Especiales de Cuaresma (Mexican Lenten Foods)

While at Zacatacosthe other day seeing if my first torta milanesa was a fluke (it wasn't), I noticed their modest menu of Lenten dishes: taco/torta de pescado, guisos de nopalitos, caldo de camaron, lentejas, tortitas de camaron, capirotada. They were either out of many things or only have them on Fridays but I did manage to get an order of capirotada, a pretty good bread pudding (traditionally made with cheese, though I couldn't detect any). I've had the other dishes elsewhere but I'll be curious to try their versions.

Does anyone have any favorite spots for Lenten specialties? With so many Mexican restaurants around there are sure to be many great things available only during this season.

Here's a link to a brief discussion of Mexican Lenten foods:
http://www.epcc.edu/ftp/Homes/monicaw/b ... _foods.htm

Here's a link to a very interesting essay on capirotada:
http://www.mexicodesconocido.com/englis ... idpag=1769

Last Friday at Morelia supermarket (Clark Streeet bet. Touhy and Rogers) there was an impressiv eassortment of Lenten specialties: tortitas de camaron (see Bruce's post on Beyond Chicagoland); fish filets with sweet peppers and squash (a bit on the oily side for my taste; the fish was probably tilapia); mojarra frita (whole fried fish). I bought the sopa de verduras, a vegetable soup (squash, potatoes, chard, maize, peppers) in tomato broth, with more vegetables than broth, as well as pulpo a la Veracruzana (octopus with tomateos, peppers, and olives) -- both excellent.

When I was a kid and if I ever found myself in Mexico City around easter time, my favorite lenten dish was Romeritos in Mole.

Romeritos are a green that looks kind of like rosemary, a texture like spinach, and a slightly pungent flavor. They are typically cooked with dried shrimp, potatoes and mole. We would eat them in warm tortillas.

Does anyone know if these are being prepared anywhere in Chicago?

I am not sure where Lenten specalties are being made, but now that I know what all the tubs of shrimp powder were doing on the meat counter at Edgewater Produce....I just may follow some lucky shopper home.

pd

A convenient source of Lenten Mexican for many here might be one of the taquerias Trespasadas. The one on California near Elston has a nice taco de tortita de camaron: dried shrimp omelette, nopalitos (and a leafy green I couldn't be sure of), a "wet" sort of cotija, onion and cilantro.

Also on special now is carne en su jugo (not very Lenten, but noteworthy).

La Casa Del Pueblo offers several lenten specialties including fried fish filets, tortas de camaron (made with dried shrimp), and of course their delicious chiles rellenos. You'll also see egg preparations, sauteed vegetables, and their beans are lardless. Any other lenten specialties on offer people want to share?

La Casa Del Pueblo
1810 S Blue Island Ave
Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 421-4640