The Best Flan !

I love the creamy texture of this flan!  And it is easy to make.

In a saucepan, heat 2 cups of granulated sugar over a medium/high heat.  Tilting and rotating the pan as the sugar starts to melt and caramelize.  Once all the sugar has caramelized, pour into a 2 1/2 quart ring mold.  Tilt the mold to coat the bottom and sides evenly.  Let cool.  (Note: I have also used a bread pan for the mold)

Mix in a large bowl:
       8  egg yolks
       2  14-0unce cans sweetened condensed milk
2 1/2  cups milk
2 1/2  teaspoons vanilla

In a separate bowl beat until frothy:
      8  egg whites   

Whisk the egg whites into the milk mixture.

Pour the custard into the mold.
Set into a baking dish and pour enough hot water into the dish so that it is two thirds of the way up the sides of the mold.
Bake flan in a 350 oven for 45 to 55 minutes OR until a knife is inserted into the center of the flan comes out clean.
Let cool and then refrigerate.
Un-mold flan onto a serving platter and pour the caramel over the top.
Serves 8 - 10.

Buen Provecho.

The Curtis Club in Denver

The Curtis Club is a new dining spot that just recently opened in downtown Denver.    The decor is in keeping with the old west.  The facade is made up of weathered re-claimed lumber.

The theme is continued inside with some Victorian chairs and a sofa upholstered in red,  red and gold antler pattern wallpaper, big chunky wood benches and wide plank wood floors.  The R and B music in the background is a great touch.

The wood tables are highly lacquered and set with a water glass that gives off the illusion that there is water already in it.

The room has an assortment of  ranch motifs with its tractor seat bar stools and wagon wheels set into a few tables.  Behind the bar is a large photo of a serene lake scene.

I had the the Blackened Seabass Sandwich which was delicious.  If you do not like spicy food, have the kitchen hold back on some of the seasoning.  The greens, basil ailoli and roasted pickled tomato were the perfect combination with the seabass inside a yummy Ciabatta roll. The fries that day were good but they could have been a bit more crispier which we have had before.
My husband's favorite is the the Hanger Steak Sandwich served on a Ciabatta roll.    I have heard the Bison Bolognese is excellent.

Next time we will go for dinner and there are several items on the menu that really peak my interest.  To Share: the Rabbit Rillette.  To Continue: Spring Tree Farms Rabbit, Maple Leaf Farm Duck Plate, Summit Creek lamb Rack or the Cedar River Grass Fed Beef Tenderloin. And the prices are certainly reasonable.  I hope the room will not be too crowded, with all the hard surfaces, it can be pretty noisy.  There are a few tables outside, so that would be a good option once the weather warms up a bit.

The Curtis Club
2100 Curtis St.
Denver
#720-420-9898

You just have to love these Cowboy Shirts!

I am amazed by all the wonderful cowboy shirts I see around Mexico, especially in the market in San Miguel de Allende.  This handsome caballero was very proud to show off his colorful shirt.

Love the Alacran (scorpion) on the back of this man's shirt.

The abstract cross with wings at the top was pretty cool.  But then again, I like red with the touch of the yellow belt and the blue jeans.

Same design but a bit more literal.  Good thing is has a long shirttail!

MUFI- The Stamp Museum in Oaxaca

MUFI - the Philatelic Museum, the only museum of its kind in the entire Latin America.  
In 1840, it was the English postal service that created the first stamp.  And with that, stamp collecting was born.  
 
But it was not until 1856 when Mexico issued its first stamp, the blue Hidalgo for half a real.

As you enter the MUFI, there is a large map of the world with a trail from different countries to the stamps on display.  I was intrigued by the hot air balloon stamps for the Cook Islands

And this stamp of Lucy hugging the lion, Aslon, from the movie Narnia.

The interior is very serene with four courtyards.

The blooming bougainvillea was simply magnificent against the blue sky.

One of the courtyards had table and chairs in it where we sat and wrote a few postcards to friends back in the states.  The adobe walls had a series of contemporary stamps that had been enlarged on display. 

I love the simple graphics of this street scene.

And the Calaca (skeleton) with his guitar.

And these cars are just great.

There is a workshop, mostly used for children programs.  The picture of the large white seagull in flight was created by only using stamps!

On my last visit to the museum, there was an exhibition on baseball stamps.

This baseball park had billboards lining the stadium all featuring baseball stamps.

What a great stamp, so simple but so "all baseball".  
Like the Museum of Contemporary Art, I can hardly wait to see what the next exhibition will be.

The gift shop is also a little gem.  I bought some great stamps, a book and few other gift items.

Museo de Filatelia
Calle Reforma 504
Open Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00am - 8:00pm
Free

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Oaxaca

MACO, Museum of Contemporary Art, is a magnificent building located right in the heart of the historic center in Oaxaca City.  This colonial mansion was built in the late 1600's.  It originally belonged to Pinelo and Lazo de La Vega family whose coats of arms are carved in stone with Saint Miguel in the center niche.  The building has passed through many hands, one being a professor at the Institute of Sciences and Arts in the early 1900's.  An interesting tidbit, he was the first person to own a car in Oaxaca.
In 1992, it was the efforts of artist, Francisco Toledo, who together with the National Institute of Fine Arts that MACO came to be.  It was later restored in 2009. 

 The Museum also has bikes for rent.

Last March I shot this photo of the large gallery on the second floor with its windows overlooking Calle Macedonia Alcala. 

What I love about MACO is that there is always changing exhibitions of contemporary art of all medias by well known national and international artist.  This last October, this exact space had taken on a new life with these mesmerizing murals. 

The current exhibition, Hecho en Oaxaca (Made in Oaxaca), is composed of works of twelve diverse national artists depicting forms of street art.  I just love how this artist so skillfully created these images above and below without being constricted by the room's corners.

This exhibition continues out in the streets of the city where the facades of historic buildings take on a new life as temporary canvases. The scene just magically flows.

It is brilliant on how the angles of the painted wood sculptures interact with the images painted on the walls.

"Reflejos de Huido" by Lapitola is beautifully done.   I love this little boy deep in thought (reflejos / reflections) surrounded by the birds fleeing (huido) from the birdcage.

The open birdcage just completes the scene.

One of my favorites murals is "Festin"  (feast) by Saner.

What a magnificent pagan feast.

This wall I coveted and would love to have that painted in that exact blue on my white stucco wall in my backyard.  Maybe a summer project...

My friend Bonnie could not have had a better outfit on that day to have this black and white mural as her backdrop. 

Yescka's Last Supper is pretty wild.  It reminds me of a scene right out of Quentin Tarantino's vampire movie, To Dusk To Dawn starring George Clooney, Harvey Keitel and Julliette Lewis.

The Museum is a spectacular building with outstanding art.   I can hardly wait to see what the next exhibition will be.

Museum Of Contemporary Art - MACO
Calle Macedonio Alcala 202
Open Daily except Tuesday:  10am - 8pm
And, there is a nice gift shop too!
 

Happy Valentine's Day

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

3 sticks (3/4 lb.) sweet butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3 cups flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

With a mixer, cream butter and sugar until light.
Add the flour and salt, then the vanilla.  Mix well.
Gather dough into a large disc, wrap in wax paper and chill.
Roll out chilled dough to 1/4" thickness. Using a 3" heart cookie cutter, cut out cookies.
Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake in a 325 oven for 15 minutes or until the cookies just start to color lightly (not brown).
Cool on a rack.

Makes 30.

I stacked a few of the cookies on a large square piece of cellophane that I had cut with my scalloped pinking shears.  Then I tied it up with a white grow grain ribbon along with a silver heart milagro.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Join me on an Oaxacan Adventure in October

An Oaxacan Adventure in October

I have put together an eight day guided tour in Oaxaca 
and the Oaxaca valleyfor October 5 - 13, 2014.

For those who have joined me on my San Miguel de Allende tours and my Artisan and Architecture tour in the state of Michoacan, I know if you join me again, Oaxaca will also capture your heart.

The main plaza, the zocalo, is one of the most spectacular in all of Mexico with its gazebo that usually has mariachis or a marimba band playing in it at night, vibrant cafes and restaurants lining the plaza on the main and second floor, the Cathedral on one side, towns people visiting...

One morning we will explore Monte Alban, the Zapotec ruins that was founded around 500 B.C..  At its grandest, over 25,000 people lived here.

The architecture is diverse from this 16th century monastery in Cuilapam, the brilliant painted church in Ocotlan, the Baroque Santo Domingo Church in the historic center of Oaxaca with its amazing ethnobotanical gardens off to one side to the impressive modern building that houses the only stamp collection in Mexico.

Oaxacan cuisine is some of the  most interesting and colorful in the world.

It is known for its queso de Qaxaca (string cheese), tlyuadas (above), chocolates, empanadas with squash blossoms...
And famous for its numerous and diverse moles. 
We will visit the City of Oaxaca market, the true spirit and soul of Oaxaca 

with the indigenous people dressed in their colorful clothing.
A real stimulation of the senses.
We will take in a cooking class one day.

We will visit many of the Oaxacan masters in their villages such as the Aguilar Sisters famous for their ceramic figures,the Bulmaro weaving family in Teotitlan de Valle known for their rugs and natural dyes, the workshop of Jacobo and Maria Angels world renown for their hand-carved wood painted Alebrijos (animals), the Nevarro Gomez family in Santo Tomas Jalieza and see them at work on their back-strap looms...

There is an abundance of museums:  Rodolfo Morales Museum in Ocotlan, Rufino Tamayo Museum with its Pre-columbian collection,
Museum of Textiles and Museum of Contemporary art in Oaxaca.   
There are cutting edge galleries in the historic center of town. 
Lovely climate and fabulous restaurants.

Oaxaca has maintained its artistic identity.
The culture, folk art, contemporary art, music, native dress, cuisine....

An adventure I would love to share with you.
I already have a few commitments!  

Please let me know if you are interested in joining me at your earliest convenience 
and I will send you additional information.



An Oaxacan Adventure in October
Sunday, October 5 - 13, 2014.



Robin Mullen
robindsg@aol.com