Cooking with Paco in San Miguel de Allende

This will be more like a short story than a blog. It is about a day in San Miguel de Allende, where five people experienced the ultimate in a culinary adventure. It took us from the inception of a gourmet meal, to the uniquely Mexican marketplace where we found the fresh ingredients, to the preparation, the execution, and finally the feast. And along with this adventure, we met some of the coolest people we have come across in a long time.
Our host/chef/guide was Paco Cardenas. Originally from Mexico City, Paco has lived in San Miguel for 12 years where he owns and operates the finest bakery-patisserie in town, Petit Four. But Paco does a lot more. By appointment, Paco will conduct cooking classes for small groups. It all starts with Paco’s tour of the San Miguel de Allende Marketplace where everything you need is being sold by the local farmers who grow it.

Today was Mother’s Day (one day later than in the U.S.), and the market was totally alive today. In addition to block after block of fresh cuts flowers, gifts, and home made candies, the mariachis were strolling, pausing only occasionally to serenade a painting of the grandest madre of all, the Virgin of Guadalupe. Beyond the flower mart is where the real shopping and buying began. Visualize one of the best farmers' markets you've ever been to, and it's open everyday.

Here, you will find people like Carmelita who sits at a small table in “El Mercado.” Her offerings are Xoconostles (prickly pears) and limettas (sweet limes). We bought several of each.

Her neighbor in the market is Trini. She carefully scales the needles off cactus paddles, known here as nopales. We bought a few of those as well, which in a few hours will be the base for a delicious sorbet. We also bought smooth skinned avocados where you eat it all (except for the pit … though there is probably something you could do with that as well). There is fruit that looks like a giant lemon (it isn’t), and more chilies than you can imagine. Paco guided us through the maze with an explanation and the promise that later, we would see how it is all used.

Other tables were covered with fresh Mexican cheeses, marinated gazpachos, tortillas, honey, bread … mostly staffed by seasoned Mexican women.

One section of the market has dried spices and herbs, many of which are used medicinally. The man who staffs the herbs can explain to you (in Spanish) exactly what each herb is used for … everything from making a solution to put on your head to make your hair grow to an herb that you brew to cure diarrhea.

The market was simply packed today. Everyone here, like us, buying in the morning what will be on the table that night.

And, in case you don’t have the utensils at home for cooking, not only does Paco introduce you to some of the finest Mexican clay cookware (at some of the lowest prices anywhere), outside the market he will take you to a tiny kitchen store. It has been tucked in the same spot, for nearly 80 years. For 68 of those years, a woman by the name of Antonia has worked there. I knelt down next to her and chatted about how life has changed since she first stepped into the store, owned by her parents, in 1942. Nearly blind now, Antonia touches all the items as customers bring them to her to buy. By feel, she knows exactly what the item is and what the price is.

A quick stop to buy carnitas, pork deep fried in lard, which will be used later in home made tortillas. And if that isn’t enough to clog the arteries for a lifetime, there is the deep fried pork rinds, which we would later use for dipping into the three salsas we would make.

Back at Paco’s kitchen in his home overlooking the town, donned in aprons that he selected for us (!), we began the cooking process. I won’t go into the details of everything that we made, but check out the pictures. From about noon to 2:30, we were in the kitchen, slicing, chopping, pressing, mixing, blending, frying.

Paco taught us all the tricks and explained the intricacies of Mexican cuisine. We learned about
more than a dozen types of chilies and how they influence dishes in different ways. And we witnessed how simple, yet exotic, ingredients, readily available in the markets here can be transformed into a feast … including tortilla soup, squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta and epazote cheese, pablano chili strips with cream, and cactus sherbet.

With some good Mexican wine, great company, and a truly gourmet meal, it will be a day I remember for a long long time. Thanks to Paco and his partner, Oscar, for another memorable Mexican experience.

If you’re planning on a visit to San Miguel, you can contact Paco Cardenas at pacopos3@yahoo.com. And you can visit his patisserie in the center of town: Calle Mesones 99-1.