Painting with Frosting: For Zulem Angel Mendoza, each cake is a painting, a work of art where the canvas is the cake, the brushes decorating tips, and the paint colored frosting.
Craving • Shrimp Cocktail: As the temperatures begin to rise, nothing beats a refreshingly cool shrimp cocktail. But interestingly enough, in some restaurants in this region of Mexico, it is not uncommon to serve it warm!
Craving • Fish Tacos: While fish tacos are not as widespread in Mexico’s inland cities and towns, they are quite popular at sea-level destinations such as Puerto Vallarta.
Sculpting with Food: In culinary parlance, the garde manger, or keeper of the food, is the person responsible for preparing and presenting cold foods.
Local Food Explained: When it comes to fine dining, we’d be the first to suggest any of the excellent restaurants in town (particularly those featured in our Restaurant Section). That said, every tourist destination features treats unique to the area, and Puerto Vallarta is no exception.
La Palapa 50 Years of Restoring Guests’ Spirits: On December 31, 1958, La Palapa held its inauguration. And since January 1, 1959, this famous restaurant has been serving locals and tourists alike.
Slow Food Gains Speed in Banderas Bay: Slow Food is finally gaining speed in Banderas Bay.
Craving: Sushi: Curiously enough, it is believed that sushi began as a fish-preservation method, rice fermentation preventing it from spoiling.
Cravings: Plátano Macho: Not to be confused with bananas, their sweeter and smaller counterparts, plantains are a staple food in many tropical regions of the world.
Daiquiri Dick’s Announces Wine Label: Acclaimed restaurant Daiquiri Dick’s recently partnered with Napa Valley-based Rutherford Wine Company to offer three noteworthy wines under their own label.
Where is the Best Dining View in Puerto Vallarta?: When it comes to glorious Puerto Vallarta sunsets and spectacular dining views, we all have our own favorites.
Cravings: Churros & Hot Chocolate: There’s nothing like the smell of deep-fried churros with cinnamon in the evening air.
Molecular Gastronomy: Culinary Art Meets Science: Having dinner at a gourmet restaurant, seduced by the flavors and aromas of the spectacular dishes before you, it’s easy to forget that cooking is, fundamentally, the result of a series of chemical and physical processes.
Discover Ceviche: Step into just about any restaurant in Puerto Vallarta or any oceanfront destination in Mexico, for that matter, and chances are you will find this delicious citrus-marinated seafood salad on the menu. Commonly served as an appetizer, ceviche is prepared by combining chunks of raw fish, sliced or chopped onion, chopped tomatoes and cilantro with limejuice.
Pescado Sarandeado:
A few minutes before the fish is finished cooking over the wood fire, the cook adds the final touch: a secret red sauce that gives the fish its special flavor. This traditional dish, which originated in the fishing region of Isla de Mexcaltitan, Nayarit, is usually prepared with pargo (sea bream), a fish that does not readily dry out when exposed to heat because of the fat content of its skin.
Cravings: Sopes & Huaraches: As clay is transformed into amazing artifacts in the hands of a ceramist, the dough used to make corn tortillas, known as masa, can also result in these delicious traditional treats commonly found in mercados and other casual eateries throughout Mexico.
La Petit: Farewell to a Decade: “What satisfaction it gives me that La Petit is going out in a blaze of glory!” exclaimed chef Nacho Cadena, owner of the French restaurant that has been such an important part of local gastronomy for the past decade. This chef of French origin had always dreamed of having a restaurant like this, full of antiques, the perfect space to exhibit treasures such as his grandparents’ dishes and to hold cultural events.
Homemade Ice Cream: While most of us have been succumbing to this sublime favorite for eons, producing ice cream at home or in small quantities has been a labor-intensive task until recently. Smaller, electric ice cream makers that rely on small canisters that can be placed in the freezer ahead of time to facilitate production have taken the place of old-fashioned hand-cranked machines that required ice chunks and salt for cooling.
Cravings: Chayote: Chayote, a staple of the traditional Mexican diet, is a member of the squash family. It has a thin, coarsely wrinkled skin fused to white flesh, with a texture that could be described as a cross between a cucumber and a potato. It can be eaten raw in salads or used in a variety of traditional recipes, including soups and stews.
Molcajete Musings: It sounded so easy! “Just soak the molcajete in water for 24 hours, scrub it clean, grind some rice until it doesn’t turn gray, and you’ll be ready to make the most delicious salsa in all of Mexico!” Traditional molcajetes (mortars) are threelegged bowls carved out of lava rock (black basalt) that are used with a tejolote (pestle) for grinding dry ingredients to make traditional Mexican salsas.
