We have been in Mexico for a week and I have been on a steady diet of Margaritas, Chips, Guacamole and Quesadillas. We avoided walmart this year (last year’s mistake) and did all of our shopping at Soreanos (sp?). The produce is amazing and the only food priced appropriately. Shopping was difficult, I am very price conscious and have to divide everything by 12 to know what I was really going to pay, then finish by changing the kilos to pounds.
Shopping on the first day was especially tough because my spanish was still weak and I have to look at the ingredients of everything and at least know what I am getting. The meats are always a little suspicious, we are spoiled in America. The deli counter could only be described as comical, it was huge with basically only 2 items – 15 kinds of ham and Oaxaca cheese. The deli ladies seemed to like me and gave me un regalo (present) of a plastic hot dog holder like lunch box for the turkey dogs I picked up for the kids (oddly enough their were no pork or beef dogs but 7 different kinds of turkey dogs).
What? You don’t know about Oaxaca Cheese? This is Mexico’s response to Italy and their Mozarella cheese. It is the cheese of choice for quesadillas. Smooth rich and smooth, guaranteed not to upset your stomach, even if you are lactose intolerant. This is one of my favorite treats in Mexico. Fresh corn tortillas, Oaxaca cheese and a drop of salsa verde. You can make these for breakfast, lunch or dinner and feel like a king.
The spinach is like lettuce, massive leafs that truly taste like spinach, without any of that gross chalky after taste. The Valencia Oranges are green to yellow orange, it is tough to make the psychological leap that you are buying an orange and it will be delicious, but at 50 cents for two and a half pounds the risk is low. Limes are fresh and perfect, I quickly filled 4 bags, sorting like a pro. Picking between 4 kinds of avocados is a luxury, they all needed 2 days to ripen (end result was delicious gucamole, por supuesto).
We spent about $400 at the supermarket filling 3 shopping carts to the brim in an hour. If you shop at Whole Foods this would be 1 cart 
We got a few dinners and breakfast out of this shopping, including delicious coffee from the hills of Chiapas (sacred area in the South Western coast of Mexico). From simple Pasta, to arroz con frijoles negras (rice and beans), sandwiches and of course quesadillas. The liquor section is very diverse. Basically everything you find in America, but very little vodka (I generally avoid vodka but have noticed there are no less that 30 brands at most bars these days). We focused on the Tequila section, surprisingly challenging. Why? We get the best Tequillas in America, there are a lot of brands, 100% Agave, but very little on the high end. I am probably just ignorant, but at home we usually get the Patron Anejo – oddly enough only available at the airport. We settled for the Don Julio Anejo, drinkable and no hangovers.
SO, what is the secret to a great Margerita? Starting with the juicer, I quickly juiced 15 Limes and 2 Valencia Oranges, mixing them into a container in the fridge to chill. Filling the Osterizer blender with ice, adding 4 teaspoons of azucar (sugar, but not the white kind – brown but crystalized equals delicious), pouring in a healthy splash of fresh tart lime orange juice, and a 15 second pour of Don Julio Anejo. Blend for 20 seconds or until smooth, holding the top of the blender on to keep your kitchen clean. Dipping the tops of the cups in the frozen margaritas, the cups are then dipped in salt or sugar (a mix might be perfect, must try at lunch today). The salted rimmed cups are then filled with the perfectly blended Margarita and imbibed on the deck facing the ocean, relaxing to the dynamic sounds of the waves rolling onto the beach. Welcome to Mexico…
