The Taste of Mexico - A Wedding of Talents, Frida and Diego
by Gabriela Braña
FRIDA, her name evokes mystery, magic, art passion and…Mexico.
She was a student when she met Diego Rivera, the great muralist painter, the enfant terrible of Mexican artistic life. He had just returned from Europe after ten years and was painting his first murals at the Colegio de San Ildefonso, where she was studying. Frida belonged to a group of students who were against the works and themes of the painter.
She suffered a terrible accident that would leave her injured for the rest of her life not only physically but emotionally as well. After the accident she started painting portraits and her first self-portraits in the Italian style.
When she was cured, she went to look for Maestro Diego at the Secretariat of Education, where he was painting. She wanted his opinion and, if possible, to be accepted as his helper. He encouraged her to continue painting and said she had a promising future.
Some years later and, when Diego had been left by his wife Lupe Marin, they met for the third time and started an intense and, at the same time, tender and tragic love story.
They were married at the roof of Tina Modotti´s apartment while Lupe, Diego’s first wife offered to cook some of Diego´s favorite dishes. The rooftop was adorned with silk paper and serpentines became the background to the wedding of one of the most celebrated couples of our time. There was a mariachi band that played endlessly, awaiting the bride and groom. Guests enjoyed a wonderful menu that consisted of: oyster soup, white rice with fried plantains, huauzontles in red salsa, cheese-stuffed poblano chilies, ground meat-stuffed poblano chilies, black mole from Oaxaca, red pozole from Jalisco and flan for dessert, followed by the traditional wedding cake. There was abundant tequila to wash down the magnificent meal.
Frida learned how to cook Diego’s favorite dishes from his former wife and prepared his meals and took them to where he was painting at the time. She would bring a starched tablecloth and napkins, a beautiful basket with flowers from their house in Coyoacan and would sit down with him and his helper for a homemade typical lunch.
To remember this great occasion we can prepare:
Sopa de Ostion (Oyster Soup)
Serves 8
* 1 large onion, minced
* 2 garlic cloves
* ½ stick butter
* 3 tablespoons flour
* 4 medium size tomatoes, peeled and minced
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 3 jars fresh oysters (3 quarts)
* 8 cups chicken broth
* ¼ cup minced parsley
* 4 slices of bread, cut in cubes and fried
In a large saucepan sauté the onion and garlic in the butter and add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and let simmer for 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are cooked. Pour the water from the oysters and the chicken broth into the pan and let simmer for a few minutes. Add the oysters, the parsley and let simmer for one more minute. Ladle on soup bowls on top of the croutons.
Gabriela Braña is the chef and owner with her husband of Al Cilantro restaurant in Ixtapa. An expert in Oriental Cooking with a life long love of Mexican cuisine. She can be reached at 553-0610 or 3puertasixtapa@cdnet.com.mx
February 2002
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