Book excerpt: Meet Miles Standish Pickerel: bamboozler, American ne'er-do-well, and poor gringo extraordinaire. Newly divorced, culinarily clueless, and living in Mexico with his faithful canine companion, Ladrn, he shamelessly prepares traditional Mexican cuisine from low-cost (or no-cost) ingredients. If Miles Pickerel can't raise it, trap it, steal it, borrow it, pick it, or run it over, he doesn't put it in his pot. Neighborhood strays and local farmers beware. His recipes redefine the meaning of eating cheap in Mexico. They include: Suicide Hen, Stingray Stew, Aztec Soup, Fired Tequila Goat, Cortez-on-Foot Burritos, Run-over Rooster, Shrimp Head Omelet, Unholy Mole, Soused Marlin, Cabbage Cakes, and Hibiscus Cooler.