Take a seat with Gabriela Solorzano: Mercado Sol

Traditional Mexican street food eats, salsas, agua frescas made with locally sourced ingredients by Mercado Sol in the beautiful Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan.

Gabriela Solorzano smiles in a community kitchen while holding red peppers. She is wearing intricately beaded red and orange earrings.

When did you start cooking?

Since I can remember, there was the visual of me with a little task. Traditionally in small towns throughout Mexico you have these cenaduria or little makeshift diners.

My grandmother would put out chairs and after work people would come have dinner at our home. She would make all sorts of things: sopas, tacos, helados, posole everything you can imagine.

If she was making tamales, you would be in charge of rehydrating the corn husks and, when people would come, I would take them salsa.

On cooking in the Keweenaw with Mercado Sol...

When we moved here I started immersing myself, relearning, and connecting to some family recipes.

In winter you have more time to reflect and be in the kitchen. That's when I started calling my mom a lot saying ”I wanna make this - what do you do?” Of course she’s like “well you take this chile” but it's like “mom how many?” People measure with their with their hands and fingers and their senses.

Gabriela Sorlezano smells a red pepper.

A dish that Gabriela Sorlezano made is in the middle of being cooked on a stove top.

Funniest failure?

Concha is like a sweet bun and on the top it has either chocolate or vanilla. It’s called Concha is because the top kind of crumbles when you bake it, and it looks kind of like the top of a shell.

If we were and the Mexican table, there would be Conchas and a variety of different other sweetbreads. I made Conchas because that's what we long for. Whenever we travel to Chicago or Milwaukee, we'll hunt down a Mexican bakery and that would be the first thing we eat. They’re so iconic and so delicious and it reminds us of our childhood.

The first time I made them, they were amazing. They were the fluffiest thing - like a cloud you could catch. The second time, they were amazing and delicious for New Year’s when we shared them with friends.

The third time I’m like “ohh let's make some so we can share with the staff at La Cantina because it’d be nice and I'll remind them of home.” Maybe it’d gone to my head, but those things were hardest – like a disk. You could pound them on the table… they were like hard as rocks and it was so sad.

Since then I haven't been able to go back. I think baking has a lot to do with energy, how you are feeling, the essence you're bringing that day. The temperature and humidity your kitchen - all of the elements have to align for your dough to be perfect.

What’s special about your cooking?

I want to know how our family makes things. Yes there's lots of great resources in the world, but how does our family make them. That’s a really important part of the journey that I've taken as a cook. I would like to consider myself more of a cocina traditional or traditional cook.

What can you eat a whole package of?

I’m a savory person. I love good spicy, spicy tortilla chips. I could like shamelessly eat a whole bag.

What would you like to learn to make?

Too many things... I would love to make learn to make really beautiful cakes. Simple cakes with natural elements, but with lots of flowers - I follow lots of people who do it on Instagram.

I’d like to make my own cheese. My maternal family they are cheese makers. My mother - since she was six years old - would carry her little baskets and get on the bus into the city of Guadalajara in Jalisco and sell out in the mercado. I feel like that's always been in my blood sort of.

Advice to fellow cooks?

Just be bold and to try it. Even if you’ve failed, try again.

Something you wish people knew about Mexican food?

There's so much to each region. An order of mole would be different almost in every state. Each dish takes influence from their region. In southern Mexico, they wrapped up tamales in banana leaves because it's a little more tropical. In the northern regions, it's corn husks.

It's so simple, but so labor intensive and I feel like it's not seen as something up there with French cooking. The mainstream hasn't really highlighted fine Mexican cuisine.

An ingredient you’d like to see fresh locally?

Guava, avocado, and fig trees - I do miss those. My father passed in August, and the last time I spoke to him was on a video call. He was showing me his avocado, pomegranate, and lemon trees.

Breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner?

Brunch. I do naturally have a late first meal probably at 11am. You can kind of mix sweet and savory. It’s a versatile meal.

As a vendor at the Houghton and Calumet Farmer’s Markets, what is a frequent question you get?

“So what's all this here?” For some people Mexican food is completely new. Some people, they've never seen it before, so they just want to know what everything is. It's a good challenge for me describing everything. At market we’re kind of bridging.

A lovely compliment you received from a customer?

There was a woman of Finnish descent. She said that even though her children were born and raised here, it's really important for them to try all sorts of different foods. She would order moles from me so her kids could try them, so her kids can have this palette, so they can still be exposed to these other amazing cultures, rich cultures, through food.

Advice for incoming vendors at the Farmers Market?

Be bold and authentic but also be patient with yourself. We want to offer everything, but how about we start with this and then add the other offerings when when it's the right time.

A restaurant you love?

Los Pelones - a taco stand. You have these guys that are bald and have the high socks - what you think of when think gang member, but they're out there like cooking meat and tacos.

They’ve been there 30 years - the best tacos hands down of Los Angeles. It's in the heart of South Central Los Angeles - you kind of risk it all to get those tacos.

What is a quick, easy meal you often make at home?

I think anything that can have some eggs in it. You can add some kale, spinach, good chicken or sausage to a scrambled egg. It’s is such a good protein and you can make it into a burrito or tacos. It’s pretty versatile. I love eggs - they're delicious.

What is an adventurous thing you’ve eaten and would you eat it again?

I've had crickets like in Oaxacas. One of my very best friends is from Rosarito - by California. We went to a little market stall and they had it as an appetizer. They're like nice and roasted with a little salt and chili. It's just crunchy and good protein and I did I like it.

---