Radio San Miguel

Now that she has my interest, she thrusts other handiworks toward me. “Pruebalo (Try this),” she says, passing me camote en dulce (sweet potatoes baked in brown sugar) and gorditas de pinote, a delicious concoction of blue corn powder, sugar and anise.

My teacher for the day, Chef Paco Cardenas, appears. It seems I’ve fallen behind the rest of the class, and he’s worked his way back through the market to retrieve me. He lures me with a sack of fresh chickpeas, marinated with lime and chile, possibly the most seductive snack I’ve ever eaten.

We’re students today at Sazón, a cooking school owned by the Orient Express’ luxurious Hotel Casa de Sierra Nevada (participants are not required to be hotel guests, though the hotel offers cooking packages). Indulging in the first part of a morning cooking class, we visit the market with Cardenas, a local chef, who teaches us how to navigate its stalls and teaches us about its exotic offerings.

We sniff cilantro and epazote, rub our fingers over dried peppers and taste dishes made from scratch. Cardenas shops for what looks fresh today — it all does to us — and buys sacks of pipiano, nopales (cactus pads), herbs, even chunks of pink pork.

By Becca Hensley
SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Sunday, September 14, 2008

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, Guanajuato — If it weren’t for the fervor created by the rapid movement of Doña Lolita’s dry, brown hands, I might think her a wooden effigy, an extant wooden statue survived from another time. Except for those spurts of energy, she sits still and almost expressionless.

Hunched over on a stool in the crowded, aromatic fruit and vegetable market, just steps from the historic main plaza here, she furrows her brow just a bit. Clad in black, she rubs doughy balls between her palms, then sets each perfectly formed piece on a plate, before pinching more from a bucket and beginning the process again. Only when each ball is finished does her expression soften, yielding to triumph at a job well done.

“¿Que hace Usted? (What are you making?)” I ask, wondering what she makes with such
intensity.

She grins a toothless smile.

“Pipiano,” she says, handing me a spicy smelling clump of dough. Then, she gestures and shows me how to form the ball. While I attempt to do what she makes look easy, she tells me about the ingredients.

“Ground ancho chile and pumpkin seeds. It’s for making mole.”

Water and wastewater bills become past due if not paid by 3:00 pm on the 10th of the following months: February, April, June, August, October and December. POSTMARKS ARE NOT ACCEPTED. A 10% penalty will be automatically assessed on all outstanding balances on the 11th of the months that bills are due. After penalty assessment, the San Miguel CSD shall provide past due accounts a late notice and notice of termination date. Accounts remaining unpaid by the date specified on the late notice will be shut off until paid in full. There are no exceptions. Prior to service termination, we will attempt to deliver a 24-hour notice which will be placed on the door where service is provided. Once service has been shut off, a restoration fee of $60.00 will be added to all accounts remaining unpaid. The balance and the restoration fee must be paid in full before the account can be cleared and water service restored. The San Miguel CSD does have a payment extension policy. If you are experiencing hardship, an extension request must be made PRIOR to the payment deadline. You should be able to substantiate your hardship. Each request is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Payments may be made in person at 1150 Mission Street, San Miguel. An outside payment drop is available. Payments may be mailed (check or money order only) to PO Box 180, San Miguel. It is recommended that customers paying by cash do so during regular business hours. Please note that the San Miguel CSD cannot be responsible for any cash payments placed through the drop box. Payments received after 3:00 pm will be posted the following business day and can be subject to penalty and/or service restoration fees.