Nacxi Gaxiola Pops Up at Monkey Town 3
By Tessa Liebman - July 1, 2013
http://www.thelatinkitchen.com/blogs/restaurant/2013-07-01/nacxi-gaxiola-pops-monkey-town-3
Chef Nacxi Gaxiola is a traditionalist in many senses of the word: he worked for years as the right-hand to Mexico's scholarly food historian, Ricardo Muñoz, author of the massive Encyclopedia of Mexican Gastronomy. It is from this place and purpose that he moved to New York City several years ago to explore how to bring authentic Mexican food to the masses of food lovers. As opening chef at street food-styled La Superior in Brooklyn to the more fine dining-oriented space down the stairs on Doyers Street at Pulqueria, Gaxiola’s approach has been quite the same.
While he prepares to bring newly packaged old-school products to market in Brooklyn, he is taking the summer to be a part of a very non-traditional dining environment at the pop-up dining experience Monkey Town 3, a multimedia movie and dinner series at Chelsea's Eyebeam. The project combines 6 chefs and 21 filmmakers for a total sensory experience.
Gaxiola will be cooking on Friday and Saturday nights from now through August 11th and tickets are selling fast. If you snag a seat, make sure to try the sikil pak, a paste found in Campeche and the Yucatan. Sikil means pumpkin seed and pak means tomato and in this recipe, the tomato is chargrilled and ground with chiles and citrus juice to make one delicious bite.
Also don't miss: a 40 ingredient Mole Poblano served under tender duck breast; Tostadas de Atún, ceviche-style tuna served with avocado, chipotle mayo, crispy onions, and lime; Verduras en Escabeche, pickled vegetables; and Esquites, grilled corn served off the cob with epazote, Mexican mayo, and queso fresco. And for dessert, try the Nicuatole, a corn based pudding with a sauce of hibiscus and prickly pear.
Get a taste of what Gaxiola is serving up with his recipe for Sikil Pak.
