Happy first “Foto Friday” of Lent folks! I’m not Catholic, so therefore I normally don’t feel a need to sacrifice anything over these 40 days, but in many countries that the Gringo has traveled to, it is a common practice. I tried giving up beer once, but baseball season always spoils that effort. (Who do you know on this Earth that can sit through a week of Brewers baseball without downing a few Miller Lites?) Instead of sacrificing something for 40 days, this year I’m going to just step up my exercise routine (bought a bike today) and get a bit more strict with my diet (now that Girl Scout Cookie season is winding down). That means eating a lot more fish, which most Lent observers will be doing on this day. This reminded me of one of the best meals I’ve ever had…anywhere, any place, anytime. I was in Isla Mujeres, Mexico a few years back and I stumbled upon this beach restaurant called La Casa Del TikinXic. (I literally did stumble upon it, after a few late a.m. tequilas and an exhausting bike ride across the island.) The specialty here: Tikin-Xic (pronounced “teekeen sheek”). This is a type of fish dish specific to the Yucatec Maya region of Mexico. Prepared whole using a seasonal white fish (typically Grouper or Drum), the fish is marinated in the traditional Yucatán mixture of achiote paste, sour orange and a toss of regional chiles, then wrapped in a banana leaf and baked in an earth oven beneath a wood fire. The result: the most satisfyingly delicious fish plate I have ever had the pleasure to sink my saliva-coated chompers into! I had a little bone stuck in my tooth, but I just left it there so I could savor the flavor a bit longer. Throw in a cold cerveza, some steaming corn tortillas and a tasty medley of Mexican rice and fresh salsa and you’re getting treated to the perfect meal in a perfect location! Oh yeah, for some reason things always seem to taste even better with your feet in the sand. 😉
Tikin-Xic (Isla Mujeres, Mexico)
Gringo With A Green Bag 