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[Veggo]

Ayudame! I turn 60 on Sept. 16, Mexican Independence day. For my 50, I bought 5 extraordinary hand glazed chargers in Tlalpan. I want 6 of something special, I can go anywhere. Thanks for any thoughts.

[Veggo]

I ended up buying 6 very attractive placemats from Chiapas. They will make a colorful table with my chargers from Tlalpan. I hope the copper cookware Cristina suggested will still be available if I ever again have a gas stove.

[DiningDiva]

Congratulations (I think) on reaching that milestone :-)...I'm not that far behind you :-0!! (oh my, where did the time go)

How about a set of 6 shot glass with 6 premium tequilas or mezcals to go in them?

6 hand forged copper cazuelas from Sta. Clara del Cobre?

6 rebozos and 6 months in Mexico to seek them out and collect them? No...probably not.

[Veggo]

DD, rebozos? I think I would need at least 9 months and a lot of luck...:) The cazuelas from Michoacan are a good idea. I have a couple of the green glazed terra cotta ones from the area that I'm sure you are familiar with. Copper ones would display well, also, if I kept them polished.

The best mezcal I ever had was of course from Jalisco but I bought it at the Saturday market in Puebla for about $25US. I was hesitant to buy a pig in a poke for that price, but it enlightened me as to how good mezcal can be. Naturally, I could never find it again. I mostly am concerned about how genuine regional folk art is disappearing in Mexico and Central America. I guess I should be grateful for what I have.

[DiningDiva]

If you're interested in regional folk art you can contact me off-list. I can get you hooked up with that. While it is disappearing, it's far from a dying art. If Mexican folk art is of interest to you, and you don't know about Los Amigos del Arte Popular, you can check out their web page at http://www.ladap.org

I usually order an alebrija from Jacobo Angeles in San Martin Tilcajete in Oaxaca for my birthday. My oso polar arrived on my birthday 2 years ago. I recently ordered an armadillo (which is my Zapotec spirit animal, BTW) which will be *my* pivotal b-day gift :-D

I like Oaxaca for mezcal better than Jalisco these days. I did pick up a delightful reposado in Tijuana yesterday. Los Tres Tonos, not available in the U.S. One of the perks of living on the border ;-

)

I'd definitely go for the cazuelas from Sta. Clara del Cobre. They come in every size imaginable.

[cristina]

Veggo, don't discount the mezcales from Michoacán. There are some small-town, small-batch artisans making very fine mezcal. Mezcaleros in towns like Tzitzio (population less than 50!), Oponguio, and several others are doing remarkable work.

I suspect that you want a 60th birthday present that lasts, not a consumable. A six piece set of this cookware (including sauté pan, etc) might be just the ticket! http://mexicocooks.typepad.com/mexico... If it interests you, I can tell you where to get it.

[Veggo]

Cristina, it seems the e-mail link on your site doesn't work for everyone.

[cristina]

[e-mail]

[cristina]

Veggo, did you write to me? If you did, it went elsewhere!

Link: http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

[Veggo]

I just tried again, to your address rather than through your link.