By Marcia Chaiken and Jan Chaiken

Some people come to the Oaxacan beaches to swim. Some to snorkel or dive. Others to simply relax. But one activity almost all visitors share is tasting the wonderful food.

There are so many restaurants to sample, but one question that few people even think about is where does this supply of chefs come from?   Even the most casual tourist quickly learns that many talented chefs arrive in Oaxaca from distant cities and countries – Montreal, Argentina, Austria, France and Italy to name just a few. But the vast majority of restaurants serve traditional Mexican food, and scores of chefs and sous chefs are needed to staff them. Fortunately, Chef Nestor Roman realized the need for training young local people for those positions and started a cooking school, La caXona del Chef. Continue reading La caXona del Chef →

By Alvin Starkman, M.A., J.D.

When trying to understand the relationship between the Mexican agave-based spirit mezcal, and methanol poisoning, it’s hard to separate fact from fiction from fear-mongering. One finds lay literature without references backing up claims and allegations regarding the likelihood of hangovers, headaches and much more serious effects (blindness and death); it’s cloaked in words including “likely” and “probably.” And it ignores aspartame. Continue reading For the Love of Mezcal: Debunking Methanol Myths →