblano, jalepeno, serrano, and Chile de Abol were finely chopped. All veggies were gathered from local markets.

Roasted jitomates which have been marinated with EVOO and garlic salt in a Zip Lock for 10-15 minutes, were baked for 35-45 minutes. They end up in a pulsed blender.

This is what all the finely chopped veggies look like as they are softened for about 10 minutes in garlic and EVOO.

Using 1 kg (2.2 pounds) of carne molida (ground sirloin) and some eggs, pan molida (bread crumbs), and Worcestershire, and garlic salt, I made up 25 albondigas (meatballs). I actually had enough extra meat for 3 grande hamburgers, which I froze for later. These will bake for 15-18 minutes.

Ahhhh.....the finished product. "Diablo Marinara Sauce con Albóndigas con Pasta" With a fantastic salad, by Sharon, and cerveza by Pedro, the meal was a success. Email me for the detailed recipe.

Bon Appetit!

Los Amores is part of the Terralta II & III complex. Los Amores has two phases, each with their own gorgeous pools and common areas. Here we have a new water wall at the entrance to Los Amores.

Robin (pic) & Sergio (R&S) had invited us, Mike, Sherry (pic), Pedro, Sharon (pic), and myself, over to their casa in Los Amores for dinner last night. What beautiful work they did on their place!

Fresh grilled Yellow Fin Tuna was the main course and it was excellent. Refried beans, red rice, potato and garden salad, and garlic bread added to the feast.

This photo shows the pool right outside R&S’s patio where we sat for most of the night enjoying Hors d'œuvres and beverages.

Mucho gracias mi neuvo amigos from Tacoma, WA.

Monday's are Steak Night at the Drunkin Duck. Pedro, Lorenzo y Sharon, and Sherry (sin Mike) headed there about 6:30pm. Good thing, we heard they ran out of steaks later. Where else can you get a really nice Rib Eye or New York steak for 95 pesos. ($7.50) It included a generous helping of mashed potatoes and some steamed veggies. Sweet deal. Beers were a bit spendy going for 30 pesos. ($2.40) jk
We even brought our own WI made horseradish. YUM.

Here we have England Mike, spouse of Dana who is one of the bartenders at The Shamrock, grilling those wonderful steaks for us. Pedro and I had the Rib Eye and we thought it was the better of the two choices. Note the tree growing in the kitchen!

They even had some live music to entertain us.....some very nice Jazz was perfect for such an occasion. This is a must return on Mondays. Five stars for this deal.

Today's mercado/market adventure included finding two young ladies excavating the fruit from a monstrous ugly looking 'beast', known as the jackfruit. Being somewhat adventuresome, I tried it...excellent. Sweet and very tasty. Similar to a cross between a cantelope and apricot, not that I've ever tried that.
I recently added the top photo since by coincidence on the way to The Shamrock last night I came across a Jackfruit tree. Perhaps useless knowledge, but knowledge nonetheless. Who says I don't know Jack?

The jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)[1] is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family (Moraceae). It is native to parts of South and Southeast Asia, and is believed to have originated in the southwestern rain forests of India, in present-day Kerala. This tree is widely cultivated in tropical regions of the Indian Subcontinent, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Jackfruit is also found in East Africa, e.g., in Uganda and Mauritius, as well as throughout Brazil and Caribbean nations such as Jamaica. (and Bucerias)

Juan Marcos

Rhythms & Ribs was the title for last night's Bucerias orphanage fundraiser. And it was a party. A silent auction was held which I couldn't hear, a wide variety of foods to sample, including ribs, and dancing. This triple Kodak moment attempts to capture the Aztec dancers in all their regalia. A fun time was had by all, and for a good cause. Gail, Mary, Sharon, Pedro and myself joined in the festivities around 7pm. Enjoy.

Last night's dinner was my signature: Diablo Camarones Alfredo con Pasta. Recipe per request.
Secret: there are 11 different veggies in the Alfredo sauce including 7 different kinds of peppers. Sharon made a wonderful salad with her homemade French dressing. A loaf of fresh bread and wine complimented the feast.

Bon Appetite!

The Shamrock said good-bye to two Canadians on Tuesday night: Bill & Shirley as they headed North to Port Alberni, BC. For your photo pleasure we have Shirley, Bill, Silvia, and Juan Marcos. I will miss the lively political, food, and dog discussions and not forget our $5 wager. Hasta luego y Via con Dios, mi amigos!
Juan Marcos

Tonight's menu has pollo on it and tomorrow's. It's amazing that for 70 pesos (less than $6) you can get a total whole roasted chicken with potatoes, tortillas, rice, and some unkown brown sauce. Chicken fajitas is first on the menu and any leftovers go towards some spicy chicken salad using a few Chile de árbols. One of these whole chickens will make 5-6 servings. Bon Appetite!

The Chile de árbol (Spanish for tree chili) is a small and potent Mexican chili pepper which is also known as bird's beak chile and rat's tail chile. These chilis are about 2 to 3 inches (5.1 to 7.6 cm) long, and 1⁄4 to 3⁄8 inch (0.64 to 0.95 cm) in diameter. Their heat index is between 15,000 and 30,000 Scoville units. The peppers are a bright red color when mature.[1] Chile de árbol peppers can be found fresh, dried, or powdered.[2] As dried chiles, they are often used to decorate wreaths because they do not lose their red color after dehydration.
Outdoor grown Chile de árbol peppers
In cooking substitutions, the Chile de árbol pepper can be traded with Cayenne pepper (15-30,000 Scoville units) or Pequin pepper (30-60,000 Scoville units).[3] The seeds and white arches can be removed from the pepper to tone down its hotness. Care should be taken to avoid touching the eyes after handling this pepper; hands must be washed thoroughly after handling the pepper or its seeds.[4]

Buenos dias, Bucerias!

This mornings walk proved to be 'gorgeous'. Pedro and I filled our coffee cups and headed out to our fav beach location, a ten minute walk, to take in sunrise. Which just happens to be the only item on our today's to-do list. We were not disappointed this morning. Actually we're never disappointed with either sunrises or it's partner, sunsets. They are all unique and precious. These two shots were taken within a minute or two of each other. Simply two different camera settings. So with that, enjoy.

Juan Marcos

Who likes meatloaf? Or an easier question might be, 'who doesn't like meatloaf?' Last night I tried a spin on a meatloaf recipe that I found in one my 'Everyday with Rachael Ray' magazines dated Nov 2011. She used roasted vegetables in a mini-meatloaf.
I wanted to add some heat so I added two dried & chopped Chile de Arbols. I also finely chopped some celery, carrots, two kinds of onions, three kinds of peppers, and a portion of a poblano pepper. Of course some garlic that started in a pan with a bit of butter and EVOO.
All this was mixed with a kilo of really nice carne molida (ground sirloin), bread crumbs, horseradish, 2 eggs, and worstershire.
What you see above is a 10" x 14" squre of meatloaf, HUGE, topped with my homemade bbq sauce and 7 strips of torcino. (bacon)
I baked it, with my brother's help, at #2 for 1 hour. The oven in the condo has no heat settings, just numbers, 1-5, you get to guess how hot it is.
I thought it turned out quite nice. I served it with my garlic smashed potatoes. (some credit going to Jamie and Lori) and a toasted ciabata bread.
But the best part of meatloaf is the leftovers. So tonight we get to enjoy some wonderful sandwiches and whatever else the fridge offers.
Bon Appetite.
Juan Marcos

For tonight I decided on a culinary adventure to El Coleguita in LaCruz de Huanacaxtle. (try pronouncing that one!) El Coleguita is a short 5 peso bus ride North of Bucerias and the local public transit deposited me right at their doorstep. It could not be easier.

So this is what you observe as you make the short march up towards El Coleguita.....a massive Spanish tree and some pickups. This is definetly going to be an adventure. (of the good kind)

You are greeted by a friendly staff, and even though I was a party of ONE, they ushered me to a 6-seat premier spot overlooking the Banderas Bay. Perhaps they thought I actually had friends. The place appeared to be about 50% full as the hour chimed 5 bells. A perfect spot to enjoy the sunset and food and beverages.
Without even asking, they brought a partially full (or empty, depending on your attitude)bottle of Don Reberto Antigua Tequiro Reserva Especial. (100% agave) I'm thinking, what's this going to cost me? But before I could answer, I filled one of the small plastic cups with the nectar of the Agave plant. Sweet! I decided to suplement the tequila with a can of Tecate cerveza with dos camarones. Naturally.

Then came the hard part.....the menu. A two-sided menu with over 15 items on each side. One quickly notes that the prices are remarkably similar....109 pesos. Really? So how does one decide? I was leaning on a recommendation from friends who had ordered and raved about the coconut shrimp. But let one not hurry....after all, you are on Mexican time. Ok, one more pour of the tequila.

The table was littered with no less than 6 types of 'hot' sauce which all seemed to be competing for the highiest Scoville number. A bag of 'chips' aka tostadas was begging to be opened just as the waiter dropped off a black bowl of Pico de Gallo......fresh salsa. (which as you know goes well with yet another sip of the Agave)

After great thought and more tequila, but not in that order, the winner was: Coco Loco! An amazing portion of coconut shrimp and fish. The slice of garlic bread, green salad, and some rice completed this gastronomical selection.
I must say that the first 20 some bites were absoluetly delicious. I counted not less than 12 nice sized camarones on top of the huge portion of fish. SWEET. The generous bowl of pineapple salsa was a perfect compliment to this dish. Wow!

Just about the time when your stomach and eyes have declared a truce and you tell the waiter "para llevar, por favor" (to go please) they bring a grilled banana and a huge glass of Kahlua & Creme. What a great way to end an incredible meal. Ok, maybe one more sip of that tequila.

But now the moment of truth for the bargain hunter in all of us.......the bill.

Let me breifly summarize the dinner.....unlimited amounts of good tequila, two Tecate's with shrimp, a cup of delicious fish soup that I failed to mention, pico de Gallo with mucho tostados, a dozen coconut shrimp, a huge portion of coconut fish, salad, rice, desert and Kahlua for: (150 pesos) $12 bucks. Did I mention the tequila? Normally, that alone would cost you 50 pesos a shot, and I know I had at least 150 pesos of tequila. (I did remember that I had taken the bus)
If you haven't guessed, I highly recommend El Coleguita for you next dining pleasure. I know that I will return....very soon. Salud!

Juan Marcos

Photo by Juan Marcos. Sunset artist: God. Stand in awe.

Grande Hamburguesas con papas. (con queso, con cebolla, con jalepenos, con jitomatoes, con lechuga)
That all translates to one large cheeseburger with fries. (and onions, lettuce, jalepenos and tomatoes) That’s what was on the lunch menu for yesterdays culinary delight. For 25 pesos ($2) you get a large cheeseburger and for a buck ($) more, you get the home-cut fries. Not bad for Budget Travel. It will adequately fill the largest of bellies.
The photo shows a typical Bucerias Mexican cantina for your dine in or take out (para llevar). To date I can say that in this part of Mexico, I have seen no fast food drive-thrus. It is very much a slower pace of life, something most Americans need. In the USA, even the so called health conscience personas are rushing in/out of Starbucks or picking up a ‘healthy’ salad at the drive up window. Not that there’s anything wrong with that……but slow down, America.
Having said that, I’m off and running to get eggs and milk. (ha ha)

Juan Marcos

On Wednesday the Burrito Gang (Juan Marcos, Pedro, Sharón, Richardo, y Christina) decided to take in the Malecón in Puerto Vallarta. After an hour of two Mexican style bus rides, we arrived at the Puerto Vallarta Malecón. A ‘malecón’ might best be described as a boardwalk where one would slowly and casually stroll along the waterfront stopping to observe the variety of artisans including those who are creating the ever so popular sand sculptures.
We were pleasantly surprised with a noon performance by a group of native Indians who proceeded to climb a 60 ft. pole, tie a robe around themselves, and then swing around until they reached the beach. I call it crazy, but very entertaining. Meanwhile, their ‘teammates’ played a flute like instruments filling the spectators with a cultural experience. The photos don’t come close to capturing the look on the faces of visitors, including ours.
I do know, and with no regrets, that this activity has now been removed from my so called ‘bucket’ list.

Juan Marcos

Here we have Shirley & Bill, my two new amigos from Canada, Vancouver Island. They have recently acquired two small Oaxacan rugs which are cleverly being used as Pub Towels. Now where did they get such an idea? (doesn’t even look like Oaxaca but is pronounced whah-hock-ah) These fine ‘rugs’ can be had a stones throw from The Shamrock. They make a great souvenir of your trip to Mexico, are light and easy to pack, and cost about $3. Perfect!

Zapotec rugs from Oaxaca, MexicoZapotec are hand-loomed of 100% wool, and are a flat-weave rug. Zapotec weavers are renowned for their craftsmanship, with weaving playing a critical role in shaping their cultural identity. The indigenous artisans who create these rugs craft them entirely by hand.

Juan Marcos