[Sake cocktails]

At a sushi bar in Boulder, we enoyed a wonderful pear-infused sake that we were led to believe was made in-house.  My wife was a huge fan and was determined to duplicate the recipe.

We soaked pear and ginger root in sake and let it soak for about 3 weeks.  The result was good, but not close to what we had hoped.  

I can't find any info on the web about making infused sakes.

Any help?

Thanks!

[Regional differences in Mexican food.]

Yea!!  After suffering through the "South of the Border" thread, I'm happy to find some folks talking about the FOOD!

I, also, am no expert on Mexican food.  And unless you're Dianne Kennedy or Rick Bayless, I claim no one who's posting here is an expert either.  

I've travelled there a few times and here's my take.  Mexico is a very complex country with many many regions and many influences (the tourist beach-cities don't count!).  The result is a rich tapestry of cultures and therefore food.  It's a hard country to generalize.

The two areas I'm most familar with are the South and the Yucatan.  The food in Yucatan is wonderful with a heavy emphasis on seafood, which is usually prepared modestly with fresh seasonings.  And of course, is always served with hot corn tortillas and limes.  Mexican food law: Limes make EVERYTHING better.  Taste whatever is in front of you and, even if it's muy delicioso, it'll be better once you squeeze that mexican lime on it.

Oaxaca in the south is by far my favorito.  Birthplace of mole, nectar of the Mayan gods.  Yes, there are many variations on mole (Puebla, near Mexico City is the other pillar of mole), but my soul melts after a taste of Oaxacan black mole.  Pour it on a leather shoe and I'll clean my plate.

True interior Mexican food still bewilders me with its complexity and I'm just scratching the surface.  I'd love to see what others' experiences have been.

Best.

[Days 11-15; April 13-18:]

First-time reader, first-time poster.

As a long-time Austinite, I loved your report.  It looks like you hit the high points...with one exception:  chili.  But that's another trip and another long thread...

Save your sleeve!!

Tip for El_Jefe and all taco eaters (soft, of course):  

Before folding your taco examine which end of the filling is closest to the edge.  Establish this end as your "biting end".

The other end will be your "holding end."  Fold about an inch of the tortilla over the holding end before folding the taco in half.  This creates a "burrito-like" end that will keep the filling from running out.

I've been doing this since I was a wee-Texan.   While in Mexico City a few years ago, my local travel companions were impressed that I ate my tacos this way.  "That's how we eat them here," they said.  I took that as a stamp of approval from the Motherland of the Taco.

Wonderful article Fat Guy.  Can't wait for the California episode.