A Glimpse into the Mind of a Foodie

Nothing gets a Foodie more excited than a mid morning trip to the local Farmers Market.  The sun kissing the skins of fresh fruits and vegetables is better than the glitter of diamonds to some.  The buzz of foodies and farmers haggling over the price of Heirlooms.  And best of all... bringing your treasures home!  Foodies would gladly shoot endless Haul Videos of their fresh finds if it was not for fear of ridicule...or more likely the overwhelming desire to get cooking!

I am a Foodie.  Nothing gets me more excited then arm loads of goodies brought back from the local market.  I get so wound up I am known to send pictures of my Hauls to my friends and family.  But I am one of the most extreme types of Foodies because I find the greatest pleasures in Homemade goods like Marshmallows, Crackers and Achiote Paste. Things that most people would never consider making and would be much cheaper if purchased but the satisfaction of making it myself is greater than the expense.  

Running on Fumes and a Prayer

Guess What?!?!...We Moved! Part 3 of 3

I have been secretive for a while now because I was afraid that announcing that we would be closing La Casa Olvera and moving halfway across the country would hurt the little business flow that we had left...well we did all that!  We HAVE closed La Casa Olvera, loaded everything and then some back into the RV and made a harrowing road trip across deserts and mountains to Baja California where we now reside.  Lulu came with us of course and the newest character to join the Olvera klan is our dear friend Larry.  We are starting a new business!  A Food Truck called Señor Chef.  It is bold and fun and just our style.  Follow along as I divulge the adventures that have brought us to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico in this three part series!

Now I am unleashing all of the secrets.  If you did not catch part 1 and 2… you may want to check that out first!

Running on Fumes and a Prayer!

It took us no time at all to find a place to live.  We arrived in Ensenada on June 11th as planned.  We had scheduled appointments with Real Estate Agents for the 12th.  We packed the day with appointments and saw over a dozen houses from all ends of town and even in the Guadalupe Valley.  So what do a couple of Gringos do when they move from a small town to a large city?  Coerce the Mexican with them to move to the OUTSKIRTS of town and give them at least a year to adjust to city life.  So that is what we did!  We moved out towards Punta Banda where we found a neighborhood literally on the beach.  It is half a block to being ankle deep in sand in one direction and half a block to a nature preserve and estuary in the opposite direction.  It is an hour away from town and in many ways not the most accessible location… but did I mention that we have a beach?!?! AND A POOL!  We moved in on Monday.

No sooner had we unloaded the car and RV and dumped it all into the garage, no not the house...JUST THE GARAGE, did we cram Boris onto a plane destined for Monterey.  We had been receiving emails that the food truck was ready and they would not hold it much longer.  The plan was to stay Tuesday night in Monterrey and drive through Durango and on to Guaymas where he would load the Truck onto the Thursday Ferry and then drive up the Baja California peninsula returning to Ensenada from the South.  It was a tight time table as the ferry only leaves a few days a week, but it would get him home in record time.  The excitement...the anticipation… our dreams becoming a reality...all the feels!  We were already expecting to open the first weekend in July.  It was all coming together, and so fast!  

Boris arrived in Monterrey and the truck was NOT ready.  The used Bimbo truck that the builders bought for us had been modified to the Bimbo company standards.  This included a governor and incredibly uncomfortable seats, along with many other changes that a girly girl like me could never understand.  First delayed by mechanical issues, and then by receptionist errors in paperwork and he missed the ferry.  Now Boris would have to stay in Guaymas over the weekend with a brief case full of dirty underwear and wait for the next ferry.  But then the ferry did not come… weather issues on the other side apparently.  Mañana they said!  (All my Expat friends are giggling because we all know what Mañana means and “tomorrow” is NOT one of its meanings). Today?... more weather issues.  Finally the ferry arrives and Boris is in line to load the boat...now it cannot leave the dock: weather issues midway across (of course).  This went on for a week.  Boris could not leave as he had already paid for the ferry.  Non-refundable because it had not left due to...yah we know already: WEATHER.  Come to find out the ferry usually only crosses once or twice a week when they have enough paid passengers to fill the boat, blaming weather issues until they do.  Finally over a week in Guaymas, and more shopping for clothes and underwear then he has done in years, the ferry makes the 10 hour trip across the Sea of Cortez.  Boris decides not to stop halfway as planned but to rush home...at a top speed of 50 miles per hour!  Straight as an arrow through blinding desert followed by twists and turns through nail biting mountain roads and an hour from home...the power steering goes out on the truck.  Boris muscles 5 tons of steel to our door.  The end of the longest “see you in a few days honey” ever!

“What else could go wrong?” we asked ourselves.  “It all has to be uphill from here!” we said.  We found a mechanic based on a recommendation from our new best friend the owner of the produce shop down the road.  The mechanic came out and it would take at least a week to fix.  Just enough time for us to get all our permits in order we thought!  Still on schedule.  Still hopeful.  A little razzled from all the travel... but still looking forward!  We are ready to get this show on the road (another cheap pun).  Little did we know but one of the hardest bumps in the road (this one was not intended) of getting this business up and running would be the Mexican equivalent to the DMV.  We cannot start the process of getting permits to operate the Food Truck until we get the proper documentation for the Truck to be on the road.  The Food Truck is licensed with a temporary plate.  Basically permission to transport it to Baja California where it must be plated with a Baja California License Plate.  But you cannot get a Baja California license plate unless you have a Baja California drivers license.  You cannot get a Baja California drivers license until you have lived in the state for 100 days minimum. “Buh...buh… but sir!  We need to open our business.”  “Not. My. Problem”...oh yeah!  This is EXACTLY LIKE THE DMV!

Great news from the Mechanic!  We need a new radiator.... AWESOME!

We are running on fumes and a prayer here.  Who knows what will happen next!!!

We have an incredible opportunity with one of the wineries in the Valle de Guadalupe.  They want us to park beside their place, at the perfect cross roads in the middle of the Valley.  We have the menu.  We have even been testing vendors for items that we will need.  It turns out that our not so centralized, out of town location is the best location for obtaining the freshest produce.  Everything IS going great!  And we are still anxious to get started.  We are just delayed by red tape and bureaucracy which is always to be expected when you plan on selling food!

This story is not done!  Not by a long shot.  But I am back on the blog and will keep you up to date.  No more secrets!  With this new business I want to start a new form of communication with you.  From now on you can expect silly stories, brutal honesty about the good and bad things, and more of our day to day lives.  I think I have finally figured out what this blog is all about...so it can only get better from here.  Right?

To be continued… continuously……….

Life is a Beach!

Guess What?!?!...We Moved! Part 2 of 3

I have been secretive for a while now because I was afraid that announcing that we would be closing La Casa Olvera and moving halfway across the country would hurt the little business flow that we had left...well we did all that!  We HAVE closed La Casa Olvera, loaded everything and then some back into the RV and made a harrowing road trip across deserts and mountains to Baja California where we now reside.  Lulu came with us of course and the newest character to join the Olvera klan is our dear friend Larry.  We are starting a new business!  A Food Truck called Señor Chef.  It is bold and fun and just our style.  Follow along as I divulge the adventures that have brought us to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico in this three part series!

Now I am unleashing all of the secrets.  If you did not catch part 1… you may want to check that out first!

Life is a Beach!

We left San Miguel de Allende on the morning of June 6th.  We made a gorgeous drive winding around Guadalajara to Tepic, Nayarit where we stayed at an RV Park.  We drove through purple hills, agave fields and mango orchards.  It was magical and breathtakingly beautiful.  We were on our next adventure, ready to seize the moment, our dreams becoming a reality!  In our minds we could already smell the ocean air...

We left Nayarit and headed through Sinaloa to the border of Sonora.  The mango fields now in our rear views and nothing but hot stickiness up ahead.  We were licking our lips the whole way as we dreamed of Steak Tacos for lunch.  Sonora being famous for its beef it was all we could think of as we dredged on through sand and sun and insufferable heat.  We stopped at an RV Park in Los Mochis, Sinaloa for the night and lucky for us a taco stand just walking distance from the park.  We gorged ourselves on tender beef as the owners fussed over us as if we were long lost relatives.  Up and at `em the next day we were headed for Hermosillo, Sonora.

The further north we got the more checkpoints; which was to be expected.  We rarely grumble at the checkpoints as we are genuinely grateful for the work that the officers and soldiers are doing to keep the country safe.  The tour of the RV...or as they like to call it our “cute little apartment”... gets old FAST!  On one such tour the car started acting funny.  It was getting harder and harder to start the car each time that we stopped.  Well it finally pooped out and the soldiers had to ban together and PUSH me out of the way of the inspection sight.  Not an easy task considering it was riding pretty low under all the weight of the boxes and what not crammed in the back.  They called their mechanic to come over and he fussed with it for a little while.  But they could not get it to start.  I was awed by the fact that they had gone so far above and beyond.  They really took care of us and did not leave my side until we got it fixed...Boris of course is the one who fixed it!  Thank you hubby!!!  Boris whacked away at it, did a few little macgyver moves.  Taught the soldier boys a couple things about fixing a loose battery using a .50c piece… and we were off again.  We stopped at a Hotel in Hermosillo, Sonora endlessly grateful for A/C.

The next morning we got up early (time changes being well in our favor) and got ready to leave… we were headed… we headed for… we were ready to depart…  We didn't get ANYWHERE because the car refused to start!  We rushed back into the reception desk to recover our room key and get a phone book.  We had to call a mechanic to come out and look it over.  A kind passer by (also happening to be a mechanic) looked it over, deemed it a starter needing to be replaced and recommended a shop.  That guy couldn't come out until late morning… our chance of reaching MexiCali was dwindling.  The guy came to the hotel, said the same things the other mechanic did… he would need to take the car.  I was nervous handing the car keys over to a guy we found in the phone book… but what else could we do?  He jacked the front of the car up and told me to turn the key over.  As I did he started beating the living “you know what” out of something under the hood (I imagine the starter) a few hearty “technicians thumps” as they call it and the damn thing started!  I was impressed and willingly handed over the keys.  But purchasing and replacing parts takes time so we were stuck in the hotel another night.

Up even earlier this time and very anxious to get on the road we headed for MexiCali.  We were half way through our trip, a few thousand pesos lighter then expected and more anxious than ever to be sitting in front of the ocean drinking a super cold beer and eating shrimp cocktails.  Reaching mid afternoon Boris asked me if I had enough gas.  He believed the next gas station to be 100 Kilometers away.  I guessed that I did having no fricking clue how long a damn Kilometer was and uttered a prayer that I was correct in my guess as we headed down the road.  Little did I know we were about to cross El Gran Desierto del Altar.  100 kilometers turned into miles as we literally drove into nothingness.  Endless seas of desert on all sides and mid day sun beating down our windshields.  The gas tanks on both vehicles dwindled as we were stopped by checkpoint after checkpoint.  I have never grumbled at the checkpoints until then.  And even the dog was not having for it as she would look at the officer sideways, ruffle her scruff and rumble this low throaty growl that had me seriously doubting if she would ever bite anyone.  Finally on fumes and a prayer we got stopped at yet another checkpoint...this one had a line and I was all but in tears.  I begged the soldier, “is there a gas station near by please?”  It was less of a question and more of a plea.  He told me there was one 10 minutes down the road.  I could see by the look of Boris face he was in the same boat as me.  As I saw the gas station in the distance I almost thought it was a mirage.  The car started to sputter and shake as I crossed the last 100 meters to the pump.  We all collapsed as we melted out of our vehicles.  And the dog bit the gas attendant…

We were a day behind our original schedule, desperate to be off the road and on the beach...decision time: Do we stop at our next designated rest point in MexiCali or do we cram two days of driving into one and make the last haul of the trip a 12+ hour trek?  We didn't even think about it that long as we all jumped into our seats and hit the road hard.  Full tilt ahead for Ensenada!  We drudged on for the full 12 hours hell bent on making it to Ensenada before sun down.  We didn't stop for lunch, or breaks... just gas and back on the road.  When we entered the back roads crossing into the Valle de Guadalupe and I saw grape vines over rolling hills, felt the salt air kiss my skin and at last saw the sign for Ensenada...do not judge me when I say that I wept!  We had finally arrived in Ensenada!!!  We pulled into the RV Park and stumbled out of our vehicles onto the grass.  We were exhausted, road weary and starved.  We quickly showered and changed ready to climb into the car so that the three of us could go out to eat...right!  I knew there was a reason I had saved the one seat in the back to be free of boxes.  Now there was only two seats instead of the three that we needed.  Oops!  The groundskeeper for the park came over to us.  He said, “You must be starving and tired, please take the keys to my truck so that you can take your entire family to go and eat”.  I almost cried again.  We had never met this man and here he was offering his vehicle to us.  Tacos had never tasted so good.  We had finally made it!  And we had been received with loving open arms.

To be continued………………..

Secrets Unleashed!

Guess What?!?!...We Moved! Part 1 of 3

I have been secretive for a while now because I was afraid that announcing that we would be closing La Casa Olvera and moving halfway across the country would hurt the little business flow that we had left...well we did all that!  We HAVE closed La Casa Olvera, loaded everything and then some back into the RV and made a harrowing road trip across deserts and mountains to Baja California where we now reside.  Lulu came with us of course and the newest character to join the Olvera klan is our dear friend Larry.  We are starting a new business!  A Food Truck called Señor Chef.  It is bold and fun and just our style.  Follow along as I divulge the adventures that have brought us to Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico in this three part series!

Secrets Unleashed!

Business was great when we were La Cocina de Boris y Jessi.  Our little hole in the wall cafe was for the most part a success.  Then people started asking for dinner, for wine, for beer...for MORE SPACE!  And all of these requests seemed logical to us.  So we did all that we could to oblige them.  We opened La Casa Olvera.  We served dinner, we served wine, we served beer and the space was beautiful!  And it worked... for a little while, we added other events like the Sip and Nibble Soiree to supplement the petering out dinner service...and then that suddenly stopped too!  We could not figure out what happened, where had we failed our customers...WHERE THE HELL WHERE OUR CUSTOMERS?  Our loyal fans, our friends?  It just didn't make any sense!  That is until someone asked me if I was scared to live in our neighborhood.  WHAT THE WHAT??? “Of course...” she said, “with all the hooligans and gangsters in your neighborhood!” She said it as if I should know something, as if everyone knew about the dangers of my neighborhood except me. Visions of the sweet ladies who set up shop in front of our house flashed through my mind.  The men in our neighborhood greeting my husband by name.  The friendships that we had struck over the last year.  Cracking jokes with the shop owners.  Feeling loved and cared for every time we walked the dog down the street.  But “hooligans”...well that was news to me!  But it was not news to the rest of the Expat community.  Naysayers had unleashed holy hell on our neighborhood.  Making claims against the local government of insecurity and vandalism.  The Expats (according to this group) were leaving San Miguel de Allende in droves and we should join them!  Their claims flabbergasted us!  This had been going on for months and we had no idea that it was happening.  We loved our neighborhood!  We could not believe that someone would start such a vicious rumor.  But rumor or not no Expat would venture the half a block into our neighborhood day or night for any reason… and just like that; we were out of business.

Thankfully Larry had already planted a seed in our brains.  A seed that was developing into a luscious business plan.  A plan to move to the OCEAN and return once again to WINE COUNTRY.  We were on board (cheap pun) and ready for new adventure.  We obtained a loan and purchased a Food Truck.  Since we had most success moving our business around why not have a business that did just that; MOVED!  It would be bold, fun and we would call it Señor Chef.  We bid farewell to San Miguel de Allende on June 6th and the few friends who had stuck around.  The boys packed up the RV and headed off down the road.  Instead of towing the car this time, since we had sold the dolly, I loaded the car to the hilt and followed along with a stack of books on tape and our dog Lulu at my side.  The Food Truck was still being built.  So the plan was to arrive in Ensenada and stay at an RV Park while we house hunted.  Find a place and move in before the 15th.  Then Boris would fly to Monterrey and pick up the Food Truck and drive it back to Ensenada taking the ferry to save time, gas and money as well as shave off a trip across the desert.  Best laid plans… or so they say.

To be continued…………………...