Food for Thought!
Have you read or seen the book “Farm to Fork” by Emeril Lagasse? I had the pleasure of receiving it as a Christmas gift, this past week from my friend Brenda. So my next reading challenge is just that. Can’t wait. Thank-you!
After the first scan of book I have chosen about 10 recipes or ideas that sort of jump out at me. These include: curry scented roasted cauliflower, a nectarine and a cranberry/orange chutney, a Satsuma vinaigrette (from the mandarin orange family), homemade Orangecello, a wild mushroom ragout over a creamy polenta, roasted butternut squash soup served with a homemade crème fraîche, and a cantaloupe and pancetta cream sauce for pasta.
Some of these are new and off the wall, others add a variation of dishes I like to prepare, and others simply fortify what I learned in my culinary classes.
Having said that, today I will work on a recipe that we learned from Jorge in our cooking class last week. A rather simple but tasty Charred jitomates salsa.
Bon Appétit!

Today’s blog entrée is a restaurant called Mezzo Giorno located on Avenida del Pacifico 33, corner Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez Bucerias, Riviera Nayarit, Puerto Vallarta Area, Mexico.
The address took up most of my allotment of words.
Sue, armed with a Ken Follett novel, and I decided to take it easy today, no laughing, and strolled down to the beach and took up residence in several of the luxurious Mezzo Giorno lounge chairs which were draped with embroidered beach towels and covered by our private palapa, lest I burn my delicate skin.
“This place is not only absolutely charming but very romantic, with two bars and several intimate and casually sophisticated indoor-outdoor ambiances right on the water, with stairs to the beach. The décor is sharp and minimalist, leather, linens, a palapa and polished concrete astutely combining simple with elegance.” (JM)
Check out their website: http://www.mezzogiorno.com.mx
After several hours of completing absolutely nothing on our ‘to-do’ lists, well relaxed we made the hike ‘home’.
Buenos Tardes!

Wash day at the Juan Marcos Villa!

In music, an intermezzo (Italian, plural: intermezzi), in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work. In music history, the term has had several different usages, which fit into two general categories: the opera intermezzo and the instrumental intermezzo.
So, Juan Marcos, what does that have to do with the price of eggs in China? Or “Oh, look, a chicken!”
I like the sound of it….intermezzo…..and in literature, how does one graciously move from one subject to the next, especially after yesterday’s blog entry when I was writing about a multi-million dollar day in Puerto Vallarta? Perhaps an intermission?
The common word is …..’mezzo’. Until tomorrow.

Andeles was the name of the bar/restaurant that followed La Palapa. Yes that is a real live donkey in the photo. (the one of the left) Fortunately there are no pics of the interior. I shall let this blog entry end.....now!

If the night had ended after sunset, I would have been more than satisfied, but it didn’t. The six of us piled into two taxis, which Mike had waiting and set off for one of PV’s finest restaurants.

LaPalapa’s beachfront setting features creative and eclectic dishes with an infusion of fresh local ingredients, resulting in a cutting-edge Asian/Mexican fusion. Tiki torches surround you, toes in the sand, as you experience the intimate service that makes La Palapa voted “Most Romantic” and “Best Sunset Dining.”
Again, the photos don’t do it justice, one must experience, at least once, this part of Puerto Vallarta. The food and wine were incredible, the entertainment with Brenda playing the drums, and an impromtu birthday party.......it was a night of fine dining to be remembered!

Buenos Noches!

Wednesday afternoon/night we got quite the treat in Puerto Vallarta. A friend of Brenda, Mike B. who is also from PA, invited us to join him for dinner, sunset at his place, overnight, and breakfast. How cools is that!

His villa is/was for sale. Called Villa Zara. Below is a link to the real estate listing, although we just learned that he has taken it off the market so we didn’t make him an offer.

Be prepared to be impressed. We were. His villa is in a section of PV called Conchas Chinas. It is 5 stories tall which explains the elevator. It was spectacular....the infinity pool, and views to die for. (but don’t)

http://www.pvre.com/sales/houses/villazara/index.htm

The sunset was wonderful, the view incredible, and the company......the best. Enjoy, we sure did. Thank-you Mike!

Packer Fans, Mexican style.

Wednesday we found ourselves on two buses headed for downtown Puerto Vallarta (PV). It was a planned day of walking the Malecon/Boardwalk and sightseeing. It turned out much more than that!

The sand sculptures were amazing.
"Every day, Jose Luis Gonzales goes to the beach by the Malecon to work on his sand sculptures, as he has done every year since the winter of 2005, when he first visited Puerto Vallarta during a trip with a friend.
This creator of ephemeral art spends up to 3 weeks building the large-scale sculptures, which he keeps moist by spraying them with seawater every 20 minutes throughout the day."
After losing Brenda, having some chips/salsa, and bumping into some more Wisconsin fans we finished our walk at Daquiri Dicks where we had planned to meet Pete & Sharon and Brenda’s friend.

Then the day got real interesting.

"The only thing better than a day in Sayulita, is another day!" (JM)

The three of us hopped on a bus and joined Pete and Sharon for some relaxing beach and sunset time followed by dinner.
Buenos Noches!

Tapas del Munda Part 2 of 2 (cooking class)
Jorge began the class with a primer on chilies and had us taste three kinds of charred tomato table salsa. Two had sat overnight and blended while one was freshly made….wow, what a difference.
Breaded and fried Olives Eduardo was 2nd on the list….very unique and tasty!
A whole roasted garlic head with slices of French bread followed by a wonderful Brie Stuffed Chicken Breast.
Next was ‘Gambas al Ajillo’ or Shrimp in a garlic sauce that was incredible.
Meanwhile, Rosie was making the most of leftover spaghetti noodles by frying them in olive oil, until crispy and designing an unusual base for a pizza.
Last by not least, was a Tapas del Mundo Ceasar Salad with house made croutons. Superb! (because I’m running out adjectives)
Jorge then showed us how to make a proper margarita using only 3 ingredients and ice. Very strong, but nice. After sip of his special reposado tequila, and we were ready to go forth and make our own tapas.
I highly recommend this class to all my readers and if you should decide to come and visit me, I would re-take this class in a heart beat. FUN.
For more info on the restaurant and cooking classes, go to: www.tapasdelmundo.com
For those that want to budget for this type of activity, plan on $40 USD plus another $10 for beverages.

Buenos Dias!
 

Buenos Dias mi Amgios!
Tapas del Mundo, a restaurant in Bucerias, was the scene on Tuesday at 10:30am....we took a fabulous 3 hour cooking class. Jorge was the entertainer/chef/owner while Rosie did most of the work.
6 of us attended and we watched and sampled the making of 6 or 7 dishes.
More info to come later today or tomorrow or the next day.....off to Puerto Vallarta today for some excitement.

Todays blog has two words: PACKERS WIN SUPERBOWL !
Ok, there are three kinds of people in this world, those that can count, and those that can’t.
Of course by now everybody, especially all Cheeseheads, are basking in the win and that the Packers are Superbowl #45 Champions. Nice job, Green Bay.
YoYoMo’s was the scene yesterday and with a 5:30pm kickoff, good seats were almost gone by 3:30 pm, but we did manage to get 7 or 8 prime spots. Except for an occasional bano run, we didn’t move much for 6 hours……what an exciting game. Nice job, Green Bay.
Today, Monday is a laid-back, sit by the pool and beach kind of day. Heading to Vista Vallarta for some sol.
Buenos Tardes, mi Green Bay amigos!

Buenos Dias mi Amigas!
After a very very long week and travel day filled with lots of life’s challenges, Pennsylvania Brenda and Sue arrived into a very busy Puerto Vallarta airport. In a first for Juan Marcos, he was actually there on time to greet them.
After an exciting taxi ride to MEGA, where we stocked up on the bare essentials, wine and more wine, we arrived at 2010 Laurel. Yeah! they made it.
30 minutes later we were on our first hike to The Shamrock where the ladies were introduced to Homer, Jessie, Silvia, and Sharon. After a few obligatory happy hour specials….. we were on the street looking for tacos. Now for the trek ‘home’. Beinve….
Buenos Noches

Thursday afternoon, and guess who finally showed up? The telephone company TelMex. 5 guys, no English. This should be good. Stay tuned for further developments. It appears that they have to run a line from the house to the junction box near the street. Brb
Not going to happen. After about an hour, the crew declares defeat and that the tubing dedicated for a future phone line, was crushed or severed by the gardener or handyman. Pick one. Back to square one…..no internet. And another email to the owner. I may need to re-negotiate a different price…..my cost so far to use internet this year has exceeded 3000 pesos. More on that later.
YEAH! A new crew returned today comprised of the gardener, handyman, and property manager, Gaby….and with some Mexican ingenuity, determination, a copper pipe, some sweated fittings, and the power of aqua….all over the living room……they have established a line from the house to the TelMex underground cavern….success….now to get the TelMex technicians back. 2-3 weeks? We shall see. I see a light at the end of the tunnel, even though it might be a train!
Exhausted from observing, I need a siesta.
Today’s photos are from The Shamrock, yesterday, and a gigante Jenga game. Fun.
Buenos Tardes!

Today’s highlight and entry features Vista Vallarta Hotel & Pool.

I had made up my mind to make the trek and about 3:30 I set out. By 4pm, I was standing in front of it. Allow 20-30 leisure walking time, especially with a moderately sore toe. (yes, it’s back)
Again, the photos don’t do it justice, but they do shorten this story. Because the weather was a bit cool, even for me, only 2 persons besides me, were present. One being the bartender, the other a server. Mike was right, 2 x 1 Coronas for 30 pesos. Way cool. Use of the pool and beach chairs….and a great wifi connection. This is getting even better. The bar/restaurant under the huge palapa serves your normal chips, hamburgers, and hot dogs. This looks like a perfect place to sit and read all day. Note, that is exactly what my sister Bec, who is scheduled to arrive on the 19th likes to do. And they have Diet Coke. I mean Cola Lite, as they refer to it down here.

My return trip, via The Shamrock, was by beach, and it was a very easy and enjoyable hobble. Highly recommended as part of my new personal Gym membership. (more on that, later)
I even observed three baby manta rays being released back to the bay by their captors.

Enjoy.

Rental Cars in Mexico
“So, Juan, why don’t you rent a car while in Mexico? I heard they are cheap.” If you were to take a peek at the rates on Price Line or Kayak or others, you might think that the advertised rate of $70/week is affordable. Truth is, you will never get that rate once you land in Puerto Vallarta. Liability insurance is mandatory and will add $12/day. Collision is not covered by your US auto and unless you have proof of Mexican insurance, this will add another $12/day. Don’t leave the airport without it. Now let’s add the 15% tax and….you’re about $275/week. Now we need to add fuel…..it appears to be about 9 pesos/liter. (about $3/gallon) and we’re pretty close to $45/day. That’s the bare minimum, micro-size car, manual transmission and maybe you get A/C. Have you ever driven in Mexico? You’d better have an extra 200-300 pesos in your wallet for when they pull you over for taking a left from the left lane…..forbidden. That’s several reasons why I don’t rent a car in Mexico. Oh, the bus runs between 50 cents and $1.00 each way. Taxi’s are 50-100 pesos. ($4.00- $9.00) FRUGAL. And, walking is my exercise program.

‘Nightime Is My Time’ by Mary Higgin Clark was Book #4 and a good suspense novel. I picked up #5, called ‘The Return’ by Håkan Nesser, today at Panino’s. (free when you swap)

The one photo is from Ricardo y Leslie's place, the other.....The Shamrock with Mike y Silvia.

Buenos Noches! 

I received an email Wed morning from my brother, Steve, that contained a copy of our mother’s will. I downloaded it and shall review it later today.
I also started a shopping list for when my guests arrive on Saturday, provided the extreme weather in the Midwest doesn’t punish them with delays or closures. Milanesa Pollo, Albondigas, or Camarones marinara? Not sure yet.
I hiked to the south end of town today wanting to touch basis with JD Tours for reservations for Kontiki cruise next Wed. Stopped at Adriatico’s to check out their cool looking restaurant. They are located at Lazaro Cardenas 42, a couple blocks south of the ‘river’. (near where I took this photo) Their happy hour runs from 4-7 every day with 2x1 drinks. Negro Modelo was 35 pesos for two. Their wood oven baked pizzas (95-150 pesos) looked tempting along with their risotto (200 pesos) dishes. Their wines were on the expensive side especially the Brunello Di Monteccleno for $3770 pesos. (over $300 USD) Not going to happen this year!
Wednesday night: Eureka! Which means ‘I found it’. Thanks to Mike, who drove me to Vista Vallarta. The other day, in search of it, I had been one block away. I shall try and get some photos. I also learned that on Fridays, they have a BBQ open to the public. I think it’s 180 pesos, or about $15/person. But the cool thing is that their large pool, lounge chairs, and beach area is open to the public. They have a bar/restaurant in the pool area, and one is expected to patronize it, and since their prices are very reasonable, why not for 15 pesos/cervezas.

Buneos Noches! 

The photo credit goes to mi hermano, Pedro, for capturing this Sayulita sunset last week. Of course the credit goes to God for creating it.

Yesterday’s devotion had a powerful statement, “But in Christ’s mind, it is confidence in the future that saturates the present with the strength to embrace today.” Food for thought!

Enjoy!

A wonderful surprise occurred while doing my homework at The Shamrock tonight when Ricardo y Leslie walked in. Some new friends, Marty & Debbie, that I just met from Chicago, which I learned was closed due to the massive blizzard, were sitting at my office desk, when R&L showed. Way cool. Gil and Silvia were, as always, smiling in addition to being swift and efficient in their service. I learned that R&L had found a nice place in Cruz de Huanacaxtle while their casa was being rented for the month of Feb. Great neighbors.
7 pm arrived a bit too quickly, and R&L slid down to YoYo’s for some pizza and I found myself making the hike ‘home’, where the movie ‘The Tourist’ awaited. A glass of cheap vino tinto along with a Juan Marcos especial queso huevos hamurgesa con lechuga was perfecto!
Buenos Noches!

Thanks to Mike and Sherry who graciously bought me a beer last night, gave me a ride ‘home’ and who sent me on a 5 mile hike today. Really, it was good for me, not for my big toe, but for the rest of me. I went in search of a hotel called Vista Vallarta where they permit non-guests to sit around their pool and use their beach chairs. They supposedly have a bar which sells cervezas for 15 pesos, but alas, I never found it. As the photo shows, I found the Corita Suites, the Bungalow Princess, the Atlas, and several more places with gorgeous pools and ocean views, but the Vista Vallarta eluded me.
“Juan, why are you looking for this place and/or places like it?” Frugality. Some of the beach hotels allow non-guests to use their facilities for free, while others might charge you a 100 pesos/day/person to relax on their property. Not a bad way to spend an extreme leisure day, especially if you’re condo is pool-less and somewhat removed from the beach. Some places permit you to bring your own food and beverages, while others have a restaurant/bar and you are expected to purchase those items.
I shall continue my quest for Vista Vallarta, tomorrow.
Buenos Tardes mi Amigos!

Mexico, for a week, on a budget! ($600)
“So Juan, if I don’t have a lot of money and want to go to Mexico for 7-days, what is the minimum amount that I need to budget?” That’s a good question and one that I often hear. There are 6 expenses that you need to ponder…..airfare, lodging, transportation, food, entertainment, and beverages.
The quick answer is: airfare, $300 RT; Lodging, $25/day x 7 = $175; Transportation, buses, $2/day x 7 = $14; Food, $10/day x 7 = $70; Beverages, $5/day x 7 = $35; and Entertainment, books & dvds, $25. So a grand total of $619 for the week. Again, that was the quick answer. No eating out, minimum number of beverages, and self-entertainment with the beach and a book and a few movies in the evening. The largest portion of your budget is the airfare.

Mexico for a two-weeks, on a budget. ($1000)
Since airfare would be the same for 1 or 2 or 4 weeks, to calculate your 14-day stay, here is what I come up with: Air, $300; Lodging, $350; Transportation, $30; Food, $150, Beverages, $100, and Entertainment, $80 for a grand total of $1000 for 2-weeks. (yes, I increased some of the amounts a little more)

Mexico for a month, on a budget. ($1600)
Airfare, $300; Lodging, $600 (with a little discount), Transportation, $60; Food, $300; Beverages, $200; Laundry, $25; and Entertainment, $150. For a total of: $1635 for the month.

There you have it….Mexico on a budget with the key word being…BUDGET. I know the numbers, because that’s pretty close to what I’m doing. Sure a splurge here and there when the Packers are playing or when friends come to town, but for the most part, that’s what it costs.
Yes, it depends where you’re flying to/from and how you get to the airport. Yes it depends on you making most of your meals at your ‘condo’. Yes it depends on where and when you have your beverages and yes it depends that you bring a few paperbacks or a loaded Kindle with you.

One side note is that you can find lodging in Mexico from really cheap to really expensive. These numbers were based on renting a room from Juan Marcos deFrugal.
What’s on your planner?
Yes, you had to read all of that to get to the caption.....The U of Illinois visits The Shamrock and Silvia.

Buenos Tardes mi amigos!