Almost final stuf....

The penultimate cocktail hour...

Claire took a one-day cooking class at Los Naranjas, a fine nuevo cocina restaurant in the neighborhood. She learned to make this delicious first course, plantains in salsa. Plantains must be cooked, and I'm in love with the dessert presentation: sauted and served with crema. And, I picked up another way to serve them at Ganesh Cooperative, in San Marcos, Guatemala. But, this was totally different, and I love it! Claire, Jim, Stuart and I had sunset cocktails, with popcorn of course, and she shared the largese from her class.

Slice the plantains into thick coins, leave the skins on. Bring them to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, and let cool. Peel, mash. Add a tiny bit of flour, and form into a ball. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Griddle roast two tomatoes, 1/2 onion and 1 or 2 serrano chiles. Peel, reserving the juices. Whirl in the blender until smooth. Set aside.

From little balls with the plantain/flour mixture, press a piece of quesillo, or rope cheese into the ball, and roll into a small log. Saute each log in a little olive oil. Serve on top of the salsa. Delicious!

Paul, Stuart and I walked out to the city cemetary one recent morning. Stuart I like to go there to see the artwork and enjoy the quiet. The cemetery was begun in the small pox epidemic in the 1840's. At the time, the cemetary was far outside the city. Then, a cholera epidemic hit the city in the 1870's. The city hired an architect to build a wall around the growing cemetary, which was still far from the city. The wall is beautiful, and boasts 100 arches, creating a covered walkway around the perimeter. There are vaults built into the outside wall of the wall. Of course, now the cemetary is in town, and has expanded to several times the original size.

This photo is of the original center of the cemetary. This cross has what we think are masonic symbols, Mayan symbols and christian symbols scultped in it. The base is thick with wax, from the most recent Day of the Dead celebration.

Later that same day, Arlene met us, and we had the best memelitas in town for lunch. Small, hand-made tortillas, curled up at the edges, swiped with asciento, bean puree and, in this case, avocado, cilantro, tomato and onion, all chopped.

The weekly State Symphony concert was moved to the beautiful Macedonia Alcala Theater, just one block from the zocalo. The threat of teacher demonstration cancelled the concert last weekend, and apparently they decided to take no chances today. It's the last concert of the regular season, but I understand they play occasionally during the summer. The Alcala Theater is almost as beautiful as Thalian Hall, built about the same time, and in the same style. Lolita, Arlene, Paul, Stuart and I walked to the theater together, meeting the rest of the 'hood on the way. We laughed, as we all headed upstairs to the box seats, to get a good view, and we all ended up side-by-side. They put on a wonderful last show, just for Stuart and me, I believe! Paul recognized the Missoursgky as a piece that Emerson, Lake and Palmer covered on a 1971 album...they also played one Bach, one Chopin, a Glenn Miller medley, and a piece by a Cuban composer whose name I don't remember. We love 'our' little maestro, he has so much energy and animation!

Paul, Arlene, Lolita and Stuart in our box at the concert.


We've had several "last supper's", not just evening meals. Today, we had breakfast at our favorite, Marco Polo, by the Llano park. A pretty, garden restaurant that is popular with the locals. Yesterday, we had a last tlayuda, a sort of mexican pizza, at our favorite puesta in the mercado, and a last nieve after the concert today. Tuna and coco, flowers of the cactus called tuna, and coconut.

We've packed, not too much work. The food left, not much, will go to Manuel and Josefina, and I'm giving Josefina the blender I bought. The neighbors are stopping by this afternoon to say goodbye, but we'll probably see them in the morning, we leave at 9am. Now, time for our last sunset cocktails on the roof, and then esquites on the street for dinner.

Adios, Oaxaca!