Treasure of Mexican Convent Cookery dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe

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To understand Mexican culture you must see at first hand how the Catholic faith melded with a system of pagan beliefs to make a uniquely, truly Mexican religion.  The same melding holds true for our distinctive cuisine.  It is mestizo — “hybridized,” “of mixed blood,” a concept central to our identity  —  and it took time to develop.

Europeans learned to cook Mexican ingredients their way, while the Indian peoples started cooking European ingredients (including previously unknown meats and poultry brought by the conquerors) their way.  Something unprecedented was happening for the Spaniards: an element of deliberate “creation” or choice was introduced into the cooking they had taken for granted on their own soil. A new cuisine was now self-consciously being developed at a time when the printed word made it possible to hold up a mirror to change.

The  first professional European cooks arrived in Mexico as part of the religious orders sent out from Spain for the purpose of converting the heathen. The holy mission of certain select brothers and sisters was to cook for the viceroys, colonial governors, and princes of the Church. These monks and nuns arrived in Mexico with the seeds or slips of Old World plants such as wheat, rice, carrots, globe onions, peas, almonds, sesame, coriander, citrus fruits, and quinces. (They in turn sent seeds and slips of New World products to their convents around the world.) Those that thrived were soon combined with native ingredients to create new or old-new dishes.

Some of the best known classic Mexican dishes were conceived by nuns. including chiles en nogada and mole poblano.  Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, the brilliant poetess, is credited with creating the clemole in the tamal.  If you ever have the chance to buy a gift book called gorgeous and charming Delicias de Antano by Teresa Castello Yturbide  that beautifully describes the food produced in certain convents, grab it.  It will be expensive but worth every penny.  (I just happened to look in amazon.com and they have one used copy for $144.00).

Treasure of Mexican Convent Cookery
dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe
Caldo
Sopa de Camote
Sweet potato soup made with beef stock, aromatic spices, cilantro and lime- topped with crispy beef threads. (Convento de San José de Gracias, Queretaro)
9.50
Botanas
Volovan con Mole Poblano
Volovan topped with chicken in the classic mole from the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla made with ancho and pasilla chile, peanuts, sesame seeds, and anise
11.50
Tamal con Clemole de Oaxaca
Corn masa filled with pork, chicken, and longaniza (Mexican sausage) in pasilla chiles, roasted tomatoes, ground coriander seed, canela and other aromatic spices.
(Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz)
9.50
Chile en Nogada
Poblano chile filled with a shredded beef picadillo with citron, dried fruits and aromatic spices, topped with creamy walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds.
(Convento de Santa Monica, Puebla)
13.00
Platos Fuertes
Pescado Conventual
Butterflied grilled red snapper marinated in mole ranchero of guajillo, pasilla and ancho chiles. Served on a bed of cucumber salad
22.00
Pierna Rellena
Boned chicken leg and thigh stuffed with ham, ground pork and beef, pecans, pine nuts, pimientos and parsley with an ancho chile glaze
18.50
Verdura
Ratatouille Mexicano
Chayote, zucchini and tomatoes sautéed with green chiles, garlic and coriander
8.50