July 18, 2016 Lunch Janitzeo Island. Dinner Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with sautéed Spinach and Chard

July 18, 2016 Lunch  Janitzeo Island. Dinner  Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with sautéed Spinach and Chard

We had no specific plan for today other than to exchange money and to buy additional groceries.  We drove through town and ended at the supermarket that is located at the main crossroads where the national Hwy. 14 enters Patzcuaro.  We bought spinach, chard, a red and a white Mexican wine, Superior beer, potato chips, a large Coca Cola, sliced ham, Oaxacan string cheese, and a palmier and a hotdog roll.  I ate the hotdog roll in the car cold for breakfast.  

It was noon.  Suzette said, “Let’s go to the lake and eat lunch.  So we drove out to the lake.  There are two boat docks where boats leave foe various villages and islands in the lake.  We arrived at one of them that ferried people to the largest island in the lake named Janitzeo.  Here is some information on Janitzeo from Wilepedia.

“The town of Janitzio, which means "where it rains", is located atop the hill. Janitzio can only be reached by boats which run regularly back and forth from about 7:30 am to 6 pm, accessible from Pátzcuaro's pier (embarcadero). These boats can be hired to take visitors around other parts of the lake. The town is famous for the butterfly fishermen who are skilled at lowering their butterfly-shaped nets to catch the local famous cuisine "pescado blanco". The butterfly fisherman were also located on the back of the 50 peso Mexican banknote.

A 40-meter statue of José María Morelos, a great hero of Mexico's independence, started in 1933, is found on the island's highest point. Visitors can climb to the top of the statue by way of a staircase that spirals up the inside. Along the interior walls, the life of Morelos is depicted in murals painted by Ramón Alba de la Canal and other great Mexican muralists. Although the steep stairway can become congested and distract one's attention, it is a good Mexican history lesson. At the top, one can peer through peepholes in the giant raised fist of Morelos, giving a spectacular view of the island, lake and surroundings.

Its main festivity is "El Día de los Muertos" or Day of the Dead. As part of this festivity, candle-lit boat processions make their way to the island and then to Janitzio's Church and graveyard, remaining there for the night for a large festive vigil with much imbibing involved.”

Suzette had travelled to Janitzeo on the Day of the Dead when she lived in Mexico 25 years ago.  She said she probably would not do it again because of the crowds.

We asked our boatman where to eat and he directed us to a restaurant on the main street just up the hill from the docks.  We saw that the restaurant had many local favorites.  We decided on squash blossom quesadillas and fried pescado blanco from the lake with a garlic sauce.

The restaurant faced the street with no view of the lake, so we asked if there was an area with a great view of the lake.  The proprietress took us up two flights of stairs to a roof patio with a fabulous view of the lake and the fishermen fishing with their butterfly nets.  There was only one table and it was a sunny day, so the lady and daughter lashed an umbrella to the table to provide us shade.

Soon our quesadillas arrived and then large platters of Sauteed fish in garlic sauce with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, rice, beans and warm freshly made blue corn tortillas.  We drank Negra Modelos and enjoyed both the food and the view.

After lunch we walked up the hill toward the big Statue of Morelos, but I became exhausted about ½ way and we decided the better part of valor this day was to return to the boat.  The lake is over 7000 feet in elevation and I became winded.

We returned to Patzcuaro around 4:30 and soon found an ATM machine and withdrew money from our accounts. Living in Mexico these days has gotten a lot easier with cell phones with international coverage and bank debit cards and ATMs. 

We then went looking for wine and found a wine shop with a limited selection.  We bought a Mexican champagne, and two reds. 

While looking for a bakery, Suzette found a chicken store that sold whole rotisserie roasted chickens with potatoes soaked in the cooking juices and salsa.  This is one of our favorite foods in Mexico, because we can make several meals from one chicken.  We drove back to the villa and deposited our goods and made rum and cokes and sat in a rocker in the garden to enjoy the garden and cool weather.  Soon Ann arrived and joined us.  She had had a late lunch with one of the doyens of Patzcuaro.  

I am amazed how quickly Ann has settled in to a comfortable relationship with the locals and especially the art community.

We talked for a while and then we decided to make dinner with our newly acquired ingredients.  I de-stemmed about ½ of each of the spinach and chard plants and finely diced 1/3 red onion and 1 clove of garlic.  Suzette then washed the greens and Sautéed the onion and garlic and spun the greens to rid them of sand.  She then added the greens to the onion and garlic and heated chicken and potatoes in the microwave.  To finish the dish Suzette added some Oaxacan string cheese to the vegetable dish.  I opened the champagne, that Suzette had chilled in the freezer and we had a lovely dinner.

After dinner we watched an episode of Top Chef about an Italian chef in Modena and his American born wife who at the time if the series was named the third best restaurant in the world and held three Michelin stars who modernized the local Italian cuisine of Modena and ate the desserts we bought in Quiroga yesterday with the last of the champagne.

Bon Appetit