The Pressures Off!

Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico - the Vallarta Yacht Club recently started a new Luncheon Seminar series on topics of interest to anyone living, traveling or boating in Mexico. As a “Subject Expert” member of the BoatMexico (http://www.boatmexico.com/) website, who are providing the first six speakers, Dolores had agreed to give a talk to members on “The Art of Entertaining Afloat.”

To provide you a little better focus on being a subject matter expert (SME), Dolores was contacted earlier this year by the “founder” and webmaster, Daniel Russell, off BoatMexico and was asked to be a SME and monthly contributor to the site on Cooking (Food), focusing on Mexican food and its background. They currently have 9 “experts” covering such diverse subjects as Cooking (Mexican), Diving, Ecology, Legal, Maintenance, Marine Biology, Medical, Safety, Weather, and Writers – the 10th expert is to be named soon. It’s an interesting and fast growing group. Don’t really understand how Cooking and Writing came to be included – my guess is to add some liveliness to the site.

Fortunately, we have friends in Seattle who own antique motor yachts and sailing vessels, and we’ve both fished on rather large seagoing boats, so we’re not totally unacquainted with what an equipped galley looks like and the kind of cooking and entertaining tools/surfaces that are available in the boating world. This coupled with her unique specialty of demonstrating and using shortcuts in cooking gourmet food as a background, with the ability to do research on the internet, Dolores has burst onto the boating scene without even a rowboat to captain. Contributing articles on Mexican food, both historical background and recipes, has been a fun experience - then the request, ““would you give a in person presentation to the members of the Vallarta Yacht Club on pre-bagged meals to serve on your boat, hints and tips for long distance cruising, how to entertain on board, Do’s and Don’ts for gallery cooking…and much more?
Answer Yes…and the pressures on!

Over the past two weeks Dolores has been developing, memorizing, and practicing her talk. I would be on my computer in the rear office and hear muffled sounds emulating from the guest baño. After, few times I finally realized that location had become the preferred “practice” place. Of course I had to make an inappropriate comment (I thought it was clever…) and was promptly put in my place. After a few days of the guest baño being off limits the day arrived to perform. We had discovered the Vallarta Yacht Club was not in Puerto Vallarta, not in Nuevo Vallarta, but, in, and next door to Paradise Village. Given explicit directions by Dan Russell of Boat Mexico, we made two wrongs turns, wandered about the countryside while maintaining our cool (lol) and final arrived exactly on time – we had allowed a 30 minute cushion. After “setting up” and meeting the principles a buffet luncheon was enjoyed and then time for Dolores talk. It couldn’t have gone better and two hours later we returned to PV, did grocery shopping and arrived home in the late afternoon for a well deserved nap (Dolores) and a cool cerveza (Roberto).

El pressure' s apagado!

Party of the Season

A Major Happening in Puerto Vallarta

The party of the season has just happened and the year has not begun..or maybe it’s the party of the year - period!. Phil Stewart the owner of Hacienda Palo Maria had included us on his invite list, along with approximately 175 others to enjoy “An Evening with Vikki Carr.” Let me set the scene. He had redesigned the entrance to his beautiful home so a valet service was setup. At the scene hired Policía Federal uniforms were all over the highway, stopping, directing traffic while the guest dismounted their automobiles and entered the Hacienda across the Palo Maria river. The pathway and bridge were lined by beautiful senoritas welcoming and assisting the guests. The river was full with water from the mountains, rushing to join the ocean 75 yards away. After signing in we stopped by the bar for a cocktail and then proceeded outside on the veranda and lower beach area, which had been decorated with the stage and dining area. The next hour was spent mixing with the other guests, greeting friends, saying hello to old acquaintances and making new acquaintances all the while enjoying many different hors d'oeuvres and cocktails offered by the tuxedoed-white gloved support staff that constantly circulated around and throughout the guests.

At the appropriate time we were seated at assigned tables and the dinner service began. Dolores quietly tipped our designated waiter (who instantly became a life-long friend), we introduced ourselves to our table partners and the evening began. To make your “mouth-water” the following briefly summarizes the five courses that we were served:

1. Chilled white Rose Potato Vichyssoise with Pomegranate Reduction and Chives
   
2. Baby Red and Green Leaf Salad with Court Bouillon Poached Pacific Prawns, Tropical Fruit and Guava/Cilantro Vinaigrette


3. Fennel Pollen Crusted Lions Paw Diver Scallop withShavedCucumber and Citrus Bennre Blanc
   
4. Adobe Rubbed Mesquite Grilled Petite Filet and Pacific Roasted Lobster Tail with Asparagus and Hollandaise Sauce
   
5. Intermezzo – Passion Fruit Sorbet


6. Manzano Banana and Coconut Capirotada with Vanilla Bean Crème Anglaise, Cajeta Decelaya and Coconut Ice Cream
   
   Whee! Are you still hungry? All this, along with continuous wine and liquor service.
   
   Additionally, we were continuously entertained by local talents – a marvelous flutist/harpist, Puerto Vallarta’s best Mariachi Ensemble (12 talented musicians), a solo guitarist, a solo Harpists from Guadalajara, and a great Charro. Pictures had been taken of the guest at their table and these were presented as mementos in hand painted, numbered frames from local entrepreneur, Marisa Bridge, Bridgecolor.com. During a trip to the banjos, Dolores saw that Cuban cigars were being hand-rolled, and at the meal end they were circulated through-out the assembly to anyone who wanted to relax and digest with a smoke.

And then…

At approximately 10:00 PM, Vikki Carr (born as Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martinez Cardona in El Paso, Texas) appeared on the entrance steps just behind our table, sung her introduction piece and then proceeded to the stage while interacting with the guests. She then entertained us for the next hour with a cross section of music genres, i.e,; swing, blues, ballads, show-tunes, country music, etc. To jog your memory, some of the tunes she’s best known for are; “It Must Be Him”, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, “Tunesmith”, “There I Go”, “With Pen In Hand”, Until It’s Time For You To Go”, and “Make It Rain.” She was a major star throughout Latin America, Australia, and Europe. She originally recorded for Liberty Records and replaced Julie London as the company’s leading diva. She also was able sing for five U.S. presidents, as well as the Queen of England, and she became the first female performer to regularly sub for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show, and she worked in the theater winning acclaim for several big time theatric performances.

Finishing off the evening Phil put on a grand fireworks display. As we left Hacienda Palo Maria, we were presented with a box set of her new release “The Ultimate Collection” consisting of three CD’s containing her best performances. As we gave the valet our car ticket (#002), we meet Phil’s parents and had a nice chat. Our car arrived; we were escorted across the highway, into our car and headed home happy, safe, and full of lifetime memories.

The Return

Puerto Vallarta, Jal., Mexico -It happened. After three months in the PNW we made the transition back to our second home (or is it the first) in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. Of course while we were gone the automobile gas prices, Mexico vs. USA (av.), have almost reached a par, $2.32 vs $2.30. Part of that is the stronger US dollar, which helps us a lot.

We are ecstatic to be back in Puerto Vallarta. The expats are beginning to show up. Everyday we see a new familiar face, temperatures are decreasing even though at lot of humidity still lingers, and party time is beginning to kick off. Dolores has two cooking school classes sold out for this month and we still haven’t put out any advertising. People are already jockeying for position in December, January, and February. The daily agenda has been varied, but active – arrival 11/1 (last Saturday), Sunday - shopping for staples; Monday – Helping a friend shop for new furniture, dinner with friends; Tuesday –open house at Chee Chee’s; Wednesday – first pre-preliminary-final meeting of our condo association; Thursday – dinner with more friends; Friday – BF Breakfast; Saturday – Vikki Carr private party (more later); Sunday – Bud Accord Memorial lunch, Baby shower for the next door neighbor; Monday – wine tasting dinner; Tuesday – Outback Annual anniversary; Wednesday – BECA networking breakfast; and on and on. And I use to think working was time consuming!

Dolores headed the packing effort to bring everything she (we) needed into the country. We had 7 pieces of check in luggage and 4 carry-on’s. The check in luggage consisted of 6-wheel soft duffel bemoths (48# each), and carry-on’s that approached 40 pounds each. Sling those on your shoulder and walk 300 yards to the baggage claim (you didn’t think the moving floor walks would be turned on did you). After getting everything downstairs from our Lynnwood home without awaking the neighborhood, we tempted the Airport Express driver with a nice tip to load everything into the van while remaining cheerful. Mission accomplished we picked up one more traveling pair with just 2 suitcases (can you imagine) and proceeded to the airport. Arriving we were unloaded and checked in by the curb service, paid a significant amount of excessive baggage fees and proceeded to security. Naturally we must have looked suspicious, so each of us had at least one carry on baggage disassembled piece-by-piece with all the pertinent questions – what is it, how do you use it, why is it necessary. Since everything was wrapped in bubble-paper I guess we were lucky they took our word – sec., that’s a computer external drive, that’s my medication, that’s a humming bird feeder,. that’s my toothbrush…

Arriving in Puerto Vallarta we hustled through deplaning and customs and proceeded to baggage claim (here’s the 300 yard part). Staggering into the baggage claim area barely alive, we waited for our bags to show. Now I’ve had a bag arrive immediately and had to wait tell the end for the final piece; however, I’ve never had to wait until the final pieces arrived before any of my luggage showed up, nothing, nothing, nothing, then bags 1, 2, 3, 4, someone else’s, space, bags 5 and 6. Even the Green/Red light person wanted to go and held the switch on green so we could hustle through. We had arrived in PV intact! Hiring a personal van (to much luggage to share), we turned into Calle Pilitas 1 ½ hours after touchdown and were greeted by our ninos. Within another half hour I was able to asked my neighbor Joe for the loan of several cervesa’s to relax and honor our arrival.