The Navy recently seized a massive quantity of drugs off the coast of Michoacán, the military organization said. (SEMAR)
The Mexican Navy seized more than 8.3 tonnes of unspecified drugs, its largest-ever maritime drug bust, it announced Friday.
During a routine patrol, a Navy helicopter crew spotted a boat with three motors and an eight-man crew. When the suspects noticed the helicopter, they began tossing packages into the ocean.
Within minutes, a Navy ship was on the scene to make the arrests. Additional Navy ships were summoned. Over several hours, Navy personnel identified and seized five other boats approaching Lázaro Cárdenas from the south.
The operation — carried out just south of the port city of Lázaro Cárdenas in the Pacific coast state of Michoacán — netted a haul of illicit drugs valued at more than US $100 million, according to a press release issued by the federal government.
The largest quantity of drugs ever seized at sea in Mexico
The authorities arrested 23 people, seized six vessels and confiscated 8,700 liters of fuel, likely destined for the black market. The drugs were distributed among the boats, one of which was a submarine The use of such a vessel suggests a complex drug trafficking operation, according to the German news agency Deutsche Welle.
“This represents the largest quantity of drugs seized in a maritime operation; it is without precedent in the history of the institution,” the Naval Ministry said in a statement.
A Navy helicopter spotted the first suspicious vessel during a routine patrol. (SEMAR)
The port of Lázaro Cárdenas — believed to be under the control of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most powerful and violent criminal groups — has been a major conduit for drug traffickers as well as for precursor chemicals used to produce methamphetamine.
“Precursor chemicals are the lifeblood of the [CJNG’s] deadly drug trafficking operation,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in May upon the extradition of Francisco Pulido Coracero, allegedly a broker in the precursor chemical racket.
Including this latest haul, the government has seized 11.7 tonnes of drugs since the new administration took office on Oct. 1.
Although the most recent bust is substantial, the largest in Mexico’s history remains the seizure of 23 tonnes of cocaine in the port of Manzanillo, Colima, in November 2007.
At its weakest point on Monday, the peso was trading at 20.05 to the dollar. (Shutterstock)
The Mexican peso depreciated to above 20 to the US dollar on Monday morning before strengthening to close just below the 20-to-the-greenback mark, as the U.S. presidential election draws near.
Analysts cited what they called a growing possibility of Donald Trump winning the Nov. 5 presidential election in the United States as one reason for the weakening of the peso on Monday after it ended last week at 19.88 to the dollar.
Peso depreciates then rallies, but ends weaker than its closing rate on Friday
According to currency exchange website xe.com, the weakest position for the peso on Monday was 20.05 to the dollar.
The Bank of Mexico’s official closing rate was 19.97 pesos to the greenback, representing a depreciation of 0.45% for Mexico’s currency compared to the USD:MXN rate at the end of trading on Friday.
Janneth Quiroz, director of analysis at the Monex financial group, said on X on Monday that the peso was “affected by a sentiment of caution from investors due to the possibility that the Fed will reduce the federal funds rate [in the United States] more slowly than anticipated,” and by “growing probabilities” that Donald Trump will win the presidential election in the U.S. and the likelihood that the Chinese economy will slow more than expected.
Analysts cited uncertainty about the U.S. election as a factor in the pesos depreciation on Monday. (Wise)
Alejandro Gómez, an economist and financial analyst, said that the “greater probability” that Trump will win the presidential election as well as “expected volatility moving forward” were placing pressure on the peso.
For her part, Gabriela Siller, director of economic analysis at Banco Base, said that the weakening of the peso “signals that the market expects greater volatility after the United States elections.”
On Monday, the peso was also affected by a general strengthening of the US dollar, as shown on the DXY index, which measures the greenback against a basket of major foreign currencies.
A constitutional crisis?
Currency website FX Street reported that “rising fears of a constitutional crisis in Mexico” also weighed on the peso on Monday. That was a reference to President Claudia Sheinbaum’s refusal to comply with a judge’s order to withdraw the publication of a decree that promulgated the government’s controversial judicial reform.
Some newspapercolumnists and federal judge Juan Pablo Gómez Fierro are among those who claim that Mexico is already facing a constitutional crisis due to Sheinbaum’s decision to ignore the federal judge’s order.
Tony Payan, executive director of the Center for the U.S. and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, also asserted that Mexico is entering a “constitutional crisis.”
In support of that claim, Payan wrote on X that Sheinbaum “said she’ll willfully fall in contempt of court after a federal judge orders congressional approval of the dismantling of the judicial branch halted due to legislative procedural violations.”
#Mexico‘s entering a #constitutionalcrisis. Pres @Claudiashein said she’ll willfully fall in contempt of court after a federal judge orders congressional approval of the dismantling of the #judicialbranch halted due to legislative procedural violations-so much for the #RuleOfLaw.
The judicial reform — which was promulgated by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in September and whose most controversial provision is that which allows Mexican citizens to directly elect all judges, including Supreme Court justices — is a major factor in the significant decline of the peso since Mexico’s June 2 elections.
The peso was trading at around 17 to the dollar before Sheinbaum and the ruling Morena party won comprehensive election victories, putting Morena and its allies in a strong position to approve a range of constitutional reform proposals.
In the third quarter of 2024, nearly 60% of Mexicans surveyed considered the city they live in to be unsafe. (Genaro Natera/Cuartoscuro)
Violence remains a significant problem in various parts of Mexico, but more Mexicans than ever consider their city a safe place to live, according to a recent survey on perception of insecurity in Mexican cities.
According to the results of the third quarter National Survey of Urban Public Security (ENSU), 58.6% of respondents believe the city in which they live is unsafe.
That is the lowest percentage since the ENSU was first conducted in 2013, and represents a 2.8-point decline compared to a year earlier and a 0.8-point drop compared to the second quarter survey.
While the percentage of Mexicans who consider their city unsafe has declined around 20 points since former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office in late 2018, the fact remains that a strong majority of city-dwellers still have security concerns.
Conducted by the national statistics agency INEGI in late August and early September, the third quarter ENSU found that 64% of women and 52.2% of men consider their city unsafe.
Residents of Culiacán, Sinaloa, have understandably reported feeling less safe since a conflict between two cartel factions broke out in their city in September. (José Betanzos/Cuartoscuro)
For the latest ENSU, INEGI surveyed adult occupants of 27,850 homes in 91 urban areas, including the 16 boroughs of Mexico City. The results were published on Monday.
Which cities have the highest percentages of residents with personal security concerns?
For the first time since 2020, Fresnillo, Zacatecas, didn’t rank as the Mexican city with the highest percentage of residents with security concerns.
The unenviable position was instead taken by Tapachula, a city in southwestern Chiapas just north of the border with Guatemala which almost invariably has a large population of recently-arrived migrants.
In the third quarter of 2024, 91.4% of surveyed residents of Tapachula told INEGI their city was an unsafe place to live. That figure rose 7.2 points in the space of just three months.
The wider border region of Chiapas has recently been plagued by violence as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel wage a war over drug and migrant trafficking routes in the southern state.
After Tapachula, the cities with the next highest percentages of residents with personal security concerns in the third quarter of 2024 were:
Naucalpan de Juárez, a México state municipality that adjoins Mexico City. Almost nine in 10 residents — 88% — consider the municipality an unsafe place to live.
Fresnillo, Zacatecas: considered unsafe by 87.9% of surveyed residents, a decline of 6.8 points compared to the previous ENSU.
Ecatepec, another México state municipality that adjoins Mexico City. Among residents who responded to the ENSU, 87% said the municipality was unsafe.
Irapuato, Guanajuato: considered unsafe by 86.4% of surveyed residents.
Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital of Chiapas: considered unsafe by 85.9% of surveyed residents
Which Mexican cities have the lowest percentages of residents with personal security concerns?
The cities with the lowest percentages of residents with personal security concerns in the third quarter of 2024 were:
San Pedro Garza García, an affluent municipality in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Nuevo León. Just 13.7% of surveyed residents said the municipality was an unsafe place to live.
The Mexico City borough of Benito Juárez: considered unsafe by 17.5% of residents.
Tampico, Tamaulipas: 20%
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco: 21.3%
Coahuila, Saltillo: 21.7%.
Perception of insecurity down significantly in 8 cities, up in 4
Compared to the second quarter of 2024, there were statistically significant changes in perceptions of insecurity in 12 Mexican cities, INEGI said.
In eight of those cities, the percentage of residents with security concerns declined significantly, while the percentage increased significantly in four.
The cities where there were significant decreases were:
Azcapotzalco, Mexico City: 67% in Q2 to 50.6% in Q3 (↓16.4 points)
Ciudad Obregón, Sonora: 81.2%-65.4% (↓15.8 points)
The places where Mexicans most commonly feel unsafe
Just over 67% of ENSU respondents reported feeling unsafe while using ATMs on the street, while almost 62% expressed security concerns about traveling on public transport.
More than 50% of respondents said they felt unsafe at the bank, on the streets they regularly use and on the highway.
The numbers were higher among women than among men in all those places — and several others, including the home and the workplace.
Crime and anti-social behavior
Among the respondents who reported having seen or heard criminal activity or anti-social behavior near their homes in the second quarter of 2024, almost six in 10 said they had observed people drinking in the street.
One of the most common forms of criminal or anti-social behavior: drinking in public. (Tercero Díaz/Cuartoscuro)
Almost 48% of respondents reported having witnessed a robbery or mugging, and around four in 10 told INEGI they had witnessed homes or businesses being vandalized.
Just under 40% of those surveyed said they had seen people buying or consuming drugs and 36.6% reported having heard frequent gunshots.
Just under one-quarter of respondents said they had witnessed some kind of gang activity in the city in which they live.
Opinions on Mexico’s security forces
The Mexican Navy is the country’s most effective security force, according to the results of the latest ENSU. Almost 88% of respondents said they believe the Navy is very or somewhat effective in preventing and combating crime.
Just under 84% of those polled said the same about the Air Force, while the figures for the Army and the National Guard were 83.1% and 73.5%, respectively.
Almost 56% of respondents said that state police forces are very or somewhat effective in preventing and combating crime, while 48.6% said the same about municipal police.
Citizens’ security expectations
Almost one-third of survey respondents — 31.8% — said they expected the security situation in their city to remain “just as bad” during the next 12 months, while 20% predicted a deterioration.
Almost three in 10 of those polled — 27.7% — said they expected security to improve in their place of residence during the next 12 months, while 18.9% anticipated that the situation would remain “just as good” as it currently is.
Sinaloa politician Héctor Melesio Cuén was murdered in late July, the same day as the arrest of alleged cartel kingpin "El Mayo" Zambada. (Rashide Frías/Cuartoscuro)
Federal authorities have uncovered evidence that supports accused drug trafficker Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada’s assertion that former Culiacán mayor Héctor Cuén was murdered at the same place Zambada says he was kidnapped before his arrest in the United States in late July.
That evidence, the Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) said on Sunday, is blood found at a property in the Huertos del Pedregal area of Culiacán that belongs to Cuén, who was also an ex-rector of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS) and founder of the regionally influential Sinaloa Party.
“El Mayo” Zambada said he was kidnapped at a meeting near Culiacán and that Cuén was killed at the same location. (Cuartoscuro)
That place, Zambada said, is a property outside the city of Culiacán where he believed he was going to help settle a dispute between Cuén and Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya over who should head up the UAS.
Rocha has denied he was at the meeting.
El Mayo claimed that he was lured to the meeting by Joaquín Guzmán López, who he alleges kidnapped him with the assistance of “a group of men.” The group allegedly forced him onto a private plane that took him to an airport near El Paso, Texas, and delivered him into the hands of United States law enforcement officials.
According to Zambada, the day of his kidnapping he went to Cuén’s ranch near Culiacán to meet with both Cuén (shown at center) and Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya (at right). (Autonomous University of Sinaloa)
In a statement on Sunday, the FGR said that a “significant advance” was made in the investigation into the kidnapping of Zambada, the murder of Cuén and the forced disappearance of several other people — crimes it said are “directly linked” to Guzmán López, who flew to the U.S. with Zambada and was also taken into custody. The FGR attributed the advance to a joint action with the federal Security Ministry, supported by the National Guard, the Army and the Navy.
“At a property located in Huertos del Pedregal, Culiacán, hematic evidence was found that has been determined with complete precision … to correspond to the ex-rector of the Autonomous University of Sinaloa,” the FGR said.
The evidence “confirms information previously obtained” that shows that Cuén was “at the place of the kidnapping,” the FGR said.
The FGR also said that the “traces of blood” found at the property “correspond to the time” at which it has established that the homicide occurred.
The Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office (FGE) initially said that Cuén was killed at a gas station in Culiacán, and released a video that supposedly supported that version of events.
The Sinaloa Attorney General’s office widely shared this video in the days after Cuén’s murder, describing it as proof that the politician was murdered during an attempted robbery at a Culiacán gas station.
“Furthermore, in the tray of the vehicle used in the gas station cover-up, human blood was found that corresponds to Rodolfo “C,” the FGR said, adding that that person is “currently missing” and has been identified as a member of Zambada’s security team.
It also said that “a clear and precise video was obtained,” in which Cuén’s driver “denies what he had previously declared to local authorities with respect to different moments of the disappearance and death” of Cuén.
“All of the above confirms the ministerial and police investigations that determined the alleged criminal and administrative responsibilities of police, … [forensic] experts and various personnel of the Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office, who have already been exhaustively investigated with respect to their participation in the case of the death of” Cuén, the FGR said.
Sara Bruna Quiñónez Estrada resigned as attorney general of Sinaloa in August after discrepancies between the state and federal findings came to light.
The FGR said it will present “all the proof” against the relevant FGE officials to an “alternative judge” in the coming days, as a federal judge in Culiacán refused to issue warrants for their arrests.
The alleged kidnapping of Zambada by Guzmán López caused a major escalation of a long-running dispute between the “Los Mayos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and the “Los Chapitos” faction, which is headed up by the sons of “El Chapo.”
In the first 18 days of this month, there were 110 homicides in Sinaloa, many of which were attributed to the ongoing conflict between the rival cartel factions.
The festival's events will take place at different venues across Monterrey, including at the Parque Fundidora, select metro stations, the Center of the Arts, the Esplanade of Heroes, the Theater of the City and the Museum of Mexican History. (Festival Santa Lucía/Facebook)
The 16-day Santa Lucía International Festival (FISL) kicked off on Saturday in Monterrey, Nuevo León, under this year’s theme of “taking the arts to the streets.”
The festival, which has been held annually since 2007, seeks to foster dialogue and connection between cultures.
This year’s edition showcases 240 artistic and cultural productions from 26 countries.(Festival Santa Lucía/Facebook)
Featuring a diverse — and completely free — program of music, dance, film, visual arts, theater, literature and activities for children, this year’s edition showcases 240 artistic and cultural productions from 26 countries. The events will take place at different venues across Monterrey, including at the Parque Fundidora, select metro stations, the Center of the Arts, the Esplanade of Heroes, the Theater of the City and the Museum of Mexican History.
“I am sure this variety of shows will be magnificent, truly world-class shows that all citizens will be able to enjoy, both in person and through the festival’s digital platforms,” Victoria Kühne, chairwoman of the FISL Board of Trustees, said at a press conference.
Some of the most anticipated events include the Legend of Mictlán laser show (Canada), the Alphabet of Awesome Science (Australia), a classical music concert by the Guarneri Trio (Czech Republic) and a performance of the Coronation of King Jayavarman VI (Cambodia).
For Halloween on Oct. 31, Danny Elfman will perform the soundtrack of The Nightmare Before Christmas while the movie is screened live. To celebrate Day of the Dead on Nov. 1 and 2, Lego has set up a 2-meter-high skull created from over 108,000 Lego blocks. The sculpture will be on display until Nov. 3 in the lobby of the Noreste Museum.
Danny Elfman llegará a Monterrey para dar un concierto gratuito en plena noche de Halloween dentro del Festival Internacional Santa Lucía. 🎃
To wrap up the 16-day festival, the New Zealand-based Synthony Orchestra will headline a closing ceremony celebrating 30 years of electronic music. The show will take place at the Esplanade of Heroes at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3.
To see the full calendar of events as well as times and venues, click here.
The new program builds upon the Benito Juárez Welfare Scholarship program, inaugurated in 2019, which was specifically designed to provide economic support to low-income families with school-age kids. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
Education Minister Mario Delgado announced the program on Oct. 14, adding that from now through Jan. 17, 2025, the Public Education Ministry (SEP) and the Welfare Ministry will be organizing reunions to meet with parents and teachers at each of the 35,000 public secondary schools across the country.
Mario Delgado and Claudia Sheinbaum presented the Rita Cetina Scholarship at the Moisés Sáenz Elementary School in México State on Oct. 14. (Presidencia/Cuartoscuro)
Who will benefit from the scholarship program?
The new program builds upon the Benito Juárez Welfare Scholarship program, inaugurated in 2019, which was specifically designed to provide economic support to low-income families with school-age kids.
The new program is designed to benefit all students — independently of income level — from preschool through high school, with the goal of assisting parents financially, and preventing children from dropping out of school for economic reasons.
When will the scholarship program take effect?
Delgado told reporters that the scholarships will be awarded to the 5.6 million secondary school children enrolled in Mexico’s public schools beginning in the first semester of 2025.
Starting early next year, the SEP will organize assemblies with parents and teachers of primary school students to implement the scholarship program for those students in the middle of next year. The same routine will be followed before the scholarship program for kindergarten students is installed.
5 key points to know about Sheinbaum’s new universal scholarship program
What are the terms of the scholarship?
In the first stage of the program, each family with a child enrolled in secondary school will receive 1,900 pesos (US $95) on a bimonthly basis. Families with additional kids in secondary school would receive an extra 700 pesos (US $35) per child.
The government has not yet announced the scholarship figures for primary school and kindergarten students.
What is the application process?
Parents must supply an official ID, birth certificates, proof of residence and their CURP identity card. Each student must supply a birth certificate, a CURP identity card and education transcripts.
Who was Rita Cetina Gutiérrez, ‘la Cantora de la Patria’?
Rita Cetina Gutiérrez (1846–1908) was a Mexican educator, writer and feminist who promoted women’s education in Mérida, Yucatán. She helped found a literary society, a newspaper and a school.
Cetina’s literary output included poetry and fiction. Due to the nationalist themes present in many of her poems, she was dubbed the “Cantora de la Patria” (songstress of the nation).
Gunmen attacked the offices of El Debate in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Thursday night. (Cuartoscuro)
Mexican and international press freedom organizations are calling for stronger protections for journalists in the aftermath of an armed attack on the offices of the newspaper El Debate in Culiacán, Sinaloa.
The attack was followed by the kidnapping of an El Debate delivery worker in Culiacán, as the state capital finds itself in the middle of a war between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The gunmen sprayed bullets at El Debate’s headquarters and parking area on Thursday. (Cuartoscuro)
Investigations into the attack are ongoing after El Debate reported on Oct. 17 that its office building and company vehicles were sprayed by gunmen who leaped out of at least two cars before hopping back in and making a quick getaway. No injuries were reported at the time.
Two days later, on Oct. 19, El Debate reported that one of their delivery workers had been kidnapped. Sergio Cárdenas Hernández, 53, was delivering newspapers in downtown Culiacán on a motorcycle when a vehicle chased him and knocked him down. He fled and hid in a nearby market, where police came to his aid and offered to take him to the hospital for injuries sustained during his fall. Instead, he asked a coworker to take him home.
While on the way to Cárdenas’s house, the colleagues were intercepted by armed civilians who threatened both workers and kidnapped Cárdenas. He has not been seen since Saturday.
Governor Rubén Rocha Moya released a public statement condemning the attack on the newspaper offices, which he called an “attempt on freedom of expression.” The governor also said his administration was working with the federal government “to address all manifestations of violence in the state.”
The family of Sergio Cárdenas called on Sinaloa Governor Rocha to guarantee a full investigation into the kidnapping.
On Friday, President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned the attack on the Sinaloa newspaper, adding that the federal government is preparing a report on the ongoing violence taking place in the state capital of Culiacán, to be released on Oct. 29.
Press freedom organizations have called on Sinaloa state authorities to commit to protecting freedom of expression and develop better policies to safeguard media workers.
They also demanded that existing government safety programs for journalists, including the Federal Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, guarantee the safety of workers at El Debate and other Sinaloan journalists.
The attacks on El Debate come amid a steady stream of violent incidents around the state. The most well-documented conflicts have occurred in Culiacán, the capital city.
The renovated maritime ports will facilitate export of products manufactured in Mexico's developing industrial corridors. (Galo Cañas/Cuartoscuro)
The Mexican economy contracted on a month-over-month basis in September and grew just 0.5% in annual terms, according to preliminary data from the national statistics agency INEGI.
The federal Finance Ministry is far more optimistic, predicting 3% growth in 2024.
Mexico’s manufacturing sector contracts 0.5% annually in September
According to INEGI’s preliminary data, the economic output of Mexico’s secondary sector declined 0.5% in September compared to the same month of 2023.
In contrast, the tertiary sector grew 0.9% on a year-over-year basis.
INEGI didn’t provide separate data for Mexico’s primary sector.
The September data for the secondary and tertiary sectors is weaker than that for August.
The secondary sector contracted 0.3% annually in August, while the tertiary sector grew 2.2%, according to INEGI’s “nowcasting” prediction.
The secondary sector contracted on a month-over-month basis in both August (-0.5%) and September (-0.1%), while the tertiary sector grew 0.3% in August and contracted 0.2% in September.
Corn, melipona honey and a dash of rosemary all come together to lend a Mexican twist to your thanksgiving plans. (Canva)
We live in Mexico and Thanksgiving is coming up, so I think it’s a terrific idea to infuse two cultures into one to create the perfect holiday dessert: A corn, rosemary cake topped by a honey buttercream. Not too sweet, not too savory but an ingenious blend of flavors and the perfect touch to end a sumptuous feast.
Corn and its byproducts are a part of daily Mexican life, cultivated over thousands of years from teosinte, or the wild grass where it originated, to the modified maize that we know today. But the first domesticated maize dates to about 4280 BC, to the Guilá Naquitz Cave in Oaxaca.
In Mexico, corn is more than just a staple foodstuff – it’s a building block of life. (Government of Mexico)
Maize was then not only valued as a food source but also a spiritual feast, with the ancient Nahuatl-speaking peoples referring to it as “our sustenance,” while the Mayans believed that it was the life force that created humans. It was so important to the culture, that as the cultivation spread across diverse landscapes and prospered, it contributed to the development of advanced Mexican civilizations including the Olmec; Maya; Teotihuacan; and the Mexica.
Mexico today is home to 60+ varieties of corn and it’s used in tamales, tortillas, and pozole (a traditional Mexican soup or stew), which means maize is still “sustenance” when it comes to Mexican society. So why shouldn’t we use it in this remarkable cake along with some fresh rosemary and pure Mexican honey?
Rosemary Corn Cake with Brown-Butter Honey Buttercream Frosting
Recipe adapted from: housetrends.com (Canva)
Make the Brown Butter for the Frosting First:
Brown-Butter for Honey-Buttercream Frosting:
Ingredients: 1 and 1/3 cups (303 g) butter* (mantequilla)
* Best Mexican brands: Lala; Gloria; Alpura; Aguascalientes; Flor de Alfalfa.Directions:
* Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a large, stainless-steel frying pan. Swirl the butter in the pan every couple of minutes so it cooks evenly. Foam will appear on top of the butter, and it will change from a pale-yellow color to a dark, golden brown. Once the butter has darkened, take a whiff. It should have a nutty, toffee-like aroma.
* Remove butter from heat and let it cool. Once cool, pour into a small ceramic bowl lined with plastic wrap. Put in the refrigerator, until it’s the consistency of “softened” butter.
* Make the cake while the butter softens in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 350F (177C)
Cake Ingredients:
3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour*
*Use only U.S. flour, which may be ordered online.
3/4 cup (115 g) cornmeal (harina de maíz)
2 tsp. (10 g) baking powder (polvo de hornear)
1 1/2 tsp. (10 g) baking soda (bicarbonato de sodio)
1 1/2 tsp. (9 g) salt (sal)
2 ¼ (225 g) Cups sugar (azúcar estandar)
6 eggs (huevos)
1 cup (130 g) extra-virgin olive oil (aceite de oliva virgen extra)
1/3 cup (83 g) apple cider* (sidra)
Apple cider can be found in supermarkets like La Comer; City Market; Soriana.
1 tbs. (13 g) vanilla extract* (extracto de vainilla)
Mexican brands noted for their intense flavor: Villa Vainilla; Vainilla Totonac; Molina Vainilla.
1/4 Cup (7 g) fresh rosemary*, finely chopped (romero)
Preparation
In a large bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well blended. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, using paddle attachment, at medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until thick, about 1 minute
Add olive oil, cider, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the batter in thirds until completely incorporated. Stir in rosemary.
Evenly distribute the batter between 3 well-greased, lightly-floured 8-inch cake pans.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then remove the cakes from the pans and place on a wire rack to finish cooling.
While cakes cool, make honey simple syrup.
Honey Simple Syrup
Mexican’s magical stingless bees never cease to amaze the mind or the tastebuds. (Arwin Neil Baichoo/Unsplash)
½ cup (170 g) honey (miel Malipona) or any pure Mexican honey.
1/3 cup (80 g) warm water
2 tbs. (30 grams) fresh lemon juice (zumo de limón)
1 tsp. (4 g) vanilla extract (extracto de vainilla)
In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until honey is dissolved in the water and place in glass jar. NOTE: Store at room temperature until ready to use, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
When the cakes have cooled completely, brush the tops with a pastry brush or unused paint brush, with the honey simple syrup (2 TBS. each layer) and set aside.
Finish preparing the buttercream frosting:
Brown butter & honey buttercream frosting
1 1/3 Cups butter (303 g) *softened and in the fridge.
3 cups (390 g) powdered sugar (azúcar glas)
3 tbs. (63 g) honey (miel)
Using an electric mixer, on medium high speed, beat together the softened brown butter, powdered sugar, and honey to a smooth buttercream consistency (The little burnt brown-butter bits taste amazing and add a pretty speckling to the frosting).
Layer and frost the cooled cakes with the buttercream and serve.
Disfruta!
Deborah McCoy is the one-time author of mainstream, bridal-reference books who has turned her attention to food, particularly sweets, desserts and fruits. She is the founder of CakeChatter™ on FaceBook and X (Twitter), and the author of four baking books for “Dough Punchers” via CakeChatter (available @amazon.com). She is also the president of The American Academy of Wedding Professionals™ (aa-wp.com).
Artist Catalina Gris is amongst those giving workshops at one of San Miguel de Allende's most fascinating new cultural events. (Art of the Story)
Art of the Story, an intriguing new three-day festival, opens October 29 in San Miguel de Allende at the La Casona Convention Center. Promising “transformative experiences,” the upcoming festival features an international lineup of presenters in a variety of artistic disciplines, including writing, painting, acting and dance. The 27 conference sessions will offer instruction in a wide array of mediums, all inspired by an enticing common theme: that of a personal journey narrated through art. All sessions are meant to be accessible to both beginners and veterans.
Conference headliners include such diverse talents as Edoardo Ballerini, the actor, writer, and celebrated narrator of audiobooks who was called “the Voice of God” in a New York Times profile, and Ivy Pochoda, a former professional athlete and award-winning author who will discuss the role sports have played in her creative life — and how a collaboration with Kobe Bryant helped her understand the symbiotic link between her two passions. There will also be an appearance by Harrison Ball, a former NYC Ballet principal dancer, who will discuss the psychology and history of ballet and its relevance to culture today.
Art Of The Story - Transformative Experiences
Special events with limited audience participation include the world premiere of a Live Audio Drama, Invasion Earthship, with Nathan Feuerberg and the Deadly Dinn Party: Writing a Murder Mystery, with Andrew Buckley. Each day of the festival will close out at Smokey Joe’s Café, a pop-up bar with live entertainment.
Festival director Tina Bueche shared the inspiration behind Art of the Story. “We invented this festival because we identified something that wasn’t happening here in this amazingly artistic town. It was not that there was anything wrong with what was happening, but we found a gap, a void,” she explained. “We’re filling that void by offering new perspectives, new conversations, and celebrating the beautiful fact that San Miguel is incredibly rich in artistic talent. We are giving artists of all kinds — writers, painters, actors, photographers, podcasters, and much more — a way to experiment, blur some edges, and try new things outside their comfort zones. Pushing those limits can be transformative.”
Diego Guerrero, another festival organizer, agreed. “We’re proud of San Miguel’s wealth of local talent, by which I mean both Mexicans and foreigners who have been living here for some time and have truly integrated into the community. At our festival,” he continued, “participants will use many different artforms to tell their stories—and we know everyone has something to say. It is important to us to welcome new voices and build community among artists of all kinds.”
Nathan Feuerberg, another member of the festival’s leadership team, explained that proceeds from Art of the Story underwrite Spark: Imagine Your Story, a free three-day event in Spanish for children and teens filled with interactive experiences and activities designed to stimulate creativity and self-expression. Developed in conjunction with beloved local nonprofit Vivos y Muertos, the first annual edition of Spark was held in August 2024 at the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes’ Centro Cultural El Nigromante in San Miguel de Allende. More than 200 children attended.
Festival tickets are still available. Visithttps://artofthestorysanmiguel.org/ to learn more and purchase your tickets. Individual sessions cost USD$20-40 and a complete Festival Pass is available for US $350. Art of the Story is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Based in San Miguel de Allende, Ann Marie Jackson is a writer and NGO leader who previously worked for the U.S. Department of State. Her award-winning novel “The Broken Hummingbird,” which is set in San Miguel de Allende, came out in October 2023. Ann Marie can be reached through her website, annmariejacksonauthor.com.
