Mexico

Before you go away on your Cancun adventure why not try some Mexican food at home?

Mexican food is one of the most famous cuisines in the world. Although Mexico is a third world country in a way, often struggling to produce enough food for its eighty seven million inhabitants, there is no doubt that the recipes originating from this area are dear to our hearts.

You Can Cook Mexican food at home

It is a pity that most people assume what they get in Latin fast food joints or poor quality restaurants is what this cuisine is all about because, like with Indian or Chinese food, these popular dishes often bear no more than a passing resemblance to authentic Mexican food recipes. Why you can have Mexican food at home anytime.

Influences From Other Cuisines

A lot of the modern recipes are based on ancient Maya, Inca, or Aztec traditions combined with the cooking methods introduced by the Spanish explorers. The native, pre-Columbian diet consisted mainly of corn-based recipes, as well as tomatoes, beans, herbs and chilies. The Spanish combined their favorite ingredients of pork, chicken, beef, rice, garlic, onions, and wine with the indigenous foods of Mexico and modern Mexican cuisine was the result. All of these are easily available in your local supermarket so that you can have your Mexican food at home.

The French also occupied the country and they introduced baked foods like bread, cakes, and pastries. The Manila-Acapulco galleon trade in the sixteenth century was responsible for the minor Asian influence you can spot in some traditional recipes from Mexico.

Different Types Of Mexican Dishes

Because of the local geographical and climatic differences, typical ingredients varies quite a lot from region to region. Goat and beef is popular in the north of the country, barbacoa is popular in the center, and fish and seafood are well loved along the coastline, for example. Spicy chicken and vegetable dishes are favored in the southeast of the country.

The Importance Of Corn

Mexicans love to cook Mexican food at home with fresh ingredients, unlike many other nations. There are some ingredients which feature in most recipes and the main one is corn.

Corn flour is used to make Mexican dishes and corn is used to make everything from tortillas, casseroles, stews, and salads to candy and even ice cream. It is the primary edible crop in the country and cornfields occupy about fifty percent of Mexico’s cultivated land.

What About Tex-Mex?

Tex-Mex dishes came into being when the cuisine Mexico met the cuisine of the southern United States. Tex-Mex meals feature more meat and fewer beans that authentic Mexican food recipes. The sauces and spices are used in a different way and the tortillas are different. Mexican tortillas are thinner and chewier.

You can also see items on the menu like shrimp enchiladas or fish tacos which you would not get in Mexico. Crispy chalupas, Tex-Mex chili, tamale pie, seven-layer dip, and even fajitas are American inventions. Tex-Mex chorizo contains different spices from the chorizo you would buy in Mexico and you find lots of green chilies in Tex-Mex dishes.

Tex-Mex salsa features a lot of cilantro although the Mexicans do not add this to theirs when they cook Mexican food at home. Beef, beans and spices are probably the three main ingredients in this cuisine and Tex-Mex cuisine is interesting because it shows how this cuisine has grown internationally and been tailored to suit the American palate.

It is interesting to learn how typical Mexican recipes have changed, from the ancient times to today, and also how something as simple as a salsa recipe can have so many different styles and variations.

Next time you have people over to talk about the plans that you have for your Cancun vacation why not have some Mexican food at home for them to try?

New on the beach at Cancún is Villa Del Palmar, a combination hotel and timeshare resort. (Executives say there will be no sales pitches.)

Not quite finished but still available as the first phase is completed the Villa Del Palmar Resort is the newest resort in the Cancun area

Villa Del Palmar Resort

Phase One opened Dec. 24 with 150 guest rooms and suites, each with private terrace, kitchenette, flat-screen television and high-speed Internet access. One- and two-bedroom suites offer separate living rooms, full kitchens, and washer and dryer.

Villa Del Palmar is offering an introductory special. Rates are $159 per person, per night, all-inclusive (taxes and tips included), based on double occupancy. Children ages 3-12 stay for $53 each; 2 and younger are free. Stays must be completed by April 30. Bookings through Feb. 28 are eligible for a free upgrade from a deluxe room to a deluxe ocean-view room.

Under the alluring Cancun sun, Villa Del Palmar offers amenities from the exciting to the serene.

• Five lounge decks with fire pits for night relaxation
• Full-service water activities center
• Partnerships with the best golf courses in Cancun
• Large and accommodating Jacuzzis
• Restaurants, convenience stores, and bars
• Massage services
• Fitness Room
• Coming Soon:
  • Tennis courts
  • Three swimming pools and a Mayan Temple water slide
  • Full gym and lockers to stay fit

Set foot in the villas and you’ll never look at a vacation the same way again.

Features of the Villa Del Palmar Resort Rooms include

• Full kitchen
• Full furnishing with finely crafted wood furniture
• LCD televisions
• Marble floors
• Granite countertops
• Luxury bathrooms with whirlpool tubs
• Spacious 10ft balconies with patio furniture to enjoy the amazing views

Come experience the Villa Del Palmar amenities first hand and indulge in Villa del Palmar Cancun . . . what a Mexican vacation should be.

Construction will continue through 2011, with the final phase and additional amenities scheduled to open in December. Villa Del Palmar is in the Playa Mujeres beach area, about 25 minutes north of Cancún’s hotel zone. To book: 1-877-360-9373 or click here.

So check out these links to the Villa Del Palmar Resort and see what you think.

Cancun is the ultimate place to be if you want to have a vacation where you can see the ocean and sun all day.

It is a great destination for spring break as well as for summer vacations where you want to escape from the hustle and bustle of a busy city life.

You only get to live once, so why not enjoy it in one of the best places on earth and experience a little bit of paradise while you’re here?

Cancun has everything you will ever need to have the best and most memorable vacation you can possibly have and enjoy. You can choose from a variety of Cancun resorts where you can stay at while you’re in the region.

Cancun Resort Choices for You

Cancun is filled with numerous hotel resorts that it can give you a headache just deciding on which one you should look into. However, there are three hotel resorts in Cancun that you should consider staying at while you’re there.

There is a Cancun resort for every person out there, whether you decide on having a huge family vacation, a second honeymoon with your wife, or you’re going on vacation with your best buddies and friends.

Paradisus Riviera Cancun Resort

If you want to stay in class and style while you’re in Cancun, the Paradisus Riviera Cancun is the best place to be.

It is a well-hidden secret and takes about half-an-hour drive toward the south of Cancun. You can enjoy the gorgeous beaches and weather of Cancun, Mexico in this Cancun resort.

This is a luxurious all-inclusive resort that has a lush mangrove preserve along its beautiful Caribbean coastline.

The Paradisus Riviera Cancun Resort also features the second largest coral reef formation in the world along its famous coastline.

Having the beach right in front of you makes for numerous water activities that you can do while you’re staying there. You can go snorkeling or, better yet, scuba diving to see the amazing coral reefs this Cancun resort has to offer.

For the historical buff, you can also check out the different Mayan archeological sites that surround the area. You can go to Tulum, Coba, and Chichen Itza to experience and get a glimpse of the ancient Mayan culture.

ME Cancun

Another resort that you can check out is ME Cancun. If you are looking for a Cancun resort that can offer you the many sights and sound of Cancun, then this is the place to be.

Whether you’re in it for an arousing night scene, a pool bar, gorgeous infinity pools, or even an exclusive adult-oriented floor that has a private lounge, ME Cancun will be ideal for you.

It has everything you need if you want to stay at Cancun and enjoy everything that it has to offer apart from the sun and the beach.

Gran Melia Cancun Resort

The Gran Melia Cancun Resort is ideal if you want a spot that is not to far from the convenience of the airport.

It is just about fifteen minutes from the city’s international airport and is one of Cancun’s famous areas for shopping, dining, and partying.

Staying in this Cancun resort means that you get to wake up to white sandy beaches and lush vegetation as well as a beautiful 9-hole golf course every day of your stay.

So make the most out of your Cancun vacation and enjoy the luxury and style that these hotels have to offer.

Arjun has written for many Internet publications and enjoys technical issues and new product releases like the Big Agnes Sleeping Bag and the new models of Big Agnes Sleeping Bag

Although most of the drug-related violence has been in the northern border region of Mexico, far from the Mayan temples of the Yucatan, the regional cuisine of Oaxaca or the beaches of Baja California Sur, violence has also erupted in tourist destinations, including Acapulco and the state of Michoacan, home to the famous monarch butterfly sanctuaries. Even Cancun’s safety was questioned earlier this year after eight employees of a strip club there were killed when a group of men threw Molotov cocktails into the building in an area not frequented by tourists.

Increasing Safety in Mayan Riviera

To combat the perception that violence has been widespread, tourism officials in Mexico have invested $30 million in advertising and social media initiatives to spread the word that much of the country is safe for tourists.

“Visitors have the right to be well informed,” said Alfonso Sumano, regional director for the Mexico Tourism Board for the Americas. Many of the affected areas, he said, “are very far from the destinations tourists visit.”

The latest travel warning, issued by the State Department in September, urged American citizens to defer unnecessary travel to Michoacan and areas along the northern border, including Tamaulipas, and parts of Chihuahua, Durango and Coahuila, where tourists generally don’t go. Yet, ever cautious, it stated, “violence has occurred throughout the country, including in areas frequented by American tourists.” Visitors were encouraged to stay on main roads in daylight hours and to remain in well-known tourist areas.

Crime Stories Hurt Mexican Travel Industry

All of this has made travel to Mexico a hard sell lately, but travel agents say the negative publicity has also made Mexico among the best values out there as resorts lower rates or add free incentives. When asked where agents are recommending travelers go to get the most for their dollar this year, 70 percent said Mexico, according to Travel Leaders, a major network of agents.

“A lot of clients will come here and say, ‘I’ll go anywhere except Mexico,’ ” said Kate Rosevear, owner of a Travel Leaders agency in Plymouth, Mich. “Quite often we’ll be able to talk them back around to it based on the value.”

The deals include Villa del Palmar Cancun, a new all-inclusive resort in Playa Mujeres with a Greg Norman-designed golf course. It’s offering rates of $142 a person a night — up to 60 percent off. And St. Regis Punta Mita is offering butler service, a third night free, a $50 resort credit per room and a glass of champagne with its Welcome to Paradise deal from $580 a night for stays starting Jan. 11.

Mexican Destinations, the Mexico Villa brand of the rental company VacationRoost, says its villas are far from reported violence, and it’s offering specials of 25 percent to 50 percent off. One deal is Casa del Sol, a four-bedroom, five-bath property on the Pacific Coast in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, where rates have been slashed to $750 a night, from $1,500 for early this month.

Many resorts say safety is at the top of their guests’ minds.

“When our reservations manager receives requests, the first question …is if there has been violence in this area,” said Giorgio Brignone, proprietor of Costa Careyes, a luxury resort two hours south of Puerto Vallarta, which has added free airport transfers to and from Manzanillo. To put jittery travelers at ease, the company’s website highlights the resort’s 24-hour security.

Many travelers are unclear about where the violence has occurred and how it might affect their vacation, Brignone said.

“People don’t realize that there are many regions and areas in the country that are not affected by the violence and drug wars,” he said. “It’s like saying I will not go to Dallas, or New York, because there are problems or riots in Los Angeles.”

Still, there are some tourist destinations travelers should steer clear of, at least for now. “I would not encourage my family to visit Acapulco right now,” said Josh Miller, who lives in Mexico City and is the general director for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean for Control Risks, a risk management firm.

Travelers should also hold off on visits to Michoacan, in central Mexico. The state is a stronghold of La Familia, a drug cartel known for bold ambushes.

Popular resort areas, including Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa and Cancun’s resort strip are generally safe for travelers, Miller said, particularly if visitors stay within the resort’s boundaries.

“Mexico is a volatile place,” he said. “You have to have your itinerary planned out quite well, consider transportation and stay abreast of latest developments.”

Some travelers who have been to Mexico before are surprised when friends express safety concerns.

“Everybody was like, `What? You are going to Mexico?’ ” said Tina Youtsey, a dog groomer from Milan, Mich., who went to the Riviera Maya with her teenage daughter last month. “Seriously,” she said, “the drug lords aren’t hanging out at the resort.”