Pre-Running Starts Friday for 44th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race                       

Official Race Start - November 18

Sturdy adventurers and the world’s best desert racers will begin practicing Friday as official pre-running on starts for November’s 44th Annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race. With over 250 entries expected to compete in 36 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs, the granddaddy of all desert races will be held Nov. 17-20 in Ensenada, Mexico. Completing its 38th year as the world’s foremost desert racing sanctioning body, the iconic racing extravaganza event is the finale of the five-race 2011 SCORE Desert Series. To date entries have come from 32 U.S. States and 15 countries. This year’s race will be a loop race starting and finishing in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico.

The race itself starts on Friday, Nov. 18 and official entry forms are available online along with all pertinent race information and pre-running rules on the SCORE website at www.score-international.com.

This year’s race will start for the 37th time and finish for the 21st time in Ensenada. The race will start and finish on Boulevard Costero adjacent to the picturesque Bahia de Todos Santos in front of the historic Riviera del Pacifico Cultural Center in the heart of Ensenada. With late entries accepted up until race morning, the 692.82-mile race course this year is a combination of much of the 2008 and the 2009 courses.

Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead

A Time to Honor and Celebrate Deceased Loved Ones

The celebration occurs on November 2 in connection with All Soul's Day. Unlike Halloween, which is characterized by goblins, witches, and the occult, Day of the Dead, was initially celebrated by the Aztecs to honor the memory of the dead. This 3,000-year-old Aztec ritual fell on the ninth month of the Aztec Solar Calendar, which is the beginning of August and celebrated for a whole month. The "Lady of the Dead" or goddess Mictecacihuatl died at birth, but believed it was her spirit who officiated the celebration.

Traditional Day of the Dead altar decor usually includes the following

Marigolds 

Calaveritas (small decorative skulls made of sugar)

Papel picado (colorful sheets of paper with shapes cut out)

Photos (of the deceased)

Candles

Pan de muerto (a traditional loaf of sweet bread used only at this time of year)                        Food and drinks (that the deceased enjoyed when they were alive)  

In most regions of Mexico, November 1 honors children and infants, whereas deceased adults are honored on November 2. This is indicated by generally referring to November 1 mainly as Día de los Inocentes ("Day of the Innocents") but also as Día de los Angelitos ("Day of the Little Angels") and November 2 as Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos ("Day of the Dead").

Choice Cut Or Mystery Meat?

A Guide To Mexican Butcher Shops

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One of the most puzzling aspects of marketing for the newly arrived resident of Mexico is shopping for meat. It is frequently cut differently than it is north of the border, to accommodate Mexican cooking techniques. At first glance, the contents of the glassed-in meat counters in the mercado seem to resemble the "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" rather than any familiar cuts of meat. Even in the supermarkets, labels are often confusing.

The basic cuts are not so different, but the way they are broken down often is. However, meat can usually be cut to order if the shopper has the right nomenclature. This is also true for those living outside Mexico and trying to prepare Mexican recipes. What to use for authentic fajitas, guisados, orasados? In response to reader requests, we'll take a look at Mexican beef cuts, how they are used, and what they are called.

Beef in general is called carne de res. Ground beef is molida de res, and Mexican butchers will grind any cut requested, which is good news for those wanting extra lean ground meat. With all the recent scares about pre-ground beef in the U.S., it is somewhat reassuring to get the meat custom ground. If the beef is to be finely chopped instead of ground, ask for picada.

The same holds true for milanesas, or cutlets. The butcher will cut them to order right in front of the customer, and then pound them to the desired thickness. Vigilance is recommended here. If not watched carefully, thecarnicero will pound them until they resemble slivers of Swiss cheese. The customer then brings them home, dips them in egg, and, with a rolling pin, presses as many breadcrumbs into the slices of meat as they can hold, fries them, and serves milanesas de res, a classic Mexican way of extending a small quantity of meat.

Daylight Savings Time

starts

Sunday, November 6th, 2011

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