To U.S. farmers, Ustilago maydis (as it’s also known) is a disease to be irradiated. North of the border, it’s known as corn smut. To Mexicans, it’s a delicacy. You say po-tay-to; I say po-tah-to. It’s black and looks as disgusting as you would expect something a/k/a “corn smut” to be.

According to gourmetsleuth.com, huitlacoche has an “earthy and somewhat smoky” flavor. I had it cooked up in a thick, creamy soup. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, I had pollo stuffed with huitlacoche (you can never have too much raven’s excrement). The soup was good. The pollo? Well, let’s just say I should have ordered the mole. But I’m thinking that may have been the restaurant’s, not the fungi’s, fault.

If you’re thinking you want to give corn fungus a try, I’m told you can buy it canned in some Mexican markets in the U.S. Wondering what to do with your fungus? Here are some recipes. Huitlacoche souflle. Huitlacoche crepes. Huitlacoche pasta. Even corn smut ice cream.

All righty then.

One of the joys of traveling, especially when you don’t speak the language, is to see what shows up on your plate after you complete your negotiations with the mesero.

I don’t know a huevo from a cuervo but I do know the words, “Que recomendia?” A couple of days ago, lunch was deviled eggs, fish in mushroom sauce, bread with incredible salsa and pineapple juice. A strange combination (at least for a gringo) but…how do you say “happy belly” in Espanol?

Let’s just say I have an adventurous palate. For breakfast yesterday, I had a big glass of the jugo del dia from the Via Organica: cucumber-pineapple. Fue bueno. My last jugo adventure at Via Organica didn’t turn out nearly as well. I couldn’t resist trying the cactus juice. If you Google “cactus juice”, you’ll find mostly skin care products, not culinary delights. There’s a reason for that.

But let’s get to the bueno part: postre. Or more specifically, ice cream. This area of Mexico is known for its helado. Or more specifically, for its innovation in helado.

This morning I set off to the Jardin for some ice cream for breakfast. I had that whole “Life’s short, eat dessert first” thing going for me. It was way too early for tequila ice cream.  And no way I’m eating shrimp helado. Should I go for the corn? Avocado? Squash blossom?

I finally settled on the guanabana sherbet. Vientre feliz.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

The Running of the Bulls
The 3 Legged Dog, 7 a.m.
Conti Street and Burgundy Street, French Quarter
Tickets: Free
Resources: Official site | More on this event

San Fermin in Nueva Orleans replicates and pays homage to the world famous Encierro of Pamplona, Spain, or “The Running of the Bulls”, only the bulls are none other than members of the Big Easy Rollergirls. The event will begin at 7 a.m. at the Three Legged Dog bar the French Quarter. Sangria, Stella Artois beer, Spanish wines and good cheer will be available. The “running,” which winds through the streets of the Quarter, begins sharply at 8 a.m.

Not exactly.

Turns out it’s not just the 4th of July, it’s also the celebration of the independence of Mexico. Not only that but it’s the bicentennial celebration. And not only that, but the battle for Mexican independence started in the tiny town of Delores Hidalgo (also known for its shrimp ice cream), 25 miles from here, so this area is known as the Birthplace of National Independence. It’s more or less like being in Lexington, Massachusetts in 1996.

And as if that isn’t enough, it’s also the centennial celebration of the Mexican Revolution. I think we’re in for some more petardos.

The actual bicentennial of Mexican Independence isn’t until September and the centennial of the Mexican Revolution isn’t until November but the official start of the celebration is July 10th. I guess some senor (and let’s face it, we all know it wasn’t a senora shooting firecrackers at 6 am this morning) decided to start early.

Any excuse for a fiesta in San Miguel de Allende. The city is so notorious for its fiestas that a few years back (1789 to be exact), the government passed a law to quell “an excess of fiestas.” There was a local uprising, the citizenry took the matter to court and the law was repealed. It did have the effect, however, of reducing the number of fiestas to a mere 30 to 40 a year (depending on who’s counting).

Another fiesta revolt is in the making. Until a year or so ago (my Spanish isn’t good enough to glean all the details), San Miguel had its own running of the bulls in September called the Sanmiguelada. The former mayor called that to an end after the city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the cultural category in 2008.

Being declared a UNESCO site is a very big deal. There are just 689 cultural UNESCO sites in the entire world. There are six more within a day trip distance of SMA (the same as the number in the entire continental US), and I will see at least two of them on my trip.

Apparently the mayor felt it was not appropriate for a UNESCO site to have a fiesta that was the local equivalent of Mardi Gras (picture lots of drunks getting run over by bulls and the general havoc surrounding that). There was also the issue of damage to the historic structures in the city.

A protest has been mounted to bring back the Sanmiguelada. Some businesses (and the drunks, of course) support the idea. The event attracts upwards of 50,000 people and $5 to $6 million to the city. The current mayor campaigned that she would bring it back. A vote was held in February and 68% of voters supported the tradition but apparently only a small number of people voted (sounds like the vote may have been engineered to assure approval). The vote was not binding so the matter is still up in the air.

If you’d like to follow the controversy, a new Facebook page for Sanmiguelada 2010 was set up two weeks ago. Almost 4000 people have “liked” it since then.

¡Arriba! And Happy 4th of July!

Sorry for my extended absence but between the oil spill (it’s probably not coincidental that my last blog, on how to volunteer, was soon after this oil spill debacle started), preparing for this trip and various other distractions, I got off on a tangent and couldn’t seem to reel myself back in.

Eugene would be proud of me. As you know (or if you don’t, click on the Monkeys tab above), Eugene loved to travel. He spent the 40s in New York City, the 50s in Paris and the 60s in Rome, before moving back to Mobile in the 70s. Throughout it all, he carried a shoebox of Alabama red clay. Of course, that was in the day of steamer trucks and before you had to pay to check bags. Red clay is heavy so I’m not carrying any Bama dirt.

Back to the quiquiriquis. San Miguel (more commonly known as SMA) has the feel of a small town but it’s not. It’s a city of about 80,000 people, just a little smaller than Mobile. There are no yards to speak of here. Typical Mexican city streetscapes: front doors open directly onto cobbled streets with no more than a two foot sidewalk. So where the heck do the roosters live? In the tiny courtyards hidden behind those front doors?

No telling. But roosters mean hens so maybe I’ll find some fresh eggs in the tiendas.

In spite of Alex, getting to SMA estuvo pan comido. Jim Cramer sat across the aisle from me on the plane. Unfortunately I’d never heard of him or Mad Money so I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to get the latest 411 on where I should invest my money. One of my fellow travelers asked him if he was investing in SMA. According to her, he said someone had stolen some money from him then used it to build three houses down in San Miguel. He has a judgement against them and is down here to claim his money or houses or whatever. Or at least that’s the way I understood the somewhat convoluted story.

Pssst. There may be more to the story. Turns out Cramer started twittering about San Miguel on June 2. In one tweet he said, and I quote, “I mention the real estate because on my twitter video i am asked about housing, San Miguel is for investment.” I was intrigued enough that I even joined twitter so I can follow him.

So among other things, I’m going to be stalking Jim Cramer while I’m down here and trying to figure out what he’s up to. If I get any good investment secrets, I’ll pass them along here.

Hasta luego (later gator).

* Truthfully it was yesterday morning, my first day in SMA. It took me until today to get this posted.

Volunteering:

• Mobile Bay National Estuary Program – Provide contact information to the MBNEP office by phone at 251- 431-6409 or by email to mbnep@mobilebaynep.com.
• Pascagoula River Audubon Center – “If you are interested in being trained to help wash oiled birds, please email the Center (contact us) with your Full Name and phone number. We are being inundated with phone calls for volunteer request, please use the contact link to submit your information.”
• Oilspillvolunteers.com – An excellent site created by a couple in Ocean Springs, MS. Includes general information on the volunteer effort (not Mississippi-specific) that is constantly updated. Mississippi-specific information includes how to sign up to volunteer and training sessions.
• Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana – Collecting volunteer information for Louisiana

Spill Status

• Deepwater Horizon Incident Unified Command – U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, NOAA, Department of the Interior, BP, and Transocean central point of information delivery. Press releases, spill location charts, news, … This site is sometimes very slow to respond; try the link below for the slick forecast plots.
• EPA Federal Response to the Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico – “This site is an online resource for anyone seeking information on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It is intended to track EPA’s ongoing work in the area and help answer questions about the incident.”
• Roffer’s Offshore Fishing Forecast – A variety of excellent imagery and plots on the spill.
• NOAA Deepwater Horizon Incident Page – Situation briefing and good plots of spill, including downloadable high-res files.
• U.S. Coast Guard District 8 Flickr.com site – Spill location and forecast trajectory plots are posted here.

Other Links

• Gulf Restoration Network – Their news section is kept particularly well up to date.
• Transocean press releases

• British Petroleum – updates, photos and press releases

These links are courtesy of Oilspillvolunteers.com.

I like to think I’m pretty green. After all, I was born on Earth Day, albeit a few years before the whole thing got started. So for me, it’s not just Earth Day, it’s also Bearthday (thanks to my friend Debbie for that one). Plus I’m half Irish, I have green eyes and green is my favorite color. But the truth is that I, like most people, should be a lot more eco-conscious.

I actually started this tradition last year when I gave up plastic grocery bags. I’d been carrying around the reusable bags in my car for a year or so and using them when I remembered to carry them into the Dixie with me. Occasionally I’d even go back to my car when I forgot them. Or not.

But then I got one of the bags that squeezes up into a teeny little pouch so it fits in my purse, and I started making a diligent effort to always use it. I’m about 90% there.

So here are the rules (it’s my blog so I get to make the rules). Obviously it has to be something that will help save the earth. That gives you a lot to choose from (check the Earth Day 2010 site if you need ideas).

Choose something that will have a real impact and requires you to change a regular habit. I’m not asking you to start walking ten miles to work every day instead of driving but it should demand some degree of sacrifice on your part. It wouldn’t exactly be fair to pat myself on the back for giving up buying small bottled waters (which we did last year as well). That’s a sacrifice for Kevin, not for me.

Part of the point here is to be more conscious of our day-to-day habits and how they affect the beautiful Earth we all call home.

So what am I giving up this year? Styrofoam. More specifically, to-go cups (although I’m going to work on to-go boxes and packing peanuts also). I hate the stuff and feel guilty when I use it but I’m a big iced tea drinker. And I do like my to-go teas.

A year or so ago, I started keeping a refillable cup in my car and using it when I stop at the ‘Roo. But it was a half-hearted effort at best. This became apparent when I cleaned out the car after a recent trip to Atlanta. I forgot to take my go-cup (and Kevin doesn’t have one). A lot of styros gave up their life to keep us in cold drinks on that trip.

Now I’m committed. No more styrofoam cups (or even those plastic Newts cups – anything that’s not biodegradable is out). If you see me walking around with a styrofoam cup, feel free to smack me.

So will you join me? Can you give up just one thing for Mama Earth?

Lil performs with Hosea London, leader of Mobile’s legendary Excelsior Band. Below is their schedule for April. Here’s the amazing part: these are all free events (at least I think so; call to avoid disappointment).

April 9, 8:00pm – 10:00pm
Serdas Coffee Shop, 3 S.Royal St., Mobile – Swing by while you’re downtown for ArtWalk.

April 18, 11:30am – 1:30pm
Ozio’s Pizza, 697 U.S. Hwy 98, Daphne

April 25,2010, 6:00pm- 9:00pm
Music Under the Stars – Roman Street will play first and Lil will play next as the headliner. Bring you own chairs. In case of rain, it will move to the Daphne Civic Center.
Daphne City Hall, 1705 Main Street

Thanks to my roving reporter Kevin (and to Linda Taylor) for this information on Lil Greenwood’s schedule.

McCoy Outdoor Company is holding a spring fishing seminar series and the next seminar it TODAY at 5pm.  All seminars are free and open to the public. It looks like all seminars start at 5pm but call the store to be sure.

• April 8th, 5pm – Capt. Paul “Moon Doggie” Smith,  Mobile Bay speckled trout redfish and flounder guide
• April 15th – Capt. Scott Ritter,  numerous redfish cup wins and top ten finishes
• April 22nd – Capt. “Dandy” Dan Kolenich, Orvis-endorsed fly fishing guide with years of experience on Mobile Bay and Mobile-Tensaw Delta
• April 29th – Capt. Jey Abruscato of A-Team fishing adventures
• May 13th – Capt. Rick Lauman of Southern Fly Outfitters in Ocean Springs, premier Mississippi Gulf Coast fly fishing guide
• May 20th – Capt. Lynn Pridgen, Mobile Tensaw Delta and Mobile Bay/ Mississippi Sound speckled trout/redfish/flounder and triple tail guide

Details: McCoy Outdoor Company, 3498 Springhill Avenue, Mobile. For more information call 251-473-1080 or Chip Deupree 251-895-0020.

Nine out of ten times when I mention it to someone, their response is, “in Gulf Shores?” No, this shrimp extravaganza is right here in Mobile, in Bienville Square. And unlike the overcrowded GS fest that features just about everything except really good Gulf shrimp, this cook-off will satisfy the most discriminating palates. And this is wild Alabama shrimp, generously donated by the the Organized Seafood Association of Alabama.

As Bubba Gump says, “You can barbeque it, boil it, broil it, saute it … There’s shrimp kabobs, shrimp Creole, shrimp gumbo, pan-fried, deep-fried, stir-fried …” You’ll find all of that and more at this cook-off . Zea’s will probably win the Best Professional category again for its Zea Asian Almond Shrimp (is it rude to stick your tongue down in the little white cups they give you to get every morsel?). The Salvation Army will likely win for Best Non-profit as it did last year for its shrimp étouffé.

It costs $15 (less if you buy tickets in advance, available at Compass Banks in past years). That might sound a little steep but it’s the deal of the season for all the delicious Gulf shrimp you can stuff in your belly, and it benefits a good cause: Volunteer Mobile. Like most cook-offs, there will also be entertainment including live music. It’s a wonderful way to spend a spring day in Mobile.

An inside tip: The cook-off will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. but get there early and plan to be stuffed by 12:30 or so when the best booths will start running out of shrimp.

P.S. I have super secret recipes from four of last year’s winners. If you ask me nicely, I might just post them.

The booths at the fair will include well-known Mobile businesses such as sponsor Virginia’s Health Food, Synergy Yoga and Yoga Birds. There will also be a number of products and services that may not be so familiar including:

• Young Living Essential Oils
• Cieaura
• Therapists including sponsor ProKids and Peace n Balance
• EFT
• Thai yoga massage (you gotta try it)
• Detox foot baths
• Natural foods and products such as Healthy Cookn , Bodhi treats and shea butter products
• Pet reiki and natural pet products
• Aura readings

Life South Community Blood Center will also be at the fair so you can give back while you learn. Consider giving blood while you visit.  All donations remain in the Mobile and Baldwin county communities.

Details:

Saturday, April 10, 10:00am – 4:00pm

1230 Montlimar Drive, Mobile, AL  36609

Cost: Free