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Mexican food as it should be

By Jeremy Schwartz | Monday, March 10, 2008, 10:30 AM

We just returned from a weeklong jaunt through Jalisco and Guerrero states, visiting some little pueblos that traditionally send migrants to the U.S. The trip was interesting no doubt, but had the added bonus of featuring some of the finest food we’ve sampled since coming to Mexico. My advice for food lovers coming to Mexico: finagle yourselves some invitations to home-cooked dinners in the rural countryside.

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Our first home-cooked meal was in the town of Los Guajes, high in the mountains outside of Acapulco. Nancy and I were invited to the home of the local organizer fighting a huge hydroelectric dam that would flood his town. On huge outdoor ovens and grills, his wife cooked up strips of exquisitely seasoned beef, a fierce and delicious salsa, and the best corn tortillas I’ve ever tasted. They were made of blue corn and were thick and flavorful enough to enjoy by themselves with a little salsa and salt. The meal was simple, but filled with flavor. We were especially grateful for the meat - a luxury in a town where most people fight for subsistence.

Our second home-cooked meal was much more extravagant. Still in Guerrero state, we found ourselves on the rugged coast south of Acapulco. A local migrant leader was taking us on a tour of an Afro-Mexican town along a salty lagoon, when we ran into the aunt of his driver and associate. Before we could blink, preparations were in motion for a lavish affair: fried fish and crab caught minutes earlier in the lagoon accompanied by fresh coconut water, avocados, and more thick, hand-rolled corn tortillas. The fish and the crab were seasoned with onion, garlic and salt before they were deep fried over a roaring wood fire. Someone ran to the store for Coronas and Cokes. The glow from such a meal is unlike anything you can find at a Mexico City restaurant, and I’ll be savoring those feasts in my mind for years to come.

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