This is an event that everybody seems happy to participate in was originally started by the late Morley Eager of La Nueva Posada 35 years ago.

There is a new addition to the Chili Cook Off this year and that is the Best Lakeside Margarita Contest which will be held on Friday, February 10th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Ten restaurants are competing in this contest among them #FOUR Restaurant and Adelita’s of San Antonio. Also on Friday is the Salsa Tasting Competition with both professional and home cooks competing. There is a $200.00 entrance fee for the Margarita Contest and you can apply by going to their website: www.mexicanchilicookoff.com

There is also going to be a Duck Race sponsored by the Cruz Rojo in the large pools on the grounds and the first place winner will win a 32’ flat screen TV.

There will be many booths selling everything from clothes and jewelry to food, drinks and arts and crafts. The full schedule for each of the three days will be posted soon on their web site.

On Saturday, February 11th the home cooks compete for the People’s Choice Award in Chili and on Sunday the restaurants compete for the coveted first place prize.

All proceeds of the Chili Cook Off go to local charities.

Volunteers are needs to sell tickets at the gate, control traffic within the grounds, to sell raffle tickets during the cook off and to help handle the ticket money. To volunteer contact: donandjim@hotmail.com

This annual event is a lot of fun for the whole family and there is entertainment for all ages.
Plan to attend to support our very worthwhile local charities.

See you there!

La Nueva Posada is located in the village of Ajijic on Donato Guerra # 9. Tel. # 766-1444 and you can reach them by email at: nuevaposada@prodigy.net.

La Nueva Posada is always looking for new and innovative ways to serve their customers and they change their menu often in the lovely dining room with the outdoor patio overlooking picturesque Lake Chapala.

Here are the new Daily Specials:

Monday – Swiss Enchilada Platter served with rice and refried beans. The sauce is made from fresh green tomatillos.

Tuesday – Wienerschitzel Holstein served with herb mashed potatoes and red cabbage. (This dish is a personal favorite of mine.)

Wednesday – Chopped Sirloin Steak topped with caramelized onions, herb mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. (Order early as this dish sells out quickly.)

Thursday – Sizzling Chicken Fajita Platter served with guacamole, sour cream, salsa and tortillas.

Friday – Their Famous Fish and Chip Platter served with Tartar sauce and coleslaw.

All daily specials are $65.00 pesos.

Also on the regular menu you will find the very welcome addition of Sea Bass al gusto (as you like it).

For breakfast, lunch or dinner La Nueva Posada is consistently good with excellent service and an unbeatable location with a magnificent view.

See you there! Buen Provcho!

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years with family and very good friends but I am delighted the season is over as it seems to be a very hectic time of year.

Last night our friends had a magnificent dinner at their beautiful home here in Ajijic for our son and his fiancé who are getting married in February. Unfortunately, our friends will both be travelling at that time so very generously hosted a catered dinner by Laurent which was spectacular.

Their home was beautifully decorated for the occasion and the food was amazing. They very graciously had invited the bride’s family and there were a total of 14 people around the gorgeous table with napkins in the shape of roses and what seemed like hundreds of cream candles shimmering brightly on crisp white linen.

Everyone had a wonderful time and everyone got along beautifully with a great deal of laughter. The appetizers were varied and succulent and the excellent wine plentiful. There was a French Onion Soup or Caesar Salad to start and a choice of Herb Crusted Lamb Loin or Salmon with a Castor Sugar Glaze for the main. A traditional Croquembouche was served for dessert which was particularly considerate as the bride’s family is French.

I think the best ingredient of the evening was the appreciation of my son and his fiancé that such a beautiful, spectacular evening had been held in their honor. In fact the appreciation went beyond them to all of the guests who had a splendid evening in a fabulous setting, with wonderful food, wine and the company of both families and our very dear friends and their beautiful daughter.

Another surprise was ad trio of live music of an amazing young violinist that we knew from La Nueva Posada.

It was a great way to end the festive holiday season and open the next happy phase of the wedding.

Our thanks go out to our dear friends and great hosts for their love, warmth and incredible generosity. We are very lucky indeed to have you in our lives.

We wish everyone a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Now we have New Year’s Eve to look forward to spending with family and friends. Many are having a quiet dinner at home or going to a house party and many others are going out to one the excellent restaurants here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala to partake of a gala New Year’s Eve Gourmet dinner with dancing and champagne at midnight.
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We have a lot going on this holiday season. All our children are home which is terrific. We are particularly happy our son and his fiancé are back safely from Phuket, Thailand.

We had a lovely adult Christmas Eve dinner at our house with family and dear friends and Christmas Day we also had dinner at home complete with all children and our almost 8 month old grandson and 6 year old step granddaughter. It was terrific to see Christmas through the eyes of young children and we are very grateful for our wonderful family.

We have three more formal dinners to go to over the next week and also a night out of dancing.

Things will settle down January 3rd, 2012 and then we have four weeks of relative peace and quiet before our family from up north start arriving for our son’s wedding in February. My husband, naturally, has invited them to all stay with us which is going to be a serious logistical problem which I will think about later.

By the end of February we will begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel and will look back on this time with fond warmth and treasure the great memories of us all being together.

Serious diets will be embarked on with great enthusiasm and rigid exercise programs reinstated.

Golf dates will resume and life will go on in our beautiful village in the sun.

We would like to wish everyone a Very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. We are all looking forward to 2012 being a better year for all

There is a guy from New York who makes the best meatballs you have ever tasted.

Here are some more of the items available:

Handmade Crafts for Christmas
Necklaces
Scarves
Hats
Decorative Items
Soft Stuffed Animals
Jewelry
Organic Beauty Products
Purses

Sauces, soups, middle eastern food, cakes, pies, gluten free products, Weight Watchers food with points, cookies (my favorite were the delicious oatmeal), preserves and pickles, organic wine and coffee from Oaxaca and, of course, the simply spectacular Slice of Heaven cheesecakes.

All prices are very reasonable and it is a great place to do your Christmas shopping and perhaps indulge in a treat for you.

All the booths have friendly staff and are very eager to help and answer questions.

I liked a lot of the handmade Christmas decorations and wreaths which would adorn any home and make it very warm and Christmasy.

Come next Monday November 21st from 10:00 am – 12 noon and see all the wonderful selections for yourself.

See you there!

The new Monday Market opens Monday, November 14th and the hours are from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

This new market features some of Ajijic’s best cooks and artisans selling prepared food to go and hand made craft items.

The market will have a enticing selection of baked goods, Middle Eastern Food such as hummus, roasted peppers and baba ganoush and much much more.

Also soups will be available.

There will be a selection of scrumptious cheesecakes under the name “Slice of Heaven” and these are some of the flavors available:

Double Chocolate Cheesecake
Creamy milk chocolate cheesecake topped with a layer of silky smooth dark chocolate ganache.

NY Style Cheesecake
The simple, classic crowd pleaser. Optional fresh fruit topping of your choice.

Pumpkin Cheesecake
A scrumptious twist on the holiday favorite pumpkin pie. Topped with real whipped cream, a touch of vanilla, and caramelized pecans.

Candy Bar Cheesecake
Classic NY cheesecake with your favorite candy bar swirled in. Snickers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Butterfingers, Toblerone… the possibilities are endless, and delicious!

Cappuccino, S’mores, Peanut Butter Swirl, and Oreo Cheesecakes also available.

Have a favorite cheesecake and it’s not on the list? No problem. We are happy to whip up any special request as long as the specific ingredients are available. We are confident you will be delighted with the results.

*All our cheesecakes are all homemade with top quality ingredients. If you would like to place a special order please inform us of any allergies so that we can take the necessary precautions. Reduced fat and reduced sugar cakes can be easily made upon request.

I will be adding more detailed information about other cooks offerings in due course.

Come and enjoy the opening on Monday, Novebmer 14 at 10:00 am and also visit their page on Facebook – Monday Market.

This wonderful new market is opening just in time to help you with all your holiday entertaining.

Now I consider myself a bit of a bread connoisseur and I can tell you it is the best bread I have ever eaten.

There were also several other types of fresh bread in different flavors and shapes. They also have fresh muffins, and baked treats of all types, sized and shapes. Everything seems to be ready about 10:00 am and I strongly recommend you sample some of these delicious fresh daily baked goods.

I am not surprised that Poncho is once again doing everything he can to make shopping at Superlake a wonderful and personal experience with good service and almost everything one can think of available.

If what you require is not available ask to speak to Poncho and he will have it for you in a couple of days.

A complaint that some expats have is that the prices are expensive at Superlake. My response to that is that you have a choice of selecting imported products or buying local and Mexican products. I like to have the choice and as we have a number of cooks in our family I need the assortment of specialty ingredients able to fulfill all recipes.

I do shop at Walmart about twice a month for certain things but Superlake is definitely my “go to” supermarket.

I shop at Superlake every day and I always enjoy it. The staff is friendly and helpful and I always find whatever I need. I also like that many Kirkland products available at Superlake. You may pay a few pesos more for these items but, for me, it beats a trip into Guadalajara with all the stress of traffic and parking difficulties not to mention the joys of the glorietas (roundabouts).

I also want to mention that Poncho has fabulous whole beef tenderloins and boneless legs and racks of lamb available from Cosco in his freezer. We have sampled both and were delighted with both the beef and the lamb.

Poncho still has some delicious Butternut Squash in the store and everything else you will need for your Thanksgiving Feast.

Christmas Tress (Arboles de Navidad) will be available soon and will be delivered without charge to your door.

We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday as our son-in-law is a chef and has to work today.

It was truly a family affair but without the snow and football games. My husband did the appetizers and pre-dinner drinks. He made barbequed red and white wine salami with country Dijon mustard and chili gueras stuffed with an Asian beef and pork concoction reminiscent of the filling in Crystal Chop, a wonderful Asian dish with iceberg lettuce. He made a pitcher of Whiskey Sours which were very 30’s and reminded me of a cocktail hour with Cole Porter.

I did the traditional stuffed, roasted turkey, gravy made with homemade stock, Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash and mashed potatoes a la Gordon Ramsay. It was the first time we had had butternut squash and it is now my favorite of the squashes having a wonderful flavor and bright orange color. Naturally, we had whole cranberry sauce and several bottles of red and white wine.

My daughter made her now world famous Pumpkin Cheese Cake with extra caramel sauce and pralines and it was truly a spectacular meal.

It was our grandson’s first Thanksgiving (now 5 months old) and he was very well behaved at the table of 10 family members and close friends. We, of course, missed our son and his fiancé but they are coming home from Thailand December 1st which we all are greatly looking forward to.

It was a warm evening and my equipale furniture from the terraza is being reupholstered and was supposed to be ready last Wednesday. When I phoned to see where it was I was told that it would not be ready until Tuesday and I am not going to bet the farm on that. I am sure it will be beautiful when I do get it back but it would have been jolly useful for our first dinner party of the season.

Although we do have plenty of seating in the living room everyone gathered outside nonetheless and drinks and appetizers were enjoyed standing up.

I was very happy after my fourth shopping trip to Walmart, Superlake, Tony’s and Puritan Poultry to find at Superlake beautiful bronze Bosc pears and an assortment of pumpkins to adorn our harvest table which was very pretty with our good china and pewter plates.

The turkey from Puritan Poultry was fantastic and had one of those idiot-proof buttons that pop up when the bird is done. Although I was skeptical, the button did, in fact, pop up and the turkey was perfectly cooked, moist and delicious.

Happy Thanksgiving to all and Buen Provecho!

This is our local restaurant and the food is excellent with even better prices. The menu is limited at the moment but they are quickly adding new items to it.

Soup of the day is offered along with Salmon Carpaccio (thin slices of smoked salmon Carpaccio with capers aioli and Parmesan cheese).

Poire Salad (fresh organic lettuce with pears, pistachios, sesame seeds, goat cheese, asparagus with a balsamic vinaigrette and white wine). Very tasty.

Grilled Calamari (American Calamari marinated and finished on the grill with eggplant and cherry tomatoes).

For the main they have:

Lamb Shank (slow cooked and baked with a variety of spices served with cambray potatoes with fine herbs with raspberry jelly and sautéed vegetables).

Beef Filet (USDA choice medallions of beef with mushrooms and Parmesan cheese served with mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables).

Grilled Salmon (Salmon filet marinated in ginger, mint and honey served with couscous and sautéed asparagus). The couscous was the best I have ever tasted.

Lasagna (meat lasagna with pomodoro sauce mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and served with spinach salad and sautéed green beans.

Dessert is Chocolate pudding with pecans and special desserts.

The new chef is Erika Delgadillo Fernandez formerly of Number FOUR.

The phone # for reservations is 766-4477.

I personally have had the Lamb Shank, Beef Filet and Grilled Salmon and all were excellent.

I hope everyone supports this very welcome reopening.

Buen Provecho!

Laurent is the wonderful French chef at Laurent Cuisine at Hotel Casa Blanca in Ajijic on 16 de Septiembre # 29 across from the Lake Chapala Society.

Their email address is: laurentatcasablanca@gmail.com

The phone # for reservations is 766-1500.

The hours are Tuesday to Saturday 12:30pm – 10:00 pm and Sunday 1:00pm – 9:00 pm

The menu changes often and right now is wonderful.

Appetizers include French Onion Soup, Escargots, Goat Cheese Salad, Caesar Salad, Crème Broulee of Blue Cheese and Country Pate.

The Main Courses are Loin of Lamb, Loin of Beef, Filet of Fish Meuniere, Mussels, Grilled Salmon, Seared Tuna and Confit of Duck to name a few.

Laurent is a classic French Chef and the food is delicious and beautifully prepared and presented.

The service is excellent as is their extensive wine list.

Last night my friend and I shared a bottle of crisp, perfectly chilled Pinot Grigio. My friend enjoyed the traditionally prepared Escargots with crusty French bread to sop up the wonderful garlicky sauce. I had the Goat Cheese Salad which had a delicate chevre on little rounds of French bread which served as the croutons.

For the main my friend had the perfect Herb Encrusted Lamb Loin with savory roasted potatoes and I had the Fish Filet Meuniere which was the best fish dish I have eaten since we were in France. It was delicate, perfectly cooked white fish with a fabulous Meuniere sauce of butter and parsley. I also had the tasty potatoes. So simple yet sooo delicious.

We shared Crepes Suzette flamed at our table for dessert which melted in our mouths. All in all it was a wonderful dining experience for $450.00 pesos each including a generous tip.

Bon Appetit!