Photo courtesy of Rancho La Puerta
Mexico’s Wild Mushrooms
It may surprise you to know that Mexico is home to a wide variety of wild mushrooms. Since the days of the Mexica (Aztecs), mushrooms have been used for a wide variety of medicinal, religious, and culinary purposes. In the Sierra Norte in Oaxaca, there are over 2,500 species of hongos silvestres (wild mushrooms) that can be found. You can find wild mushrooms at Mexican markets but always ask how to prepare the mushroom. Many wild mushrooms that can be found in the markets are only to be used for medicinal or religious purposes and can be poisonous if ingested. If you’re looking for a hearty autumnal mushroom recipe, try Rancho La Puerta’s Winter Mushroom Soup (pictured above).
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Thanksgiving in Baja
While Thanksgiving is not a holiday traditionally celebrated in Mexico, there are plenty of ways you can still have a Thanksgiving meal while traveling in Baja. In some larger cities you’ll likely be able to find a restaurant or two doing special Thanksgiving meals. If you’re camping, you can pit cook a turkey in the sand on the beach. Here’s a great story and grouping of recipes from REI on how to cook an entire traditional Thanksgiving meal over a campfire. And whether you’re in Baja or the U.S., you should definitely be enjoying a bottle of Baja wine with your meal. Check out the LMA website to get Baja wines shipped to your house in the U.S.
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New Ensenada Restaurant
The historic Museo Goldbaum in Ensenada is now Museo Cantina de Vinos, a new restaurant featuring Mexico wines. The project is focused on bringing together a collection of great wines to be enjoyed with good food and music. Open Thurs-Tues from 1pm to 11pm.