Our neighbors to the East... Veracruz.....

The first settlement by Spanish conquistadors in the New World was Veracruz. It began in April 1518 by Juan Grijalva when he arrived (a sort of advance man for Hernan Cortez who would come a year later) at the coast which he called San Juan de Ulua. The following year when Hernan Cortez arrived on terra firme, he decided that Playa de Chalchihuecan would be the place to settle first on Good Friday which is also called the day of the Real Cross or Verdadera Cruz and so the name Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz was born. It wasn't until August 1519 that Cortez decided to march towards Tenochtitlan where Mexico City would be.
Bernardo Diaz del Castillo (his books are definitly worth reading too) reported that when they came upon the market at Tenochtitlan, all were amazed at the size and scope of the offerings, the organization of the area with indoor plumbing and foodstufs from all over Mexico, much larger and more sophisticated than even the Venice markets which were the grandest in Europe. This was a large cosmopolitan city, beautiful in it's architecture, clean and elegantly presented. But Veracruz bedame the number one port between Spain and New Spain (Mexico) and they began to send turkeys, corn, beans, avocados, cotton and more which were not found in Europe. New Spain received goods from Spain as well adding to the richness of our culture and culinary history.

It was in 1550 that gold and silver were extracted in large scale, and in such a large scale that towards the end of the XVI this represented 80% of all riches exported. Veracruz prospered mightily as a result but this also meant that it came to the attention of the British and Holland conquerors, which on several occasions attacked the port like Francis Drake and John Hawkins. This is the reason why so many forts appear on the coasts of Mexico, to guard against invadors, both friendly and not.

The first settlement by Spanish conquistadors in the New World was Veracruz. It began in April 1518 by Juan Grijalva when he arrived (a sort of advance man for Hernan Cortez who would come a year later) at the coast which he called San Juan de Ulua. The following year when Hernan Cortez arrived on terra firme, he decided that Playa de Chalchihuecan would be the place to settle first on Good Friday which is also called the day of the Real Cross or Verdadera Cruz and so the name Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz was born. It wasn't until August 1519 that Cortez decided to march towards Tenochtitlan where Mexico City would be.

Bernardo Diaz del Castillo (his books are definitly worth reading too) reported that when they came upon the market at Tenochtitlan, all were amazed at the size and scope of the offerings, the organization of the area with indoor plumbing and foodstufs from all over Mexico, much larger and more sophisticated than even the Venice markets which were the grandest in Europe. This was a large cosmopolitan city, beautiful in it's architecture, clean and elegantly presented. But Veracruz bedame the number one port between Spain and New Spain (Mexico) and they began to send turkeys, corn, beans, avocados, cotton and more which were not found in Europe. New Spain received goods from Spain as well adding to the richness of our culture and culinary history.

It was in 1550 that gold and silver were extracted in large scale, and in such a large scale that towards the end of the XVI this represented 80% of all riches exported. Veracruz prospered mightily as a result but this also meant that it came to the attention of the British and Holland conquerors, which on several occasions attacked the port like Francis Drake and John Hawkins. This is the reason why so many forts appear on the coasts of Mexico, to guard against invadors, both friendly and not.

Veracruz has always had an important place in Mexico's history and it was one of the key areas where the Independence movement was planned and executed and many important battles where waged and won. This is where Juan O'Donohu (the last Viceroy) traveled to Veracruz and signed the Cordoba Treaties with Agustin Iturbide on August 23 of 1821 proclaiming Mexico's independence, turning our country into a free nation.

Veracruz also resisted the French forces in the famous "War of the Cakes" of 1838. There was also another attack from General Winfield Scott in 1847 that was not successful due to the superiority of the invading army. After this the War of Reform also placed Veracruz in a lead role as Benito Juarez established the Laws of Reform in 1860.

In 1864 Maximilian of Hapsburg arrived in Veracruz having been tricked into thinking that Mexico desired him as their Emperor when in truth the rich, descendants of European nobles settled in Mexico and wanting to preserve their way of life, arranged for him to come, supported by Napoleon and his forces and thought that the pomp and presentation would render all happy with this arrangement. Yet this did not work out at all as Napoleon was defeated (5 de Mayo battle features here) and Maximilian was executed. There were other attemps to impose this type of control on Mexico by Porfirio Diaz, who was enamored of France and was a great general but he didn't include the less fortunate masses, was defeated by Francisco I Madero in 1911 which sent him in exile to France.

There was another US invasion to Veracruz but this time, succesful for Mexico in 1914 during the Mexican Revolution. During this time Veracruz was named the capital and was where important land reforms were drafted and in 1938 where the Petroleum Expropiation was held. Veracruz has always had considerable economic growth and firm social organization.

So it should be no surprise that due to all these comings and goings, influences from all over the world that the food of Veracruz offers a rich and varied culinary heritage, especially when it comes to seafood, coffee, spices and so much more.....

With this in mind I will include some tasty representations of dishes from Veracruz (which by the way is only 2 hours away from us and is to be a favorite destination for us...mmmmm):

SEAFOOD TARTLETS: Appetizer for 6

6 small flour tortillas (you can purchase these or make your own)
1 tbl butter
3 slices sliced bacon
1/4 onion finely chopped
1 serrano chile, finely chopped (without seeds and veins)
1-2 cups mixed seafood (can be frozen variety or any kind of fish or seafood you like)
2 tsp flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp chicken consome powder or 1 cube Knorr
2 tsp parsley, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/4 butter, stick, slightly melted
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fry the bread crumbs for 2-3 min and set aside. Fry bacon in butter (or not) along with the onion, chile and stir fry 1-2 min. Add fish or seafood you have chosen and allow to release some of it's liquid. Add the flour and milk alternately, a little at a time, stirring and add the consome powder and parsley. Heat the tortillas slightly on a dry pan so they are pliable, paint them with some melted butter and place them in cupcake pan, cutting off the excess if desired. Paint with the beaten egg and bake for about 10 min.
Remove from the oven and fill with the seafood filing, top with the bread crumbs and bake once more 10 min. Top with parsley and serve.
Note: Possible combinations could be: Shrimp, Octopus, Oysters, Fish pieces, mixed seafood, leftover fish fillets, scallops, etc. Pretty much anything could be a filling, get creative. These make great party fare too.

FISH VERACRUZ STYLE: Serves 4

1 whole Snapper, about 1 Kilo in weight (2.25lbs) cleaned and prepared for baking
3 cups fish stock
4 roasted garlic cloves in olive oil
1 large onion, sliced, stir fried in olive oil
3 large tomatoes, sliced
3 tbls capers, reserve liquid
3 tbl olives, green, reserve liquid
2-3 jalapenos, sliced
2 laurel/bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
3 tbl parsley leaves
10 whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

The fish can be semi-cooked in the fish stock. Stir fry the garlic, onion, tomatoes and the rest in olive oil for about 5-10 min. Add the reserved liquids. Transfer fish to a baking dish, cover with the vegetable mixture and bake in a 250 degree oven for about 15 min. Serve.
Note: If you like the sauce thicker, add 1 tsp of corn starch when boiling and allow to thicken before you top the fish. Taste the sauce often and adjust seasonings to your taste. Also, if you like, you can fry the fish in oil instead so it's crispy and cook the vegetables separately and reduce the sauce naturally. The you can bake.
I always add more of everything to bring the flavor up, but this is a personal choice as I prefer strong flavors. No rule to this, just your personal taste. You can also use fish fillets for this or any other kind of fish too, we love Cod.