February 3, 2018 | 9 Comments As published in Mazatlán’s Pacific Pearl: February 2018 V25, #6 Valentine’s is right around the corner so time is short. Most of you will end up going through the motions, just buying a card with a heart on it but that’s too simplistic. Let’s face it, it’s been done before–probably even by you. Now’s the time to up your game. With that in mind I’m here to help you put together a themed Valentine’s meal for your special person. Consider this–eyes are the windows to the soul but love has a visceral quality. Think about it. When talking about love we talk about a beating heart, breathlessness, butterflies in the stomach, a catch in the throat, racing blood. That’s the basic concept; now add this–romance starts in the kitchen, not the bedroom. Before Women’s Lib they said the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach but times have changed–groundbreaking scientific research shows women are also more romantically inclined when they’ve had a bite to eat (see the citation below.) The idea is how to have that romantic meal symbolizing the heart, lungs, blood and all the other parts stimulated while in love (well, nearly all the other parts.) Start here. All these menu items are available in Centro outlets: Corazón (beating heart): OK, it won’t be beating but for only 60 pesos you can get a whole beef heart at Carniceria Toño (in the Mercado Juan Carrasco.) Stew it in a wine sauce and you’ll surely win your loved one’s heart. Pulmón or Bofo (breathlessness): I grant you, lungs may be an acquired taste but they’re extremely easy to prepare. Just clean them, boil them, and add a bit of fresh limejuice. Be careful with the lime. I’ve had them with too much lime and they felt a bit squidgy. Tripa (butterflies in the stomach): Be careful here because the Mexican “Tripa” and the English “Tripe” sound similar. It’s not a mistake you want to make. I mean, who wants to eat Tripe–a bland, white, stomach lining only the English could love. Tripa on the other hand is a braided small intestine from a pig. Light cooking in the fry pan gives it the flavour of a mild pâté. The woven business makes for a nice presentation–very important when you want to impress your loved one. This tasty morsel is only 60 pesos a kilo and you can get it everywhere. Buche or Tráquea (a catch in the throat): If your loved one is a fussy eater you may want to pass on the trachea. Moronga (racing blood): Actually not racing but congealed pork blood cooked with spices in a very large sausage casing. Shop around as you may have trouble finding this delicacy but Ley in Centro has had it. That’s it. With this guidance you can seize the day; guaranteed to be a special day. NOTE: I realize this article is about Valentines and I know a lot of you were wondering but out of delicacy I have not delved into the cooking of testicles. Alice V. Ely, Anna Rose Childress, Kanchana Jagannathan, Michael R. Lowe. The Way To Her Heart? Response to romantic cues is dependent on hunger state and dieting history: Appetite December 2015; Vol 95: p. 126-131
Every thing sounds yummy, but I’d just as soon present a nice batch of roses and have fried red snapper at Playa Bruja at the point in Cerritos. Reply
Which of these options will you be making for Lynn this valentines day – lucky woman that she is. mildred Reply
Maybe a la tapas style I could venture into these visceral recipes (for disaster?). But if the loved one enjoyed any of these organ-fests, I would say the relationship is in for a long and tasty culinary life. And by the way, prairie oysters would be my favourite of these risque dishes. Had them in southern Alberta a few years ago — fresh off the hoof (so to speak). Great post, K.M. Reply