Cooking like a local in Mexico

Hello,

Enjoying the local food of your expat country is great, but learning to cook the dishes yourself is even better. Please share what it's like cooking like a local in Mexico.

What are some of the most popular local dishes that are easy to prepare?

What are the most common ingredients used in dishes in Mexico? Where can you purchase them?

Is there a specific technique or a secret ingredient to master the local cuisine?

Are there resources available to teach you to cook like a local (classes, websites, etc.)?

What are the advantages of learning to prepare local dishes in Mexico?

Thank you for sharing your experience.

Priscilla

So , for the most part Mexico has corn,  tomatoes, and beans in many meals. Cheese is not used often and when it is it is a very light dusting of more local cheese. In other words nothing like Mx meals in most of America.
They use a lot of vegetables and beef or chicken in most meals plus eggs. peppers onions  garlic, local fruit, avocado, seeds and nuts. 

I could already cook several of the dishes because I had learned the ingredients while visiting, or in California.

My main problem is finding and using safe oils . So it's adapting their diet to be healthier. The main diet without any american intervention is a healthy diet. The american influenced diet is not. The oil they tend to cook with currently is something called 123 oil which is a processed vegetable, cotton or rapeseed  oil I wouldn't use in my car.

I do like most local Mexcian food.  But, I have found that most recipes call for things I do not have on hand and I live half hour away from the nearest Mercado.  Sometimes a truck comes to the area with basics....tomatos, chilies, onions etc.  However, we never know when it is coming by.  Therefore, if I plan on trying new Mexican foods I need to plan ahead and make a list.
My most favorite foods here are Tamales in banana leaves,  Very hard and laborous to make.  When a vendor comes I usually buy quite a few and freeze them ..they seem to freeze well.
I also enjoy so many of the fresh fruits and vegetables.  it is very strange to me that the locals do not eat vegetables when the mercado is always full of so many.  People here mucht cut up a carrot and a potato to put in a caldo but not many.  It seems the diet is very heavy on meat, beans rice and tortillas here. 
I live right on the ocean in a little fishing village but for 3 years or so there have been almost no fish caught.  It is as if the ocean is barren.  Wen they are available I love to buy from the neighbors ...always fresh. better fresh. 
Easy to prepare are many egg dishes,  also chillquillies, and of course the fried fishes.  Salsas are simple and always better fresh.
I did recently see a notice for cooking classes.  I am the only gringa within miles and think the interchange would be fun so, I will look into that.

Try this site for extraordinary cooking tips from a cooking teacher in Mexico.  Saludos!  <cocinaculinario.tumblr.com>