Secret places in Mexico

Swimming with whale sharks in Cancun: An underwater safari

On this particular late August morning, I would be hanging out with them for a while. Hopefully, they'd already eaten breakfast. read more
Mexican turkey in piquant herb and spice broth: Pavo en escabeche
Two years ago, along the road from Palenque to the Campeche, passing the small campechano town of Esmarga, we stopped at a roadside palapa restaurant - one of the small, thatched-roof eat...
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Mexican turkey in a dark spice sauce: Chilmole from the Yucatan
A traditional and delicious Mexican dish, chilmole — sometimes called relleno negro — is made from one of the classic recados, or seasoning combinations. This dish, said to have orig...
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Yucatan style chaya empanadas: Empanadas de chaya
Here the chaya, a leafy green used throughout the Yucatan, is incorporated right into the corn dough, a common technique in this region. The chopped hard boiled egg filling is complemented by the chile...
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Devil of a good time in Merida, Mexico's white city
Merida is also a convenient jumping off point for jaunts to ancient Mayan treasures like Chichen Itza, Kabah and Uxmal.
But it's Merida's after-dark energy that has me instantly enraptured... read more
Yucatan: Recipes from a Culinary Expedition

Sterling's 2014 book may well be considered the definitive work on the foodways of the Yucatan. read more
David Sterling's sautéed chaya with smoked bacon: Chayas fritas / Tsajbil chaay
Chronicler Diego de Landa mentioned chaya in 1566, when he observed that the leaves were especially delicious when cooked with plenty of bacon. What isn't? Chayas fritas is an excellent side dish; it a...
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Scrambled eggs with sautéed chaya: Huevos revueltos con chaya / Chay-he
This is another Yucatecan favorite that makes use of leftovers from the day before. Chayas fritas from the afternoon meal are repurposed for breakfast the next day in this quick yet nourishing dish.
S...
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David Sterling's Mexican coconut sorbet: sorbete de coco

Yucatecan three-meat stew: Puchero yucateco de tres carnes
Although the Yucatan is hardly associated with cool weather, this stew, which contains chicken along with the meat, is one of its most popular dishes. Sundays in Merida call to mind music in all the pl...
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6 "Must Do" activities on your visit to Isla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres. That little gem off the coast of Cancun lying peacefully in the Caribbean Sea, beckoning you over to experience her magic.
"Magic" is precisely how you will hear isleños — island resi...
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Wildlife of the Yucatan Peninsula: The Explorer Family's Guide and Journal

Yucatan Style pickled onions: Cebollas encurtidas estilo yucateca
Both white and purple pickled onions are served as condiments in the Yucatan. The purple variety is generally served with cochinita pibil, and both Yucatan style pickled onions make great additions ...
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Xtabentum: A Novel of Yucatan

The young Amanda, with the help of her thoughtful father, begins to understand la Casta Divina, the Divine Class, and how most members of this class "considered themselves superior by birth and the lighter color of their skin." read more
Steamed turkey in Mexican achiote sauce: Pavo al vapor en recado colorado
Achiote paste, a characteristic seasoning of the Yucatan, where it is known as recado rojo, has been discussed before in this column. Made from the seed of the annatto tree ground with cumin, cloves an...
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Yucatecan style quail: Codorniz a la yucateca
Yucatecan style quail, typical of the Mexican state of Yucatan, uses a recado, one of the spice pastes that distinguish the region's cuisine. This recipe can also be used with chicken or turkey, inc...
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Culinary festival on Mexico's Maya Riviera: A feast of a fest

Magnificent Maya ruins in Mexico

Yucatan style plantain soup: Sopa de platano yucateca
This delicious soup from the Yucatan uses half-ripe plantains, meaning green and yellow, not black and yellow. Use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian, if desired, and add more broth for a thinner Yu...
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Where Canadians are buying real estate in Mexico

It is no secret that Canadians love Mexico; for years, thousands of Canadians have been fleeing cold winters to the warm beaches and colonial towns of Mexico. Over the past few years, more and more Canadians have called Mexico their home.
read moreMexican Yucatan-style lentil stew: Potage de lentejas estilo yucateca
This hearty stew gets its flavor from pork and a medley of vegetables. The best choice for the pork stew meat is shoulder. In Mexico, ask the butcher for espaldilla. Substitute güero chile for the xca...
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Hanal Pixan, Maya Day of the Dead in Pac Chen, Quintana Roo
The monkeys, they tell me, are asleep in a cave across the lagoon. But other than that disappointment, my trip to Pac Chen, a micro sized Maya village in the jungle of the Yucatan Peninsula, is the per...
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Where the Sky is Born: Living in the Land of the Maya
