Honeymoon in Cuernavaca, Mexico, August 1929
Frida and Diego settled into their new life together. Their honeymoon took them to Cuernavaca, the lovely city of eternal springs where Diego was commissioned to paint a mural on the ancient palace once belonging to Herman Cortez the Spanish conquistador of Mexico. While Diego painted, Frida dove into domesticity with her usual fervor and with the help of Lupe Marin, Diego’s second ex-wife, learned to cook Diego’s favorite dishes. It’s is ironic that Lupe took Frida under her wing as the two had in the past a jealous rivalry over Diego affections. But all was forgiven and the Rivera household became a bastion for intellectualism and artistic creativity where the two women took delight in preparing peasant style chiles en frio stuffed with chopped meat and bathed in a sweet and sour tomato sauce or re-fried beans smothered with Mexican cheese and garnished with crisp totopos. The following recipe for stuffed chiles adapted from Fridas Fiestas was a favorite for entertaining their distinguished guests and extended family.
