Making The Most Of It Under The Mayan Sun...

Hats off to you Mexico! Our third time, and at this visit we stayed at Karisma group's gourmet food-centric all-inclusive Sensatori Azul Beach Resort in Cancun. A much-needed week break after a busy March school break to replenish, rejuvenate and pamper the senses. Great weather, great eats, fam time, me time... 🌞😋😎 So grateful for you sun! 

A huge gracias shout out goes to my pal Gregory Tom from Greg Tom's TravelOnly for recommending and booking yet another fabulous accommodation and trip for our family. Salud! 🍻

Sombreros and hats lining the huge ceiling 
at Zocalo Mexican Cuisine Restaurant

My daily breakfast plate at the buffet Spoons World Cuisine restaurant usually consisted of a customized omelet, side sausages or roasted pork belly, beans, grilled mushrooms, and a huge cup of coffee :D

In a sunnier part, with sunnier pets...

Even when I'm relaxing and reading, it's still about food. And just so happens I am coming off cooking dim sum too lol...

Beach BBQ underway every day, so glorious the sights and smells...

Giant pan beach Spanish seafood paella 🦐🦑🐟🥘! 
Grateful for you sun 🌞😋😎 #heavencanwait

A melange of sorts to feast on for lunch...

Such pretty pops of red sun umbrellas against the clear azure blue water and pastel blue skies.

Our first a la carte dinner night at Tapaz Spanish restaurant.

Sharing plates of charcuterie, cheese, olives and bread, and a salad with citrus vinaigrette.

Shredded pork and olives on sweet potato rounds, four cheese mac and cheese, and grilled salmon with fennel sauce.

Mojito mojo! Quatro traditional mini desserts to complete the meal.

It's beach boot camp time!

A Swinging Bar literally :D

Having one on one time with my youngest Matias.

So many delicious cocktails to choose from that can easily be made into mocktails.

My son sipping a Superman, and me and my Mai Tai.

It's as much about the food as it is the ambience to set the mood. Caribbean flavours and fresh seafood meet in this stunning eats (Zavaz) for some tropical, and fish- & crustacean-loving gourmet in you 🐙🦐🐟😋🍽

Stunning Nautical Interior

Lunch battered shrimps burger with jalapeno guacamole

This restaurant was my kids favourite. We came here twice for lunch and once for dinner. From top left clockwise: octopus carpaccio, tuna carpaccio shaped into a rose, roasted pork belly served over mashed sweet potatoes and grilled octopus.

Zavaz Caribbean Restaurant

The twins loved their beef tenderloin and grilled veggies.

Finally a family shot.

The boyz...

Mama and her crazy cubs...

Can't beat morning yoga under the Mayan Sun 🌞.

Taking flight and making most of life... In life, you must learn how to F.L.Y (First Love Yourself). Be it a way of life, or an escape for the mind, body and soul, whereever you are, whatever you do, always carve some time to give yourself love, care and light..💖🌅🙏...

Beach soccer game underway in the background.

Beach and sand time...

Dinner at Siena Italian Restaurant started with beef carpaccio followed by seafood linguine.

My youngest enjoying his pasta but complaining the table habanero salsa was not spicy enough.

Headed into town, charming Puerto Morelos between the Riviera Maya resorts of Cancun and Playa del Carmen, which retains some of its original fishing village character. The Puerto Morelos Reef National Park has many offshore dive sites and we did a bit of snorkelling there.

So picturesque! Such a beautiful clear day to go offshore...

Photo Credit: Travelyucatan.com

Strolling through their main street known for their handcrafted souvenir shops.

We were not ogling at the lady bending down. #coincidinkshot lol

Large pieces of fried pork rind (chicarron) for sale in a local gourmet supermarket. YUM!

$159.00/lb. Mexican pesos is equivalent to $10.92/lb Canadian 

Back into the resort for our last supper, and yay it's Mexican at Zocalo!

Guacamole, salsa and chips swarmed with a slew of bevies.

Ola amigos and gracias Mexico!

From top left clockwise: cactus (nopales) salad, mini gorditas (thick tortilla pastry) stuffed with stewed pork rind, grilled skirt steak and potato stuffed taquitos and battered shrimp tacos.

Sweet finale of cinnamon sugared churros dipped in chocolate, and fried dough balls served with passion fruit sauce and cream.

 Til we meet again Mexico and the Mayan Sun 🌞, we will deeply treasure the moments & memories! 

Upping My Chinese Cooking Game with Homemade Dim Sum...

What I have been up to during March Break.

After going through a stack of dim sum lib books and watching DIY youtube home vids, this... 

Attempted a dim sum steamer fave pork and shrimp siu mai #recipedevelopment cause my student asked. Some key tips: chop the lean pork ham yourself, and use the slap technique "dat" against the bowl 10 times to create springy-ness to the filling. Of course making your own wheat wrapper is best, but wonton wrappers tinged with the characteristic yellow is an ok alternative for now. Pretty pleased with my first go, but with a few tweaks, they'll be much better next round. Can't wait to share and teach it at my upcoming Chinese cooking class with seniors. 

Shrimps, lean ham pork, pork fat and shiitake mushrooms, all hand chopped.

A little fish roe for a pretty pop

Kowa Bunga!!! Steamer heaven right there!

Har Gow crystal shrimp dumplings 🦐🥟, however not quite translucent, achieved through a thin skin wrapper. And mine are jumbo too, not bite-size cute. To make thin dim sum har gow wrappers it takes both patience and pressure. I used a heavy Chinese cleaver 💪. I tried the dough with 1 to 8 part wheat starch to potato starch, a bit of salt in boiling hot water and oil. Next time, to soften, I will knead the dough longer before forming the dough balls and also let it rest. Happy thou with the well-seasoned springy bounce of the shrimps, minced and chopped along with pork fat cubes. Master dim sum chefs are adamant about 13 pleats for optimum appearance and taste. I'm just happy I can pleat and seal lol. #dimsumgoals

Son over reacting lol

Jumbo har gow. So tasty. Need to make the dough thinner next time.

My last dim sum recipe trial and development to end the March break week- cheurng fun steamed rice rolls bespeckled with dried shrimps and green onions. Used a 4 to 1 ratio of rice flour to wheat flour and a bit of cornstarch. The key is proper pan greasing, stirring the batter well btwn each ladle and cooking until just done (1-1/2 mins). Yes, some breakage with the roll up but quite content. Good springy-ness with tender chew, and nice dried shrimp and onion aroma. Can't wait to fill 'er up with all kinds of yummies like whole shrimps or sauteed snow pea leaves. Next time I will try my student's recipe using 1 cup rice flour, 1 cup tapioca flour and 2 Tbsp. cornstarch. Always fun and tasty, catching up and cooking & eating with my gorgeous gurl Lisa @lisa.eats 😘😋🔪🥢.

Circular or rectangular pans work. Just grease them nicely.

Roll 'er up with a scraper.

With my so-much-my-junior twin Lisa @lisa.eats 

As you can tell this was a hurried post. What can I say... back from March break, I'm on the go, go, go.....

Stay posted...  dim sum tweaking & honing and their recipes on the way. Yay!