Curves and cracks

For the past three weeks, I've been settled in Coatepec, a charming little town nestled in the mountains of the state of Veracruz. A small town, yes, but one with a truly irresistible trio: mole, coffee, and orchids. I naively thought that orchids were just expensive flowers that die as soon as you look at them a little too much. What a monumental mistake! These plants are, in fact, the greatest manipulators, sexual con artists, and survivors in the history of the plant kingd

Long ago, the Aztecs prepared spicy sauces called "molli." They used chili peppers, tomatoes, and seeds, and served them with turkey or whatever else they had on hand. Simple, yet effective: it was spicy, warming, and impressed the gods. Then, in the 16th century, the Spanish arrived with their exotic spices (cinnamon, cloves, almonds, etc.) and their chocolate (yes, cocoa was already native to Mexico, but the Europeans "improved" it by adding sugar). Forced culinary fusion:

It's easy to be afraid when you travel. Afraid of spicy food, afraid of people who smile too much (suspicious, right?), afraid of a way of life that's nothing like our well-ordered routines. But when you open your mind – and especially your heart – everything changes. Magic. It was thanks to this openness that I met Elísabet. We had crossed paths once or twice on the street. And then, when I saw her again, she asked me to watch her bike while she ran an errand. Me, the passin