Read about Mexico's important historical events that have occurred during the month of July.

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Traditional Mexican beet salads nearly always pair the sweetness of beets with a savory ingredient, most often a mild white cheese, usually queso fresco. Some type of fruit is usually incorporated, with citrus being a common choice, either orange in the salad, lime in the dressing, or both. Pears, mangos and avocados are also typically used in beet salads. read more

In her introduction to this Mexican blessed beet salad recipe, Chef Susana Trilling explains that it got its name from that fact that she got the beets from a religious festival float that was decorate... read more

This salad is open to individual interpretation, with the only constants being the beets and the lettuce. Pineapple and bananas are frequently added in tropical climates, apples and jicama in cooler regions. The ingredients should be artfully arranged on a large platter and tossed after it has reached the table. read more

Agua de betabel is the drink seen on the altar of Nuestra Señora de Dolores, the sorrowful mother, on the Friday before Semana Santa. I have yet to find out why beets were chosen for this particular o... read more

Mexican sweet and sour beets keep well in the refrigerator, and can be served as is for an easy botana, or added to salads. Half orange juice and half lime juice is a fine substitute for the naranja ag... read more

A lightly dressed summer salad, Mexican beet and mango salad is good with grilled chicken or fish. Make sure to use mangos that are not overripe, so that they keep their shape when cubed. read more

In July of 1969, Bulgarian born artist-adventurer Dimitar Krustev, almost 50 years old, and his inexperienced young companion named Gary set off, in their folding kayak, to explore, traveling on its waters, the jungles of southern Chiapas, the still largely unknown land of the Lancandon Maya.

In 1969, this culture was already in decline, undermined by the relentless forces of what some still call progress.

Jungle adventures are always challenging. This trip was a very difficult one for Gary, his young companion, and although difficult as well for Krustev, the artist was generally of a calm and philosophically disposed spirit... read more

Like a shimmering mirage that lasts only until your next blink, the Tuesday Market, or tianguis, appears once a week at dawn, assembled upon a vast windswept concrete slab near the parking lot of the S... read more

Happiness is not tied to job promotions, Mercedes super cars and mansions on mountaintops. Expectations are generally lower. Many do not enter the rat race. Strange as it sounds, family, good food, good times and a sip of tequila are more important than pesos... read more

Despite years living in Mexico City, I had never been to the archeological zone of Templo Mayor — once the heart of the Aztec empire of Tenochtitlan, now located in the heart of the Historic Centre n... read more

Let the Water Hold Me Down has the makings of a classic.

It is written with skill and with grace, and the old verities that are at the heart of being human are here: loss and grief, guilt and longing, loyalty and love.

Set in modern-day Mexico, it tells the story of Hank Singer and is also about his relationship with César Lobos de Madrid, whose "family was one of the oldest, wealthiest, and most politically connected in Chiapas, if not in all of Mexico."

Hank has arrived just a few weeks before the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, led by Subcomandante Marcos, who on January 1, 1994, declared war against the government and the military... read more

Read about Mexico's important historical events that have occurred during the month of June.

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Cabo Corrientes is one of those vaguely heard of places where nobody ever goes because… well, where is it? And how and why would you go there? Literally, Cabo Corrientes means "cape currents." It's... read more

For anyone planning on spending time in Mexico City, the Xochimilco Canals (pronounced: so-chee-MIL-ko) is an experience not to be missed. After a first glance in any guide book, the traveller would be... read more

In Mexico, dried shrimp come in a range of sizes, from the tiny quarter-inch river shrimp to larger ones from the ocean. The tiny ones are ground into a powder, used for adding flavor and body to soups, stews and sauces, and the larger ones are usually soaked and peeled. read more

A lively accompaniment to margaritas or cold beer, this fresh Mexican salsa and dried shrimp appetizer needs to be made as close as possible to serving time. read more

I went through several versions of Mexican scrambled eggs with dried shrimp, a common dish in Oaxaca's Isthmus region, to find my favorite. In the Isthmus, it is made with camarones oreados, or partial... read more

Dried shrimp soup is a Mexican cantina classic that has fueled many a "next round." Friday afternoons are an especially good time to find this beloved soup at your friendly neighborhood watering hole. ... read more

This recipe for white beans with dried shrimp from the southern Pacific coast of Oaxaca is adapted from Susana Trilling's wonderful regional cookbook, Seasons of My Heart. Use other beans, such as fava... read more

Happiness is following memorable footsteps under more favorable conditions. Most of 50 years ago, outside London, Ontario, brothers Jim and Jack Young acquired an old truck and bulldozer and made a bo... read more

What a special and grand celebration Mothers Day in this beautiful country called Mexico! The beach, restaurants and streets are overflowing with families celebrating Mothers Day. The local stores area packed with colourful flowers, especially roses. I wonder where they get the roses and how expensive they must be for those families on a limited income to purchase. The retail stores place big beautiful bows on all their merchandise and the bakeries display some very grand and beautiful "Happy Mother's Day" cakes which look absolutely delicious. read more

Our knowledge of ancient Aztec civilization comes from many different sources: archaeology, codices or painted books, comparative ethnological studies and the like. But it is not until the advent of writing that a clear picture of past history begins to emerge.

That is not to say that historical accounts did not exist before the Conquest. read more

Americans commonly mistake Cinco de Mayo, the day that commemorates the Mexican Victory over the French in Puebla (1862), for Mexican Independence day (1810). Cinco de Mayo has become an American holiday synonymous with mariachis, margaritas, Corona beer, and Americanized Mexican food like jalapeño-studded nachos and cheese-smothered burritos. read more

Of the many battles fought on Mexican soil in the nineteenth century, only one — the Battle of Puebla, fought on May 5, 1862 — has given rise to a Mexican national holiday.

Why this one? The main reason is that the Battle of Puebla marks Mexico's only major military success since independence from Spain in 1821.

On May 9, 1862, President Benito Juarez declared that the Cinco de Mayo, the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, was to be a national holiday. In the U.S., the Cinco de Mayo has been transformed into a much more popular cultural event. read more