Some of our favorite food in Barra

One of the best parts of traveling is the food, and enjoying the best that a new place has to offer is often the primary goal of the enthusiast traveler. Whether it's asking the locals or doing the old trial and error technique - it's the hunt and then the find of the perfect dish that is so exhilarating when traveling. We often remember a trip or a vacation by the food we ate - the tastes, the presentation, the atmosphere of the restaurant and the time we spent enjoying it.

Here in Barra, the food is fresh and simple. The flavors stand out on their own and the no-fuss approach to cooking here makes the local cuisine tasty on the palate and easy on the stomach. From breakfast, to lunch, to dinner, some of our favorite dishes here in Barra celebrate the area's abundance of fresh fish, sweet fruits and crisp veggies. If you ever find your self in Barra de Navidad, you must try some of these dishes.

Fresh fruit and veggies from Barra

 

 Banana pancakes are a favorite in our house, so when we saw banana pancakes on the menu at Roosters here in Barra, we knew we had to try them. The banana pancakes at Roosters are made with local bananas and plantains. With the bananas inside and the plantains on top, these fluffy, rich pancakes are so filling and sweet I could never finish them all - although I tried my best.

Fresh ceviche is one of the best dishes to enjoy in Mexico. That is, if you like seafood and the ceviche has been done right. Ceviche is made with either white fish, shrimp or a mixture of seafood. The seafood is marinated in lime juice for a few hours, and the lime juice basically "cooks" the meat. So, in a way the seafood is raw, which is why it is so important that it is fresh and consumed quickly. Once the seafood is marinated, chopped tomato, cucumber, jalapeño and carrot are mixed in and sliced avocado is placed on top, creating a simple dish that is packed with flavor. Ceviche is usually eaten with tortilla chips - totopos in Spanish (one my favorite Spanish words) - or saltine crackers. The best ceviche in Barra is called the Colima Ceviche and it is at the Grand Bay Hotel.

There is nothing like a good taco, and at Ramón's in Barra they make perfect fish and shrimp tacos. Jason and I ate at Ramón's several times during these few weeks, and we would always sit at the the same table and swoon over these amazing tacos. 

Jason explains why the tacos at Ramón's are so good

 

The shrimp tacos

Turner grabbing lettuce while Jason eats his fish tacos

Además comida del West Star

Here on the West Star we've been doing some more blending and some more cooking. Inspired by the fresh veggies and fruits that Barra has to offer, we are keeping it simple and enjoying making colorful dishes with lots of flavor. Jason handles the cooking, I handle the blending and together we have a good handle on how to eat right here in Barra.

It's hot, it's humid, we're sweaty, which means it's time to rev up the blender and make some more smoothies.

Spinach, banana, mango and almond milk smoothie

 Don't let the spinach fool you, this smoothie is very sweet and creamy

Guava (skin left on), papaya, banana, lime and peach nectar smoothie

It doesn't show so well in the picture, 

but this smoothie has a beautiful peachy color

 Dinners have alternated between crisp salads and warm veggie dishes. 

 Grilled Tofu Salad with spinach, romaine, bell pepper, avocado, onion, tomato, grapefruit and a fresh grapefruit juice vinaigrette (Jason's yummy creation).

One night we wanted to get away from the Mexican dishes, so we went Indian. The star of this dish was the fresh green beans we had purchased at the market. 

This dish was a sort of Mexican ratatouille made with beautifully green zucchinis from the market. Topped with a bit of pineapple, this was an amazing and colorful dish.

All colorful food to match this very colorful place. 

The past four days - wrapped up like a burrito.

From the buzz of a tsunami surge here in the marina, to attending one night of a nine day festival that honors Saint Patrick, the past four days have zipped by. The days have seemed to melt into one another and in this post I will try and wrap it all together.

Thursday, March 10th

The morning began with a special treat for me - a massage. We headed over to a modest hotel across the lagoon, called Hotel Sands where a very kind and lovely woman gives massages under a simple palapa. Jason played with Turner as I completely surrendered to the nice mix of reggae and soft electronic music, fragrant coconut oil and the masseuse's strong hands. The palm fronds were rustling and the water of the lagoon was softly lapping against the dock - it was everything an outdoor massage should be in a tropical place.

Turner looking very cool in his glasses as he and Jason lay under the palm tress 

while I was getting my massage.

After my massage we enjoyed a long lunch at a place called La Casa de mi Abuela. Then we headed over to the Thursday mercado (market) in the town center to check out the goods. As we were walking through the market Jason spotted a young woman with a little baby that appeared to be about Turner's age. We walked over and introduced ourselves and sure enough this little baby boy was five days younger than Turner. He and his mother are here from Lyon, France visiting her sister who is an artist that lives in Melaque. We chatted for several minutes, talked baby stuff and then we were on our way.

Friday, March 11th

Our Friday morning began like most, with the sad, tragic news of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. I have had the honor of traveling to Japan many times, and I have dear friends and colleagues there. My thoughts have been with them these past few days.

The buzz of the effects the tsunami may have on the marina here in Barra began early in the morning. We camped out on the boat through out most of the day. Jason kept the radio on and listened for word of any tsunami effects further north. He would then make a decision on whether or not he should move the boat out of the marina for a while. The safest place for a boat during a tsunami is out in deep open water. As the morning passed, we watched sailboat after sailboat leave their anchors in the lagoon. As for the power boats in the marina, nobody seemed too worried because the water level in the marina is deeper than that in the lagoon. Reports were only calling for a drop and rise in water of about 3 feet, which was a safe guarantee that many of the boats here in the marina would not strike the bottom when the water level dropped, nor would the water go over the sea wall when it rose. Needless to say, there was no reason to move the boat.

Although small, we did see the effects of the tsunami in the lagoon and in the marina. Starting around 3 pm on Friday afternoon and lasting over 24 hours, we began to see multiple surges as the water would rush out and then rush back in much faster than a regular tide - about 15 minutes versus 8 hours. There was about a 2 foot change in water level with each surge. Not extremely exciting or threatening, but nonetheless fascinating that what happened thousands of miles away was manifesting itself here.

Our prayers are with the people of Japan.

Saturday, March 12th

Saturday was Turner's 3-month birthday. Turner took a long late afternoon nap and woke up in a playful mood. We decided to head over to Melaque (the next town over) to watch the festivities for the Fiesta en Honor a San Patricio. Saint Patrick is Melaque's patron saint, and the fiesta takes place over a nine day period.

Our travel to Melaque involved transporting us, plus Turner's stroller on a ponga from the marina to Barra and then a taxi from Barra to Melaque. Once we arrived in Melaque's town center, we found a spot near the fountain and just relaxed and chatted as we watched kids play, vendors sell their items and people walk by. The old style bell tower begin to ring, and we noticed that the time on the clock was wrong and we couldn't quite tell what time was being rung. Suddenly, we were interrupted by the loud, blasting sounds of skyrockets going off nearby, and we notice that the sound was getting closer.

 

Shortly after, a small parade began to make its way a short distance around the corner toward the church. A small alter with a figure of Saint Patrick led the way. Following closely behind were dancers dressed in bright green capes with a large sequenced image of Mary on the back. The dancers, which included small children to young adults, skipped and hopped to the rhythm of the music. Following the first set of dancers was a float with a wedding scene (I'm not quite sure exactly what was being depicted). Another set of dancers depicting Mexico's indigenous people followed, and the parade finished with a small marching band. Each group entered the church and then a Eucharist (a ceremony which commemorates the Last Supper) followed.

The dancers 

The float 

This sign reads, "Warriors of God: To be with the Catholic Movement"

Kids in the town center trying to catch the skyrocket sticks.

After the parade we went to a nearby restaurant called Maya Tapas Bar. The restaurant is owned by a Canadian woman who lives and runs her restaurant in Melaque six months of the year. There was an open-aired kitchen, a huge polapa, a great little lawn surrounded by nice trees and bushes, a tiny garden and most importantly - great food. After we ordered some food, we were able to rock Turner to sleep and have a little time to ourselves as we enjoyed our dinner out in Melaque. 

With Turner

With Jason as Turner sleeps 

The Roasted Beet Salad

Polenta with Spinach and Gouda

Sunday, March 13th

We had seen advertisements around town the during the previous week about an art show at a little breakfast joint in Barra called Roosters. The artists that were featured in the show were primarily Canadians and Americans - there was one Mexican jewelry artist. Barra is full of Canadians and Americans that call it their home for half of the year. For some of these individuals, Barra is the perfect artists' haven as they paint, photograph and create jewelry which is inspired by the scenery, people, colors, shapes and life of this quaint town. Although the art show was fairly small, it was nice to see artists being supported. Although, I would have liked to have seen some more Mexican artists and artwork.

It was a nice morning as the restaurant was buzzing with people eating and looking at the artwork. We stayed for a while, ate a very large breakfast, chatted with a couple of the artists and took turns walking Turner around the restaurant. I ended up leaving with a full belly and couple of pieces of jewelry.

Jason walking Turner around the art show. 

Just as a Sunday should be, we took our time and walked around town for a little while. We stopped at the church and listened to the mass for a while and then we stopped by the beach and enjoyed the beautiful scenery for a bit. When we got back to the boat Turner and Jason finished it all off with a nice siesta.

 Turner and I at Barra de Navidad Beach

The French Baker of Barra

What I am about to share with you is not really fair simply because my words and pictures could never do justice to the pure, heavenly magic that is the French Baker of Barra de Navidad.

"Ding! Ding!" this is the sound that we hear every morning around 8:15. It is the sound of the French Baker ringing his arrival bell as he makes his way through the marina on his little ponga full French goodness. And it means all that is buttery, creamy, chocolaty, cheesy, indulgent and deliciously naughty will be within arms reach out on the dock in minutes. The Wheaten Terrier on the boat in the slip next to us begins to bark and comes running up the dock. And soon people begin to emerge from their boats with sleepy eyes, hair in disarray and pesos in hand - knowing that if they don't get out of bed when they hear the bell, they'll miss their chance for boat-side delivery of the most delightful pastries, breads and quiches ever!

Soon we are all greeted with a French accented "Hallo" by Emeric - the French Baker of Barra. Emeric, who is originally from Bourdeaux and his wife, Christine who hails from Nice, met in Canada before moving to Barra, and they have been baking their French deliciousness for the locals and tourists of Barra de Navidad for the past 10 years. The variety of French recipes that they diligently prepare each morning have been passed down to them from friends or learned in culinary school - and they are perfection!

Emeric waits patiently as we eye his trays of baked bounty, and then when we finally make a decision he scoops up our selection, quickly places it into a bag and hands it over to us - the half-woken, eager pastry lovers. I've noticed that some pastries do not even make it off the dock and back onto the boats as they are devoured right out their little blue plastic bag. And in other instances, I've watched merry women literally float back to their boats holding a small stack of containers that contain a mixture of sinful pies that will be consume that evening for dessert. Our style - eat them slow, enjoy them longer and don't forget the coffee with the pastries, the wine with the pies (for Jason) and some nice cheese or spread for the baguettes.

In an attempt to practice a bit of self-control when ordering from the variety of croissants, danishes, baguettes, breads, quiches and pies that are simply presented in Emeric's ponga, Jason and I have come up with a rotation program like goes something like this: Buy a couple of pastries one day, the next day we order a loaf of multi-grain bread to last us a couple of days, then we skip a day, the next we buy a pie for dessert, the next we buy a baguette and then we start the cycle all over again.

Almond croissant, raisin danish and a decaf almond milk latte - a very yummy breakfast!

The almond croissant, my personal favorite. The dough is the perfect combination of flaky and doughy and the filling is so sweet it's to die for. To finish it off there is a light icing made from the almond filling and almond slices on top. Are you salivating yet?

 Turner hanging with Daddy as he enjoys his croissant and reads the local paper. 

Multi-grain loaf with raw honey and raw almond butter - the healthier breakfast option.

And for dessert....the chocolate almond pie. The chocolate is so incredibly rich, it is best to eat it slowly and in small bites. I'm noticing an almond theme here. 

But wait there's more.....

Emeric and Christine also have a cafe in town. It is small cafe with outside seating where people can sit to enjoy crepes, panini sandwiches and all of the Baker's other pastries, desserts and breads. It is the kind of place where you want to linger for bit and take your time savoring the flavors and enjoying the warmth of your coffee. Is it the kind of place where you may just want to grab the back corner table and dive into a good book or write in a journal. Is it the kind of place where you could easily strike up a conversation with those at the table next to you or sit in silence and observe the passersby. It is the kind of place that is perfect for a slow, no rush type of morning or for a contemplative, relaxed afternoon. It is just that kind of place....

 

La crepa con cajeta (The crepe with caramel)

It is the simplicity and consistency of the French Baker that makes the whole experience so wonderful. A ringing bell, a little ponga, a small cafe, the perfect dough, sweet fillings, warm bread, paper thin crepes and rich chocolate make for one of the most perfect and basic joys of travel - enjoying the food that is clearly made with love.

La comida del West Star

Jason loves to cook (in fact, he's the full time chef on the yacht as well as the captain). And I, well....I'm not so crazy about the cooking, but I do like to bake, make smoothies and juices, raw food dishes and salads. As a result the two of us work pretty well together when it comes to meal time, and we love to explore making different things in the kitchen. On the yacht the kitchen is called the galley, and the galley on the West Star has been busy. We have been eating most of our dinners on the yacht. It works well for us and it is easier on Turner because he gets a little restless in the evenings before he crashes for the night. The markets of Barra and Melaque (the next town over) are full of fresh fruits and veggies so we figure - Why not do a lot of our own cooking in the evenings and focus on enjoying some of our breakfasts and lunches in town? The following are a few the tasty and colorful dishes we have made from the plentiful variety of fruits and veggies we are able to enjoy here in Barra.

Smoothies....

They are a big part of our diet. They serve as either a nice breakfast, a light lunch or a generous snack. We have fallen in love with the Mexican guavas, mangos, bananas, pineapples and oranges - they are incredibly sweet and oh so delicioso!

Guava (seeds left in), lime, banana, blueberry and peach nectar smoothie

Guava (seeds cut out), banana, pineapple and almond milk smoothie

Red beet, carrot, apple, pear, ginger and lime juice smoothie

This one was messy and knocked our socks off with its strong flavor. I liked it. Jason didn't. 

Some dinner dishes...

We made the fresh Salsa Mexicana for this simple dish with the tomatoes, onions and jalapeños we bought here in town. We soaked and cooked the black beans Jason bought in Mazatlan and made some nice brown rice to go with it. Oh...and don't forget the avocado on top. 

There is nothing better than super fresh corn tortillas. Hidden in little doorways around Barra there are little tortilla shops where you can by warm tortillas and fresh salsas. It's tempting not to just dig in right away and eat them all while they're hot. We wanted to  use our left over black beans for dinner, so we decided to make veggies tacos. We purchased a few chayote squashes, an eggplant and some fresh cilantro. The outcome were hearty veggies tacos that could satisfy any meat lover. 

The Tortilleria

+ Tortillas fresh off the press! 

+ Chayote squash

= The best veggie tacos ever!! 

Jason bought some beautiful organic red beets, and we decided to make a roasted beet and grilled asparagus salad with fresh romaine lettuce and goat cheese.

And lastly.....

Starfruit made it to our breakfast table one morning. It has a simple, clean taste - plus, it's pretty. 

As you can see - the eating is good here in Barra.

A few of Turner's first

In the one week that we have traveled to and have been here in Barra, Turner has experienced quite a firsts. He has had his first airplane ride, his first ponga ride, his first yacht ride, his first fiesta, his first swim and has had his first exposure to the Spanish language. Apart of our goal in bringing Turner to Mexico was to expose him to as much as possible (at his grand age of 11 weeks old) without over stimulating or overexposing him. We have taken the following approach: We will have one major outing a day, and the rest of the day will be centered around having nap and play time on the yacht. So far this plan has worked beautifully. Turner has been napping like champ, sleeping through the night, eating really well and has had some great developmental growth. During our various outings the locals have called Turner "Guero piqueño" (little white boy) and "Hermoso" (lovely). They have also told him that he is "muy bonito" (very handsome) and that "tiene mucho carne" (he has a lot of meat on his bones). Hey...we will take all the complements that we can get.

Guero piqueño with his daddy at a lookout point from the top of the hotel

Turner's first ponga ride and fiesta

Last Sunday we were walking Turner around the hotel and we noticed, across the lagoon that there was a large fiesta on the beach boardwalk. We asked around and learned that it was a fish festival, or fiesta that was celebrating the big fishing tournament that had happened the day before. Curious, we decided to venture over to town to check it out. Before we got on the water taxi, or ponga I put Turner in his sling (a piece of fabric that I wrap around my torso and place Turner in so that I can carry him hands free) to make him feel more secure and we gingerly boarded the little boat. As we sped across the lagoon, Turner - with wide eyes - tried to check out the passing water and then quickly tucked his head close into my chest in an effort to shield himself from the wind. 

At the fish fiesta there was a large stage where there was traditional mariachi and banda bands as well as traditional folk dancing. All around us there were stalls where vendors were selling fresh fish tacos with the catch from the fishing tournament the day before and a local drink called a michealada, which is mixture of beer, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce (it's really good, although I will not be enjoying one on this trip due to my number one job of feeding my little one). The boardwalk was crowded as people lined up for food, drinks and tried to peer over heads and around others to get a good view of the performers on the stage. Kids were busy chasing the candy carts, which were simply large wooden trays placed on top of wheel barrows, to buy bags of candy, roasted nuts, and fried coconut balls. Turner's eyes were glued forward as he tried to observe the busy environment around him. But, shielded in his sling he was fast asleep within 10 minutes of his first big fiesta adventure. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of the fiesta because we were caught up in it all and simply forgot to get the camera out.

Turner's first swim (well....really it was just a little dip in the pool)

We knew that our sun, pool and beach time would be limited this trip to Mexico because we have to be careful about the amount of sun exposure Turner gets. We already have to contend with staying on yacht and dealing with the reflection from the surrounding water as well as being out in the sun as we transport around on pongas and the dingy. But, a little pool and beach time is a must. Turner's reaction to his first swim was very calm as his senses were heightened with new sensations of sound, sight and touch.

A little video of Turner's first swim