Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
VOL. 8 ED. 8 • JUNE 7, 2021 • NO BAD NEWS
Priceless
Priceless
www.ggnorth.com
Spicy Green MargaritasBY MARTINA DOBESH
As a writer, I am always looking for a story. Stories are
everywhere, even in the most unlikely places. A writer has to
write, as it is a curious passion to put into words and share with others. I find my way into the restaurant with the name Kraken. With that kind of name, I know something must be hiding just below the surface and I am about to find out. The restaurant has carved out a place in the old fishcamp south of Rosarito Beach, where fishermen and their families have lived quiet lives for de-cades. Here Chef Santos is creating fresh sushi delights, tacos with a gourmet twist and a creative way to serve tequila. It’s called the Spicy Margarita.
The incoming tide throws great blue waves at the black volcanic rocks. The watery white plume leaps into the air with a gushy roar. As I step inside I see painted on all the
walls mural size images of the sea and its creatures. Kraken is one of them, known in Nordic folklore as the largest monster ever imagined by mankind. It is said to have terrorized the seafarers who saw it as a hor-rifying god. During that time period the old powerful gods of the sea were always battling each other to maintain their power. This story is somewhat fitting for our current time period on the planet. But here by the sea, we can forget. We can have a margarita and forget humanity’s turmoil for a moment.
Marcos, Tony and Mary Carmen and the full staff of Kraken will welcome you in to take your seat were ever you like. The patio gives a slice of view of the vast sea, and dark wet tide pools are re-vealed at low tide. The
Mexican families find this one of the few places along the coastline where they still can get to the beach. Heavy development along the coast has cut off the old beach ac-cesses for the nationals. This
Kraken’s Healthy Fun in a Glass
Since 1971
Benito Juarez # 10, Quinta del Mar strip center, in front of the stop lightPhone 661-6121028 and 661-6130692Email: [email protected]
•Health and life insurance•House and Condo
insurance•Legal Assistance•Car insurance
(Mexico and US)•Board Association
Insurance•Personal Accident
First in Rosarito,first in service
Let us pay your household bills on your behalf. Easy set up
Cucumber-Jalapeño Margarita, only at Kraken!
The Baja 500 race will take place
from June 9-13
June 7, 20212
Published bi-monthly and distributed in Mexico
& The United States
Northern Baja044 (646) 179-4599
United StatesP.O. BOX 1700
Chula Vista, CA, 91912-1700
Ph. (323) 952-4925
Subscriptions availablesee page 4 or 8, maybe 6,
sometimes 2.Or mail $70 for one year, (26 issues) or $45 for six
months (13 issues)to the U.S.
Follow us on FB:GringoGazette North
Subscribe to our mailing list to get our news in
your inbox:www.ggnorth.com
Check the paper online:www.ggnorth.com
You may view the entire newspaper, just as it
appears in print, online
Who's to blame:
PublisherOliver Quintero,
Managing EditorLuisa Rosas
SalesCell (646) 179-4599
GRINGO
Visit our showroom in Transpeninsular Highway #669 Colonia Echeverria, Rosarito. Across from Pabellon Mall, between La Maroma bar and the hardware store, old Tooginos pizza location
www.magicspasandpatio.comPh. 661 104 08 67
Finally in Baja: Spas, Patio Furniture & SaunasWhere Relaxation And Quality Cometogether
EARLY BUY SPA PROGRAMEARLY BUY SPA PROGRAM
RELAX RELAX ININYOURYOUROWN OWN SAUNASAUNAStarting from $2,295
Because of COVID-19 Spa demand has exploded worldwide and it is now at a record 46-week delivery time. That's almost a year wait!Magic Spa's & Patio has acquired inventory months ahead and will have spa's ready to deliver as soon as May! Don't miss your chance.
ORDER YOURS TODAY!! THESE WILL NOT LASTORDER YOURS TODAY!! THESE WILL NOT LAST
Vanto Torino Marino
Morena party wins every-thing in Baja. The Morena party had a landslide victory in Baja California, winning every one of the elections in our state. This means Baja will finally have its first women governor, Marina del Pilar Avila, which was the former mayor of Mexicali.
Rosarito and Ensenada de-cided to give their current may-ors one more chance at public office, giving them the votes needed to renew their 3-year terms.
All of the 16 publicly elected chairs in the state congress were also won by Morena this time, giving them a whooping major-ity in our state congress.
In the federal congress, Morena lost the majority it had, although it is expected that they will group with some of the smaller parties to win back their majority.
Unfortunately, this elections were stained by a few violent in-cidents, the most notorious one of them being when a person left a box with a human head inside, in one of the polling stations in Tijuana.
Baja almost green. State health authorities announced that all the municipalities of Baja California except for Mexicali have been declared “green” in regards of the epidemiologic stoplight.
This means that hotels, stores, parks, public transporta-tion, gyms, and religious temples
will be able to accommodate 100% of their capacity. Pools, ca-sinos, outside event venues and movie theaters will be limited to an 85% capacity, while bars are
still required to have a maximum of 75% capacity.
Let us hope we can main-tain this green after the severe agglomerations due to the elec-tions!
Low turnout in 40-49 vac-cination group. Baja was not the exception of a worldwide, lower than expected vaccination trend for the 40-49 years old group that was held last week. Just about half of the vaccines
secured for the group were used, and authorities are already figuring out ways to incentivize vaccination.
Baja stands out in interna-tional wine competition. Local winery Chateau Camou won the greatest price of the Bac-chus 2021 international wine competition, which was held in Spain, with their Chardonnay 2019 wine, which also won the best of Mexico award.
From a total of 594 medals awarded to wines from all over the world, Mexican wineries brought home 37, of which 25 were from Baja California.
Back to school, for real! Education authorities from Baja have already stated that the official return to the brick-and-mortar classrooms is scheduled for September 6.
Face-to-face classes will start gradually, phased and at the same time as virtual classes con-tinue, as only a small percentage of students will start classes in schools.
Pedophiles will be registered. The state of Baja California will be the first in the country to have a public registry of pedophiles in an effort to combat the increas-ing cases of child pornography, and sexual tourism in which Mexico has the first and second place internationally.
Pro-migrant group protests in US Consulate. A group of
approximately 50 pro-migrant activists, protested in front of the US consulate in Tijuana demanding a stop to the nightly deportations that have been increasing in the city.
“It’s not right to be asking Mexico to stop central-Amer-icans in the southern border, while the USA finances Mexican traitors that plot against our cur-rent government”, said one of the protesters, referring to the USAID grants given to some Mexican journalists. ,
Christine Angulo Rossmiller Located @ Tecate border
Ph. 619-625-0772
USA Notary Public
June 7, 2021 3
Since 1971
Benito Juarez # 10, Quinta del Mar strip center, in front of the stop lightPhone 661-6121028 and 661-6130692Email: [email protected]
•Health and life insurance•House and Condo
insurance•Legal Assistance•Car insurance
(Mexico and US)•Board Association
Insurance•Personal Accident
First in Rosarito,first in service
Let us pay your household bills on your behalf. Easy set up
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
The Joy of LifeGo to the Beach. You’ll See
Since late 2019, the world has been embroiled in the hor-ror of a pandemic. It makes no sense to assess blame or point fingers. We all suffered together, and we all lost loved ones, family members, friends, and acquaintances.
BY DAVID BEYER
While billionaires plan es-cape routes to other planets, thinking we are doomed to destruction, the vast majority of us continue to live and work and love here; here, as God intended.
If you don’t believe in God,
to live together and to sustain those precious gifts as if our lives depended on it.
Somehow, however, greed, which is a trait unique to man-kind, we blew it. We exploited every natural resource, slaugh-tered animals, birds, and insects to the point of extinction.
Bees, essential to our sur-vival, are now an endangered species.
Are we suicidal? Are we de-termined to destroy or exploit all the creatures with whom we share this planet?
No.Most of us are simply living,
loving and working, caring for our families, striving to make the world a better place for our children and their children. Striving to get along with each other, to work honestly, giving our best and helping others, whether they be strangers or family members.
To see how positive interac-tion works, please come to the beach.
Playa Hermosa is the most popular recreational destina-tion in all of Ensenada. Now that summer is imminent and the sun shines brightly in the late morning after the haze burns off, families are flocking to the beach to have fun, to eat, drink, relax, and to enjoy the undeniable power, the exqui-site and awesome beauty, the spiritual essence of the mighty Pacific Ocean, the largest single body on the planet earth.
Sunday afternoon at Playa Hermosa finds hundreds of people of all ages and ethnici-ties gathered together on a long stretch of beach, soaking in the sun and the surf, breathing in the fragrance of the evaporating water carried by a light breeze, being free, unwinding from the toils of a long, six-day work week, gathering their children and pets and having fun.
It’s free! No charge! Come one, come all!
The experienced beachgo-ers bring their own umbrellas and folding chairs, coolers full of beverages and sandwiches, and set up their private little islands of comfort from which they can venture out into the
ocean, or just sit and watch the parade of humans and animals engaged in innocent and joyous pleasures.
For those less experienced, chairs and umbrellas can be rented.
Caballeros ride horses slow-ly along the water’s edge, offer-ing rides to those who wish to see the beach from atop a mag-nificent, well-trained creature.
Caterers with push-carts provide every manner of tasty treats to those who came un-prepared.
The best part is seeing the children playing in the water,
shrieking with joy, dancing in the waves, building sand castles and showing off to their siblings and friends, their excitement so contagious that even those with no children of their own must revel in their joy.
Playa Hermosa on a Sunday afternoon in the late spring, anticipating the arrival of the hot summer days, is an incom-parable experience.
Everyone is happy. Every-one is helpful. Everyone profits, either from the experience of being there, or from selling almost anything a hungry or
Playa Hermosa in Ensenada, is an all-ages popular spot for a fun day at the beach.
Now it’s time to appreciate how fortunate we are to still be living on this magnificent planet, an orb swirling through the cosmos, a world of blue seas and green jungles and towering forests breathing in our carbon dioxide and emitting oxygen for us to breathe.
you can’t deny the exquisite power of nature.
Human beings are the only creatures on earth that destroy the very resources that were given to us, given, as the “top of the food chain”, to nurture the wildlife, the plant life, and “all creatures great and small”,
June 7, 20214
Amazon Ranked #1 New Release!A Unique Travel AdventureJourney into the heart of Baja. Meet people and places you know and want to know from Tijuana to Loreto. A true adventure story begins on the open road south to the Sea of Cortez where pirates still roam.
Order Now on Amazon!
Facebook The Baja StoryTeller
Storage space starting from $85 monthly
Free Some Free Some Space @ Home!!Space @ Home!!
KM 40.5 Free Road in RosaritoPh. (661) 614 1642 • US. (619) 797 [email protected]
Now offering moving services!
Office Hours: 9am-5pm • Closed WednesdayGate Hours 8am-6pm Everyday
Demographers estimate more than 108 billion human beings have inhabited the earth since we became something recognizable as human. That number (actually the number is 108,210,121,415) figures in this movie and, I’m guessing, that will surprise you a bit. What
does the number of human beings that have populated this planet have to do with a movie about jazz? Soul strikes amazing chords as it explores areas of the unknown in strikingly thought-ful and beautiful expressions. Once again, Pixar/Disney has composed a nearly perfect piece and given us an unforgettable
experience.Yes, about half of the movie
has to do with the musical form of jazz. The story is about Joe (Jamie Foxx), a musician, not in New Orleans, but in New York, who teaches middle school band students. However, that isn’t re-ally what he wants to do. Instead,
he dreams of playing jazz piano in nightclubs, his real passion. Early in the movie, he gets a break and it appears his dreams are about to come true.
Except they don’t. As with most of us, something hap-pens to Joe that changes his life trajectory. And with that, we end up in the other half of the
movie – The Great Beyond, The Great Before, and The Zone. The great pleasures of this movie are here – in areas that probably can only be explored in an animated film. Here we aren’t dealing with people but rather their essence, their ‘souls’. This movie, quite lit-erally, explores notions of where they come from, where they go, and what, exactly, we might do with them while ‘living'. And these aren’t trivializations – there is substantial food for thought here, or should I say nourish-ment of the soul!
The film navigates back and forth between these two worlds with great finesse. The New York world is rich in detail and viscer-al experience. (One critic argued that the depiction of the New York urban scene is the best ever, at least in an animated feature.) It is also accompanied by the terrific jazz music of Jon Batiste, an accomplished keyboardist, originally from Louisiana, but now producing superb jazz mu-sic in New York. Joe is Black and he represents the first time Pixar/Disney has attempted, realisti-cally, to depict Black people in
animated form. They have great success in portraying the various Black skin textures and colors, adding to their human palette of characters.
When Joe is in the "other world", he is recognizably him-self, but adopts a visage that is befitting of the "soul" com-munity. And it is pretty hard to quibble with the design. I mean, what exactly does a soul look like anyway? But the animation in this world is simpler, uses pastel colors, or black and white, and why not? The complexity here is not in the visual presentation, but in the strange concoction of ideas and processes that souls undergo as they transition from one stage to another.
The other distinguishing characteristic of the other world is the music. Instead of Jon
Batiste’s jazzy improvs, we get the electronic music of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (also nominated this year for the score for Mank, and winners of the score for The Social Network). The ethereal and cerebral tone of this music is so soothingly appealing that it is difficult to imagine a better choice to rep-resent this world.
The preparation of souls for their adventure on Earth is particularly interesting and gets a special treatment in this movie when two souls transition to Earth but end up in bodies they weren’t intended to occupy. In addition to Joe’s soul, there is also Soul #22 (Tina Fey). (22 has a wonderful line: “You can’t crush a soul here. That’s what life on Earth is for.”) Since these CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
June 7, 2021 5
AskAsk a a MexicanMexican
Imelda Salas, 54, maid supervisor.
Gustavo Diaz Ordaz did great things for our country, economy-wise. He grew the gross domestic product by eight percent, allowed 18-year-olds to vote, believed in industri-alization and supported the miners. He also built a port here in Baja. He is also said to be re-sponsible for the student’s mass murder in 68 but it wasn’t re-ally him. He took responsibility because he was the president at the time, like he should. I think we could use him these days to straighten up our economy as it gets worse by the second.
José Guadalupe, 68, re-tired.
I think the best president
• Wooden Horizontal• Duo Shades• Roman Shades• Motorized Systems
We are manufacturers of Shutters & Rollers
32 yrs Exp. - FREE Estimates
www.floorblinds.com
20% OFF in roller shades screenValid thru June 2021
Rosarito661-100-2186
Tijuana664-686-3672
Ensenada646-977-8067
• Laminated Flooring• Wallpaper• Carpet
We had big elections this past weekebd. Some states will get new governors or
representatives, but not all states will get the same. Presidential elections, however,
are a little farther away. Which Mexican president dead or alive would you bring back to power and why?
there has ever been was Felipe Calderón. He was the only one who faced the narcs and did not let them get away with anything. I think that is one of our biggest problems. So many people get killed by organized crime, it’s crazy! He did have a taste for the drinks, but I think we all have some kind of vice. He also kept inflation pretty steady, and he did many changes regarding the work laws.
Hector Manzano, 42, driv-er.
I think all of the presidents have done very bad jobs which has led us to where we are as a country today. I guess if I had to pick one who was less worse, that would be Fox. He grew in-dustries and the economy, and he helped us who were living in the United States making it cheaper for us to send money to our families. He also had some scholarships for low-income kids, so they could become someone. But I still don’t think he was very good at all.
Irma Sanchez, 39, recep-tionist.
I believe the best president we’ve had is the one we have now. Many people say it’s his fault we are doing so bad, but it’s not. He received a broken country and is trying his best to keep us afloat. He has put in jail many corrupt people who had been in power and I think that’s admirable. He is a good man who has fought his way to be where he is, and we have to give him a chance.
Maria Bañuelos, 73, re-tired.
Lázaro Cardenas without hesitation was the best presi-dent we have ever had. He
did so many things for the people who worked the fields, he helped the Spanish people who were fleeing Spain during the civil war and he was very close to the people of the coun-try, but not only the rich ones. He was so good he was even given a peace award! Cardenas also built the train rails and that made Mexico grow so much, in very little time. He kept foreign-ers’ hands off of our oil, which would help now. He gave many people lands, which is the rea-son Cabo is so big now. I think maybe the bad thing was that
he helped PRI stay in power for so long.
Josefina Guzman, 53, nurse.
Miguel Aleman was a bless-ing for this country. He alpha-betized most of the people, built so many public schools and hospitals and established a good relationship with our neighbor countries. He was very forward with art and cul-ture, and we had a golden era thanks to him. He was also responsible for making Mexico one of the top tourist locations worldwide. ,
Real Food12pm to 10pm everyday
Wednesday Local's NightDollar Beers & Dollar Tacos
Friday & SaturdayLínea roja Live Band
SundayLive guest band
Everyday! Drink specials, sports, karaoke, dancing
June 7, 20216
LET US HELP WITH CLEANING!LET US HELP WITH CLEANING!No Soap / Residue FREE. Dries in 2-4 Hours NOT DAYS!Carpets stay clean longer. We do Persian and Wool area rugs
CARPET & UPHOLSTERY CLEANING WITH THE DRY
ULTRAM E T H O D
Call Patti @ (661) 850 8935and (661)614-0526
15 years in RosaritoWork Guaranteed • Free Quotes
Get rid of all those germs hiding in your carpets!We use gloves and mouth covers to clean your carpets & upholstery and won't leave any germs behind.
Submit it and Pay it OnlineGo to: http://www.ggnorth.com/classifiedPhone It or Text It In You can call or text us at: Mex Cell (646) 179 4599 or US (323) 952-4925.
Mail It In You can mail it along with your check to:Gringo Gazette North, P.O. BOX 1700, Chula Vista, CA, 91912-1700
Email It In You can email it to [email protected] easy are those choices? Hint: Very easy.Cost is only 80 cents a word, and that includes posting your ad in our online version as well as the printed edition. We do take credit cards and paypal also.
Classiffied AdsClassiffied AdsEasy Sign UpEasy Sign Up
NEXT DEADLINE IS THURSDAY, JUNE 17TH, 2021
FOR SALE BRAND NEW HOME IN LOMAS DEL CORONADO, 1 BD, 1 BTH, kitchen and secure two-car parking spaces. Guaranteed unobstructed ocean views. Call to see property (562) 760-6410.
SAFE MOTORHOME AND TRAILER STORAGE IN ENSENADA. Gated easy access. Only a few spots left email dave [email protected]
FOR SALE 30 FO OT C OACHMAN MIR ADA MOTORHOME Queen bed, sleeps 6, 36,000 miles, gas, 3 tvs, A/C, with saturn car for towing. Best offer. 646 1319128
FOR SALE or RENT BY OWNER: Ocean view spacious, 4 bedroom, 2 bath, House in Ensenada. $155,000 USD. Rent: $1,200 USD details/photos [email protected] or call 646 248 1475
RESTAURANT & CANTINA
FRESH SEA FOOD
KM. 52OLD ROAD TO ENS
PH. (661) 688-0947
OPEN MON - THU 11AM - 10PM
FRI-SUN8AM - 10PM
Live the Splash Experience!
thirsty beachgoer could pos-sibly want.
No matter where you live in the greater Ensenada area, don’t
THE JOY OF LIFE...
continued from page 3
Ensenada AirBnB - Valle Dorado
Enjoy its comfortable spaces and the newly renovated kitchen that allows for a great time with your companion. The house has 2 spacious bedrooms that can sleep 2 persons each, and an open home office space that can sleep an extra guest in an Ottoman sofa bed. A one-car small garage will keep your vehicle safe during your stay.
http://bit.ly/casapurplehttp://bit.ly/casapurple
fishcamp came into being over a hundred years ago. Families gathered to catch the fish and teach the skill to their children. Today, these children teach their own and family groups bring everything the need to the sea shore; huge ice chests,
shade cloth, chairs and food for a whole day of family fun. The children love the shallow pools to play in at low tide, while mothers watch the in-coming waves just in case.
I take a front row seat, blending the present moment with a bit of history. I search the horizon for a possible sighting of Kraken that might be lurking just beyond the surf. Marcos comes out to take my order and asks what I’d like to
SPICY GREEN MARGARITAS...
continued from page 1
drink. I ask, “How spicy is the Spicy Margarita?” He smiles and gives a shrug of the shoul-ders, for the question is hard for a Mexican to answer for the untrained gringo palate. I said I wanted a story, so either way, I’m sure to have one. Marcos returns with a glass filled with green fragrance. Green yes! A tequila salad, if you will, with Jalapeño’s! I ask
Marcos, “Can you tell me the secret flavor’s?” Cucumber, yes! That is what I smelled in the fragrance, followed by limes, and tequila. The orange Tahi rim gives the presenta-tion an artistic finish. Bravely I take my first sip. “Oh, my,” I catch my breath and reach for a glass of rosemary infused water as a chaser. I popped a green tortilla chip into my mouth and picked up the glass again. Jalapeño for sure, fol-
lowed by crisp cucumber and lime bringing relief. This time I didn’t hiccup, but began to be acclimated to the heat. I had the amusing thought that this drink would satisfy the health conscious among us. It would be easy to say that this drink makes you feel young again. I realized another healthy side effect of this Margarita because it makes you linger. There is no
way to guzzle it or forget how many you have had.
The June “gloom” lifts al-lowing for little sun to light the horizon as I was taking my last sips. A gull flies over-head, followed by the Pelicans skimming the breaking waves. I enjoyed the “salad” at the bot-tom of the glass marinated in the green juice. Yet another hu-morous thought arises as the story creates itself. There are a few herbal medicine practitio-ners in our hills and while I am sure they would disagree with me, I’m feeling this combina-tion of “plant medicine” gives a very uplifting experience. And forgive me for saying so, but it is a way you can maintain you vegetable intake for the day in case your healthcare worker should ask. Just tell them you had a mixed green salad with a hint of cactus juice. Some like it hot and you will too.
Editor’s note: See the ad for Martina’s new book on page 4, Dust in My Sandals, Tales from a Baja Traveler. ,
miss Sunday at Playa Hermosa. Listen to the bands play live
music. Ride the horses.Most of all, revel in the
magnificence of the mighty Pa-cific Ocean, and how its rising and receding tides, controlled
by the magnetic power of the moon, can enchant you and give you an appreciation of how fortunate you are to have such a grand resource to interact with..
Remember, thankfully, it’s free. ,
June 7, 2021 7
FINE DINING 1:00PM - 10:00PM. Tuesdays ClosedKM 31.5 Cuenca Diaz Popotla Blvd., RosaritoFollow us on Facebook: The Original Giorgio's Restaurant
15%OFFWith this coupon. Valid until June 2021.
Original
Gringogazett-ies, I am going to be honest with you: I am not picky at all with in-gredients and flavors, but as far as textures go, I lose my cool. I have had to face a hard truth lately. I thought I hated something and turns out I am slowly starting to like it. That being said, one of the textures I have not been very fond of since I was a kid is mushy (is that even a valid word?). The fact that some dishes change their consistency from the kitchen to the table used to
be dreadful to me until a recent trip to Guadalajara, home of Tequila, where I was proven wrong. There’s a type of torta, ergo a sandwich that is called a “drowned” torta. This, my friends, is said to be the most iconic dish in the state of Jalisco. The perfect companion for this dish is a cold Mexican beer. It is often eaten as a hangover dish, but it was meant for satisfying a hungry stomach originally.
I present to you, the torta ahogada.
This special torta has its origins, as I mentioned before, in Guadalajara, the capital city in the state of Jalisco, the same state where Tequila was born. This story takes place at the
beginning of the last century, when a hungry laborer came home to find only a stale piece of bread, some refried beans, pork leftovers and runny to-mato sauce that was probably meant for a salsa. The starv-ing fellow put the ingredients together, satisfied his hunger and was so pleased with the result that he begged his wife
to give him the recipe for her salsa, which is the star of this dish.
One thing that must be noted for this recipe is that the bread is a special kind of bread called birote. It is only made in Jalisco and because of the sea level height, it cannot be made anywhere else. Also, it was made to last a long time, but it would become stale pretty quickly, so the torta ahogada was the perfect solution. Soak
the stale bread in sauce and it becomes more edible before it turns mushy.
There are as many varia-tions to the salsa recipe as there are stars in the sky – well, maybe not THAT many -- but I’m here to show you the main recipe.
The main ingredient here is the tomato. This fruit (yes, it’s
a fruit) was born in Mexico. It caused such a big surprise to the Spanish and they got so used to its flavor that they took it to Europe after the con-quest. Tomatoes got to Europe in the sixteenth century, and they were not very welcome to say the least. Europeans were quite skeptical because of its sour taste and yellowish red color. It was then con-sidered either poisonous or aphrodisiac so women were
banned from cooking or eat-ing it. However, from the sev-enteenth century on, Spanish monks started introducing it in their recipes as it was cheap and fed an army. In the nine-teenth century a brilliant Ital-ian made tomato sauce and it was a huge hit. Tomatoes were then incorporated in Span-ish, Turkish, Greek, Lebanese and Arab cuisines. Therefore, tomatoes were our gift to the world. You’re welcome.
The Mexican Spanish word jitomate is only applied to to-matoes in the nation’s center. It is known as tomate in the rest of Mexico, as well as in other Spanish-speaking nations. Sinaloa is Mexico’s largest tomato producer in the North Pacific region. Tomatoes are produced to a lesser extent in the Central Pacific (Jalisco and Nayarit) and in the Central Highlands (Morelos, Tlaxcala and Mexico City).
Fun fact: tomatoes are her-maphrodite. They can turn a blueish color when lycopene (tomatoes’ and berries’ natural color) is high, and a tomato plant can drink up to two liters of water per day. That’s why they’re so watery. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
June 7, 20218
souls are numbered, imagine how long that this one has been waiting around for a spark to get into a body. When 22 and Joe fi-nally do go to earth, the resulting switched identity sequence goes on too long but is an important part of the story. In the end, there is a definite message to this film, but I’ll leave it up to you to tease it out. I suggest, however, that you learn the lesson early, and well.
Yes, I loved Soul and I heart-ily recommend it to all my adult friends. But I was curious about how a child might react. So I went to my ‘child expert’, my granddaughter Annabelle. I was curious whether she got the same things from the film that I did, so I (via her Mom) asked her what she thought the film was about. My eight-year-old grandchild responded that it was
MICHAEL MOVIE MOMENTS...
continued from page 4
COOKING LIKE A MEXICAN...
continued from page 7
‘about confidence and enjoying the little things in life’. She agreed that it was similar to Coco but liked the music better. As usual, she said more in a few short sentences than I said in this entire essay.
So, this is an incredible movie, but I find one big flaw. I’ve commented about how it is almost two different movies -- the New York City jazz scene and the other world scene. Each has its own visual and musical style and while the characters do transition, they behave dif-ferently because the worlds are so different. What I really wanted to see, and to hear, is a more di-rect linkage between these two worlds. I think the relationship
between the essence of jazz -- the harmony found in life’s sponta-neity -- and the essence of 'spark' could have been illustrated more directly. Nonetheless, it is still an outstanding movie. For this reason, I give it 4.5 Stars.
Available on Disney + and Netflix DVD. And to Rent ($20) on Apple / YouTube / Vudu / Google / Amazon. ,
Back to the torta ahogada. My first tip is to eat it as soon as it’s served so you don’t end up with a bowl of unrecogniz-able mush and have a spoon
handy because things will get quite messy. Warning: if you go to a place where tortas ahogadas are served, take into consideration that “ahogada” means the whole piece of bread will be soaked in spicy hot salsa. Half “ahog-ada” means only half of the bread will be soaked in spicy salsa. But the whole thing will be either way soaked in non-spicy tomato salsa. So, if you ever order one, make sure you know this unless you want a fiery trip to the toilet later.
Ingredients: 8 stale (day old) bolillo
pieces of bread (I don’t think you’ll find the typical birote for this, but day old bolillo will
do the trick) 600 grams of braised pork 1 cup refried beans (any
kind. These can come straight from the can as they are only for smudging a little on the bread)
7 tomatoes 1 onion 3 garlic cloves 1 spoonful of oregano 100 grams of tree chili
(that’s what it’s called every-where)
1 cup of water ½ cup white vinegar Preparation: Boil tomatoes, onion and
garlic together. Once that’s cooked, add the oregano and strain. Keep warm.
Roast chilies and blend with vinegar, water and salt. Set aside. This is your spicy salsa.
Warm up the braised pork and the beans separately.
Open the buns, smear them with beans and stuff them with pork.
Once the torta is done, drown it in a deep-ish dish so all the sauce makes a little pool around it.
Thinly slice some onions and add some lime and a little oregano for topping.
Put the spicy sauce on the table for any brave folks out there.
Pretty simple, huh? I told you I would give you the ba-sic recipe. Some people may say this is insane and that it’s nothing like their abuelitas make, but that’s the reason there are so many variations to the recipe. Remember ev-eryone has their own take on things, and even more so when it comes to Mexican food.
Until next time, if there’s anything you’d like me to know, any questions or sug-gestions you can reach me at [email protected] ,
COCINA A LA COCINA A LA LEÑALEÑAWOOD FIRED KITCHENWOOD FIRED KITCHEN
Km. 34 Km. 34 11//22 Free Road Tij-Ens, Rosarito, Baja. Ph. (661) 614 6251 / E-mail: trentaquattro34@ Free Road Tij-Ens, Rosarito, Baja. Ph. (661) 614 6251 / E-mail: [email protected]
