Dulce’s Flan ~ El Flan de Dulce

I feel slightly embarrassed that the name of my blog is called Flan & Apple Pie and up until now, I don’t have a flan recipe published here, but I promise. This is a GOOD one.

My relationship with flan got off to a rocky start mainly due to my high school Spanish teacher’s extreme disgust for the custard dessert. You see, I grew up in a non-Spanish-speaking community and when I was in high school, I had never even heard of flan, let alone tasted it. My Spanish teacher had studied in Spain, and she despised the dessert. She called it phlegm rather than flan. Her negative bias rubbed off on me and when I traveled to Spain as a 16-year-old, I mistakenly turned up my nose at beautiful piece of flan that my host family served me. I still ate it, but let’s just say it wasn’t my favorite. It was kind of eggy, and I wasn’t crazy about the texture. 

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Carrot Cake Horchata Popsicles ~ Paletas de Pastel de Zanahoria y Horchata

It’s 9:19 PM right now, and as I look outside, I can still see a faint blanket of light weaving through the dark outline of the treetops. That can only mean one thing — it’s summer, the season of long days, sticky skin, and sweet treats.

To celebrate this much-anticipated season, my lovely friend, Lola, of Lola’s Cocina, is hosting the 2nd Annual #PaletaWeek.

Paletas are Mexico’s version of the popsicle, but the main difference is that they are made with fresh fruits (and vegetables!). Unlike their high-fructose corn syrup counterparts in the U.S., paletas burst with flavor thanks to the use of peak-season produce. When it comes to food, the final product is always a reflection of the ingredients used to make it, and paletas are no exception.

Paletas de Piña Caramelizada con Crema ~ Caramelized Pineapple and Cream Popsicles

Summer has always been my favorite season. It must be my Mediterranean blood because I couldn’t live without sunshine, summer breezes, fresh veggies from the garden, or warm weather. Summer also means barbecues with family and friends, long, lazy days, open windows, the sound of thunderstorms, and cool treats.

This week, Lola of Lola’s Cocina is kicking off the summer season with #PaletaWeek. Paletas are the Mexican version of popsicles, but paletas are so much more than overly sweetened frozen water. Paletas contain chunks of fresh fruit and they come in hundreds of tropical flavors.

Lime Pie with Crunchy Coconut Crust ~ Pay de Limón con Corteza Crujiente de Coco

I inherited my love of making pies from my mom. Over the years, I have watched her make dozens of crusts, slice hundreds of apples, and nestle buckets of freshly-picked black raspberries still warm from the summer sun into many a pie plate. My mom taught me not to be afraid of the process. Yes, it involves a few steps, but the end result is always stunning albeit tasty.

Galletas de Lucha Libre

Have you ever seen the Mexican form of studio wrestling called lucha libre that is trademarked by many colorful masks and cool costumes? Well, if you haven’t it’s actually a lot of fun and I would highly recommend it.

I didn’t know anything about the sport before living in Mexico, but when I arrived to Mexico City I happened to meet this guy who LOVED it. Haha, that guy eventually became my boyfriend, Roberto, and I came to learn all about lucha libre. I will admit that at first I thought the sport was kind of ridiculous . I mean what’s the point of watching a bunch of buff-looking guys bouncing back and forth on ropes? However, I came to have a different opinion of lucha libre after attending several matches when I lived in Mexico City.

I realized that the luchadores (wrestlers) are actually like trained gymnasts. Unlike their American counterparts, the Mexican guys are like stunt men. They do flips, spins, leaps, and all kinds of crazy moves with their legs. It is seriously amazing to watch. The Mexican luchadores are not big and bulky, but rather agile and fit. If you ever have the opportunity to go to a lucha libre match, I would totally recommend it.