Isla Mujeres - the dissenting view

Long averse to doing the touristy thing, when we planned our visit to Cancun, we wanted to stay away from the infamous Zona Hotelera. Instead, we booked a vacation rental home on Isla Mujeres, a small Island off Cancun reached by a 20 min ferry ride. Dubbed as a laid back island that offers a more authentic Mexican experience, we decided to rent the two bedroom “casa crystal”, enticed by the beautiful pictures on the Internet (www.vrbo.com/88875). First the good – the island definitely has a slower pace of life and a local feel to it when compared to Cancun, and there is some great snorkeling/diving around the island. The people are wonderful. There seems to be a basic honesty that I have found missing in some other developing countries.

Now the bad – terrible food and pollution. If you want to cook your own food like us, there is one moderate sized supermarket in the middle of town that sells conventionally grown, tasteless produce. It is hard to even find decent bread. Most restaurants are average to bad. The concept of recycling is non-existent and the island is teeming with gas powered golf carts and taxis that pollute the air. It is hard to swim in the ocean and not think about all the sewage being dumped in the water. Also, like cancun, the Isla unfortunately has its tourist traps like the Garrafon Park and Dolphin Swim - both of which we were able to avoid.
We would not be in a hurry to go back.

Killer habanero Guacamole

Ingredients:

4 ripe avocados
1 clove garlic
2 green onions
3 Key limes (or 1 large lime)
1 Habanero (can substitute thai bird chillies or Serrano peppers)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
1 wedge of orange
salt to taste

Finely chop the cilantro, habanero, garlic and onions. Add the avocados and juice of key limes and orange,cumin and salt to taste. Use a fork to mix everything together (I like the chunky consistency - but you can make a finer paste if you prefer). If you like it really hot - add an extra habanero. Can serve with corn chips, sliced baguette or anything else you can think of.....no matter how much you make - it is never enough!

Best Dim Sum in Washington DC

Whenever I eat Dim sum, there is always a nagging doubt in the back of my mind about the quality of meat being ingested. Regardless, I am periodically drawn to the unbeatable pleasure of a weekend dim sum feast. Having eaten this cuisine all over the world I would have to rate Hong Kong's dim sum the best. Though I hear lately they are trying to discourage the locals from indulging in the fried variety for health reasons.
We recently ate at China Garden in the Washington area and would rate it a 7/10.
The place is big, waiters are appropriately rude and 80% of the clientele is oriental. I loved the green chili hot paste (Lachio) that I have not seen elsewhere - but you have to ask for it. We usually go for the steamed dim sum and always try the Chinese broccoli (Guylan). As I write the Pavlov reflex has been triggered and I am already thinking of the next dim sum adventure - maybe something in Orlando where I will be visiting this weekend.

Soccer Moms

"Soccer Mom" though not outright pejorative, is also not considered a complimentary term. Having spent most of the week juggling work and my two small kids ( since my wife is out of town) has convinced me that "Soccer Mom" is the highest calling of mankind. I am unable to fathom how the suburban blond housewife can raise three well behaved kids, look good, play tennis, cook AND keep the husband happy (regardless of the generous doses of Zoloft/Prozac). Upbringing? Faith? Genes?

Curly Endive and pork pasta

One of my favourite things to do is cook. I will often improvise on existing recipes to create my own signature dishes. Few days ago I ended up buying curly Endive (by mistake) instead of red lettuce. Since I am not a big fan of endive and it was organic and expensive, I looked up some recipes and created this amazing dinner. The idea was to get rid of the mild bitterness of endive while preserving its crispness.

Curly Endive and Pork Pasta

3 pork chops (boneless, 1.5" thick)
One large head of curly endive
1 packet penne pasta
3 medium roma tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons Black bean paste (available at any major grocery store)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons pure honey
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 small hot green chillies (available at the Indian store) or substitute 1 habanero (omit if wimp)



Boil pasta according to directions (al dante , put a teaspoon of salt in the water)
Cut pork chops into 2 inch strips and add honey, black bean paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and marinate for 15 minutes
In the meantime, chop the endive into bite size pieces and chop tomatoes into cubes.
Heat the oil in a large wok or pan. Add garlic and fry for a few minutes till it starts to turn brown and releases aroma. Add the marinated pork and cook on high heat for 5 to 7 minutes till all the pork is opaque and cooked through (do not overcook). Add curly endive over the pork and cover the wok/pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 5 minutes or till all the endive is blanched. Add tomatoes and green chillies (optional).
In a large mixing bowl or Corning dish, layer pasta and pour the pork over it. Mix the pasta and pork and serve with your favourite wine.

Welcome!

After much debate, I have decided to create a blog for a variety of reasons..........having always fancied myself as a writer and never really getting the time and motivation to get down to it, creating a blog seems like a good place to start. Who knows, my great American Novel may emerge from these random thoughts.

Even though the title of this blog points to my profession as an Emergency Physician, besides my observation of the human condition in the Emergency Department, I will document my everyday journey with the final goal for finding the meaning of life and everything......the answer to which according to Douglas Adams is 42.