Cinco de Mayo
My first real food post represents a few new starts for me. Cinco de Mayo is a rather misunderstood day, and in Mexico is not a very important day, but north of the border we have embraced it, especially me. I have told the story many times of being in Larado Texas one Cinco de Mayo, quite a few years ago. Things looked rather festive and I was in the mood for some good eats. I asked some of the people I was working with and they told me about a popular spot. It had neon flamingos on the sign, so instead I asked “where do you eat, when you want a good mexican meal?” I ended up driving a bit out-of-town and turned down the lane of little farmhouse. No sign, so I knocked tentatively. A lovely little round woman opened the door and welcomed me in with a smile that lit up the room. The living and dining rooms were setup with tables. There were no menus. When it was clear that I had no idea what to ask for, she just said “OK. I will bring you some things to try.” I have no idea of the names of most of the dishes that I had, but it was one of the most memorable meals of my life. As the place filled up, the atmosphere was almost familial. Being the outsider, almost everyone spoke to me. I was on the road for a couple of months on that trip and overall people were friendly, but this was the only time I felt at home. This however is only one piece of why I like Cinco de Mayo…. The rest I will save for another time.