Flor de Calabacitas bring fragrance and flavor to Chihuahua homes this time of year.

The unique foods of the Norteño area and Copper Canyon include the lovely and fragrant squash blossoms….flor de calabacitas. The are harvested in the late summer time when the rains push the brown/tan valleys and mountains into a verdant miracle.

The Fall is a great time for The Blue Corn Express culinary trip for many reasons…one of which is that we can enjoy this culinary delight.

The aroma is light as these yellow flowers are gathered in baskets early in the day. Their use is in canned vegetables, with eggs, in soups …anywhere you want a light addition to a flavorful dish.

Flor de Calabacitas are readily available in the markets early in the day - especially in the rainy season.

He is featured in the film, “The Mata Ortiz Phenomenon” from The American Museum of Ceramic Art. Here is a youtube excerpt from that masterful film.

Though Manuel is somewhat known now, his home is modest and his hospitality flowing – he invited us as perfect strangers in for a coke and in the absence of pots he might have for sale (they were all on the road on exhibition), he let me have two very fine damaged pots as examples.

Manuel Rodriguez in his home with an unfinished treasure.

“You planned your vacation months in advance. The hotels are booked. The rental car pickup arranged. You even asked friends for a list of restaurant recommendations.

Accidents can happen anywhere. It’s an old adage we all know well. But checking into an emergency room halfway across the country is the last place to find yourself wondering if your version of an emergency will indeed be covered by your health insurance plan.”

Copper Canyon travel and the whole experience on the train and little towns is safe...yet you never know when you may have your trip interrupted or need a doctor.

In my own experience, accidents and even trip interruption are rare. But when they occur, it is so handy to have some ready coverage. I use AccessAmerica and TravelGaurd.

And to answer the obvious questions:

1. Yes, Mexico and Copper Canyon is safe for travel…listen to those who live there day by day, like Spencer MacCallum…and to people who guide there often like me- and my team of Copper Canyon experts.

2. Yes, the healthcare in Chihuahua is excellent. I have personally experienced medical and dental care in that area and in the US and have recently described my observations.

Mama Villalba with one of her family treasures.

We wandered around the Villalba home/studio for at least an hour…a truly Mexican home and an earthy potting environment. The matriarch watched with few words as I ran my naive eyes over her clay miracles. The walls behind her were layered with crosses, the pope, Jesus, Mary, lots of lights…

Packing up pots at the Villalba home.

Mata Ortiz pots are not turned. This car pulley bracket is used to hold the pot as it is being formed.

The use of the reject car part for a rotating pedistal for shaping pots was perfect…as was the door knob made of bottle caps.

Villalba front door knob in Mata Ortiz.

The Villalba home and studio.

Here is whatWikipedia says about this incredible pottery:Mata Ortiz has recently seen a revival of an ancient Mesoamerican pottery tradition. Inspired by pottery from the ancient city of Paquimé, which traded as far north as New Mexico and Arizona and throughout northern Mexico, modern potters are producing work for national and international sale. This new artistic movement is due to the efforts of Juan Quezada, the self-taught originator of modern Mata Ortiz pottery, his extended family and neighbors.

Mata Ortiz Pottery

Mata Ortiz pots are hand built without the use of a potter’s wheel. Shaping, polishing and painting the clay is entirely done by hand, often with brushes made from children’s hair. All materials and tools originate from supplies that are readily available locally. The preferred fuel for the low temperature firing is grass-fed cow manure or split wood. Each of these characteristics derive from the ancient pottery traditions of the region, however Mata Ortiz ware incorporates elements of contemporary design and decoration and each potter or pottery family produces distinctive individualized ware.

Young clay workers from surrounding areas have been attracted to the Mata Ortiz revival and have joined Quezada and his associates. New potting families developed and the art movement continues to expand. A vibrant flow of new ideas, without the restraints of traditional practices or gender constraints, has enabled the pottery of Mata Ortiz to avoid derivative repetition common to folk art movements. This blend of cultural expression, economic need and artistic freedom has produced a unique artistic movement in the community.

One of them slipped quietly in the door of the Sandoval house as we were buying some pots and her work really caught my eye.

Gerardo Mora with her pots.

Her name is Gerardo Mora, she is pleasant and unassuming, and her work is very well done and reasonably priced. I particularly liked her smaller pots…very precise and smooth. The little doubled-knecked wedding pot shown with the group above was so well done. The color of the larger snake pot to her right was a reflection of the Casas Grandes environment in the “spring ” months of March through May. The simplicity of this piece was enchanting. You will see more of her work on our site in the days to come.

Alfredo Murillo at Piedra Volada last week.

Alfredo (pictured in this recent post) is my right hand in Chihuahua City where he lives with his wife Norma and kids. He also guides for other companies. Alfredo and I traveled around for a few days in the Copper Canyon area last week making some last minute arrangements for the upcoming culinary trip, “The Blue Corn Express”, visiting with one of our fellow guides, Gustavo Luzano, in Areponapuchi, and buying some pots in Mata Ortiz.

Diana Acosta in Mata Ortiz

As I said, Diana Acosta was our host in the Casas Grandes area and she took us out to the little village of Mata Ortiz for a morning of shopping in the homes of various artists. Diana is a guide as well – her company is Agave Lindo Tours… a great resource for groups not just in the Casas area but also around Chihuahua and other parts of Mexico as well. Here Diana is shown with one of the little handmade human hair brushes the Eusebio Sandoval was using in his home studio.

Eusebio inthe first stages with a pot.

It was fascinating to watch as Eusebio put together a pot from the beginning.

Tina Sandoval with one of their large graphite pots

Their home/ studio was filled with potting supplies, partially completed pots, and several finished pots – notably a few that were 18- 24 inches tall…amazing pieces.

Tina graciously showed us around, chattering along in Spanish.

Sandoval pots...it was hard not to buy them all!

Tina and Eusebio Sandoval with me in Mata Ortiz last week.

So we had a great visit with these folks and look forward to selling some of their pots when our new site “Fine Line Pottery” gets moving.