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

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

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Ask about the history behind these celebrations, and a few may be able to tell you that the Mexicans defeated an invading French army on that date in 1862. Beyond that — except maybe in Puebla — general knowledge of the circumstances becomes sketchy. Why were the French there? What happened next? Did the French just go away? Many teachers in the U.S. still tell their classes that May fifth is Mexican Independence Day, which is dead wrong. read more

I'm sitting in a third grade class at the Independencia School in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Aside from the charming teacher, there's hardly a full set of teeth in the room, although nobody's smile... read more

The story begins as Mark Sands, a successful money manager — after little people with grubby hands drug him and drop him over the parapet of his broad veranda — is falling twenty-seven floors to his death.

Feeling detached, perhaps defensively, from his plummeting body, Sands wonders, "How had the little people emerged from the painting over his buffet?

It was his Rafael Cantú masterpiece, The Last Supper, the prize of his collection. And they were the characters from the painting. He recognized the odd, ragged leather outfits.

Had he been murdered by these nightmare versions of Christ and the Apostles?" ... read more

Some of the most thriving enterprises in the highland areas are trout farms, either run privately or as community projects undertaken by locals. Through the years, we have enjoyed fresh fish from trout farms in different regions of Mexico, where water from mountain streams feeds the ponds. read more

Mexican trout in papillote is a specialty of the high country between Toluca and México City, where trout abound in cool mountain streams. If you decide to wrap more than one fish in a foil papillote ... read more

The Mexican trout farms in the mountains outside Atlixco have open air restaurants that are crowded with families getting out of the city on weekends. The menus feature trucha empapelada, or en papillo... read more

The taste of fresh trout is a good foil for the richness of this Mexican macadamia sauce. The recipe uses macadamias as both a sauce ingredient and a garnish. read more

Fresh tropical fruit goes nicely with the clean taste of trout in this recipe for trout with Mexican tropical fruit salsa. Wrapping food in corn husks is a quintessentially Mexican treatment, but parchment paper could be used instead. read more

Epazote is a characteristic flavor of the central region of Mexico, and especially favored in the cuisines of Puebla and Tlaxcala. It distinguishes this recipe for Mexican trout with epazote. Ingredie... read more

Al mojo de ajo literally means drenched with garlic, and Mexican trout with garlic sauce is just that. Sometimes fish prepared al mojo de ajo comes with unappetizingly large chunks of garlic, but takin... read more

For citizens of both the United States and Mexico, the Mexican-American border, as well as the matter of Mexican immigration are topics of current political dispute, thinly masking a cultural stigmatism that does not fit well with American history or ideals.

Since there have been times when Mexican immigration was sought, The Dark Side of the Dream becomes a very timely read.

It was largely Mexican labor in the fields that kept U.S. troops fed during both World Wars.

In The Dark Side of the Dream, Grattan — himself a mix of cultures with an Irish-American father and a Mexican mother — has given us a sense of real people grappling with everyday challenges... read more

Question: Where do you go for vacation when you live your life on vacation?

Answer: That is a misleading implication. Retirement in Mexico is fun and we are grateful. Winter weather is wonderful where we live. Flowers bloom. Strawberries are inexpensive and very tasty. Alas, every day is not a perfect holiday. read more