Enjoyed by my mother at Mexico City restaurant el Bajío, this dish is called Chiles en Nogada. Nogal means walnut tree, and the dish is made from a poblano chili filled with picadillo, a ground meat and spice mixture, and served with a walnut-based cream sauce and finished with pomegranate seeds. All together it is white red and green, the colors of the Mexican flag!! Viva Mexico!

Joe Yu sent in these photos of his favorite street food in Taipei, the oyster omelet. Based on the photos, I’m sold.

A big pot of Escamoles, or Ant Eggs, sent in by Philip from Mexico City. These are fried in butter with shallots. Giddy up!

I am going to profile a few of my favorite things, starting with coconut smoothies. Fresh coconut is delicious and in the form of a cold refreshing smoothie it makes the perfect indulgence on a hot afternoon, with a sensuality that no beer can rival.

Now I want to try the alcoholic version.

This via REUTERS/Dwi Oblo: cobra meat burgers. At foodandtell.com, we are fond of camel burgers, but this is a new one for us. Apparently hunters in Central & East java catch 1000 cobras per week for burgers priced at about $1.15 each. And just like every time people consume snakes, there is talk of an increase in sexual viritlity. Giddy-up!

Aside: I think this is the least appealing restaurant action shot I’ve seen in a while.

My grandmother turned a respectable 85 yesterday, and as part of the festivities chapulines (grasshoppers) were bought from a truck vendor. She lives in an affluent area of Mexico City called Lomas de Chapultepec, which derives its name from a Nahuatl phrase meaning “Grasshopper Hill.”

Chapulines are toasted on a comal (clay cooking surface) with garlic, lime juice and salt containing extract of agave worms, and must be thoroughly cooked to avoid health risks. Typically imported from Oaxaca, they taste nutty-salty-sour, and are served in various ways, in this case simply with lime and chili powder. Some prefer to eat them in a cheese quesadilla and they make for an excellent bar snack.

I have just returned from a belly-busting Mexican food marathon in Acapulco, where our tireless chef prepared dish after delectable dish. We swam in seas of salsa, rode the highs of habanero and conceived countless cheese babies. We snacked on cacahuate japones by the bucket, crunched the chicharrón from a thousand pigs and passed around endless plates of Jícama con chili y limon. We washed it all down with fresh Agua de Jamaica, Tamarind, Pineapple and Papaya. We quaffed bottles of 100% agave Tequila and swam in rivers of delicious Mexican beer: Bohemia, Negro Modelo, Victoria, Dos Equis and Tecate.  What I present to you is a photo essay of the most memorable dishes and ingredients, so that you may vicariously gain 10 pounds and consider what you should be demanding from your neighborhood Mexican restaurant (or next holiday).

Crème fraiche & Cream – served without restraint or logic

Salsas - were a part of every meal, from mild to hot, some more familiar than others. Guajillo and Pasilla were the most intriguing.

Fresh Fruit – every morning

Guava – popular snack

Frijoles – served with everything

Huevos Rancheros – an early favorite, oft-repeated

Huevos Mexicanos

Soups – every day we had some delicious homemade soup. I stopped taking photos, but my favorites were Aztec Soup and Fideo Soup.

Quesadillas, often with Flor de Calabaza – served natural and fried, with corn and occasionally flour tortillas and healthy quantities of cheese. Flor de Calabaza (Zucchini flower) is interesting, but not my favorite.

Tacos de Pollo – no trip could do without

Chilaquiles – made to order, not quite in the style I am used to, but divine

Enchiladas – tasted even more beautiful than it looks

Tostadas – always fun, even when it breaks and ends up on your shirt

Chicken Mole – from scratch and otherworldly. I broke my no seconds rule for this one. I wish I watched her make it!

Dorado (Dolphin-fish) – a savory white fish, working well in a strong vegetable sauce

Sopes – delicious bean and cheese vehicles

Chile Rellenos – one of my favorites, the pepper had some kick and was packed with cheese.

Nopales – as a part of a BBQ on Xmas day, we grilled Nopales, young pads from the prickly pear cactus. These are often used in salads, and the grilled version was the highlight of the night.

Pozole – pork and hominy stew, well known as a hangover remedy, is one of the best meals we had. It is served plain and then loaded up with the “fixings” pictured.

Verdolagas & Green Tomato Sauce – Considered a weed in some countries, Verdologas is contains more omega-3 fatty acids than any other leaf vegetable. It is sour, salty and mucilaginous, and lends itself to soups and sauces. With a new name and a keen marketing strategy, this stuff could take the North American health food scene by storm.

Crepes de Cajeta – crowd pleaser, ideal with a scoop of ice cream

Agua de Jamaica

Outdoor Dining Room & BBQ

The Kitchen

Ostrich eggs are the largest eggs in the world and this Barcelona Deli is filled with them.

Thanks Javier

Thanks Ian and good morning!