Joseph,
I just loved your story. It reminded me of one I would like to
share.
I was raised by foster parents from Jalisco, my foster mother was from
LaBarca while my foster father was from Tepatitlan.
He worked for Santa Fe, the graveyard shift, she was a stay-at-home
mom. Our eating routine usually started with "leche con pan dulce" for
breakfast. We came home to a hot meal every day (she wasn't the best cook,
but it was always good and substantial). When we got home from school, we
did chores, homework, etc. Then she would serve her husband his own meal
(always different from what she served us or herself). We would always
wonder why he got the "special" looking stuff, but dared not ask. Later,
we would eat something light, like tostadas, and right before bed we would have
our pan dulce with our leche.
One night, when my foster father was working and my brothers were out
playing (I was never allowed to go out and play, as I had to be chaperoned at
all times), I saw her eating fish. She was eating it with such delight,
and I asked to taste it. She let me taste it, but I did not like it.
This was one of the first times that I had ever seen her eat or
prepare fish - she said it reminded her of childhood, but did not
elaborate.
Now that left an impression upon me, because fish was expensive and not
necessarily readily available in Chicago (fresh) during those days, nor did we
ever get fish when we went to Jalisco visiting family. Just recently, I
learned that her father was a fisherman - he used to fish at the Laguna de
Chapala. It saddened me that she would prepare special meals for
her husband and separate meals for herself and us.
I am wondering if anyone else had a similar ritual when they grew up?
Can anyone tell me why pan dulce was served right before bedtime and a light
supper provided?
Esperanza
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Memories of food
Esperanza,
I'm not sure if or how this might connect to your story, but my maternal grandparents, who were from Sinaloa (my Nana was from Mocorito Sinaloa, my Tata was born in Batopila, Chihuahua, but raised in Sinaloa) had a similar routine. We always had pan dulce in the house and I remember that my Tata always ate a breakfast of pan dulce, slices of cheese and his cafesito every morning. If there was ever a variation from this it was the addition of some frijolitos now and then. We children (lots of cousins) were fed avena (oatmeal), toast with butter and usually orange juice. Lunch was generally the biggest meals and included some type of caldo (soup-homade) or meat or fish, vegetables (usually fresh cooked), and milk. Dinner was generally served around 4:00 p.m. and consisted of a small portion of meat or fish, fresh cooked vegetables, a salad (usually lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers) and tea made fresh from avacado leaves or lemmon grass
(not to mention yerba buena). Before going to bed my Nana would always serve jello, into which mixed fruit or sliced bananas had been added. Although the meals my Tata ate weren't always different from ours, my grandfather always ate seperately, but I never thought to ask why. Back then we would have Sunday dinner at my grandparent's home (8 daughter's, their husbands, and their children-each daghter had at least three or more kids), and even then dinner was served to the men separately.
Olivia Jaurequi-Reyes
Rowland Heights, CA
latina1955@aol.com wrote:
Yahoo! Mail
Use Photomail to share photos without annoying attachments.
Memories of food
Esperanza,
About the light dinners: I think that in Mexico the main meal is
between 1-3 pm, so no one has much of an appetite in the evening, but in order
not to go to bed hungry, they would have something like the English Tea. I
remember my husband's aunts in Mexico City saying we were going to have "Cake"
and coffee and liquers in the evening. My husband says that as children
they were served hot chocolate and wedges of pan dulce around 7:30 or 8:00 pm
right before they went to bed. In the morning they ate "tortas"
(omelettes) and coffee with lots of sugar and milk. My husband still likes
his milk and sugar with a little bit of coffee, ha, ha., Adults stayed up
late. I remember I could hear guitars all night long everywhere in Mexico
that we went.
About the feeding of the menfolk: In the old days, women were mostly
stay-at-home moms whose job was to cater to the men. If there was meat or
anything special for the main meal around noon the men were served first and
only what they liked exactly as they liked it - no trying out new recipes on
them!-- since they had to go back to work. Women and children ate
what was left, or ate something else like a light dinner. My mother
always served men guests first. That was the custom.
Emilie Garcia
Port Orchard, WA ---
RE: Memories of food
Hi Esperanza:
I think it was common back in the days or even in
present time to do that. I even catch myself doing it with my family. My mom use
to make us (Children) separate food from my father because he liked his food
extremely hot/Spicy! She would make herself the same thing as my father but
without all the jalapeños/serranos/chile de arbol. It eventually changed when we
got older and we were able to love the food as hot as my
dad.
In my house my husband and I love to put chile in
everything we eat and my kids do not like it. So, I have to prepare them
something completely different. It's sad to say but my 7yr old son has
refused to eat mexican food for a long time because he thinks it looks
disgusting . . . But I'm changing all that!!! Last week he ate a burrito de
Chorizo and loved it. I'm more than willing to share recipes with the group. I'm
married to someone from Jalisco, so I have made it my mission to learn a lot of
dishes from my target area. I also have purchased the recipe book,
Frida's Fiestas : Recipes and Reminiscences of Life with Frida
Kahlo.
It is an awesome book with great recipes I recommend
it. I will add some from there . . .
~Janet Iglesias
Murrieta, CA
From: ranchos@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:ranchos@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
latina1955@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 3:13
PM
To: ranchos@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [ranchos]
Memories of food
Joseph,
I just loved your story. It reminded me of one I would like to
share.
I was raised by foster parents from Jalisco, my foster mother was from
LaBarca while my foster father was from Tepatitlan.
He worked for Santa Fe, the graveyard shift, she was a stay-at-home
mom. Our eating routine usually started with "leche con pan dulce" for
breakfast. We came home to a hot meal every day (she wasn't the best cook,
but it was always good and substantial). When we got home from school, we
did chores, homework, etc. Then she would serve her husband his own meal
(always different from what she served us or herself). We would always
wonder why he got the "special" looking stuff, but dared not ask. Later,
we would eat something light, like tostadas, and right before bed we would have
our pan dulce with our leche.
One night, when my foster father was working and my brothers were out
playing (I was never allowed to go out and play, as I had to be chaperoned at
all times), I saw her eating fish. She was eating it with such delight,
and I asked to taste it. She let me taste it, but I did not like it.
This was one of the first times that I had ever seen her eat or
prepare fish - she said it reminded her of childhood, but did not
elaborate.
Now that left an impression upon me, because fish was expensive and not
necessarily readily available in Chicago (fresh) during those days, nor did we
ever get fish when we went to Jalisco visiting family. Just recently, I
learned that her father was a fisherman - he used to fish at the Laguna de
Chapala. It saddened me that she would prepare special meals for
her husband and separate meals for herself and us.
I am wondering if anyone else had a similar ritual when they grew up?
Can anyone tell me why pan dulce was served right before bedtime and a light
supper provided?
Esperanza
Memories of food
Janet,
I have that Frida Kahlo book too. I just love it. I would love
to have a little blue house decorated just like hers, but my husband, like his
aunts in Mexico, hates anything "ethnic" in décor. He likes only
contemporary. My sister is so lucky. Not that she is a widow, but
that she is able to decorate her house just like Frida's with Diego Rivera
reproductions and some of Frida's art too. She and I are always on the lookout
for items to duplicate from that book -- Mexican pottery, glassware, etc.
We also have coffee table books of Diego Rivera's paintings. My art
teacher once told me I should have been a muralist like him since she said my
paintings were always so outsized.
In the other group I belong to there is a fellow from Jerez, (where my
father was born) whose father cooks the dishes from Jerez. I will ask
him for his father's favorite foods and beg for the recipes.
Emilie Garcia
Port Orchard, WA ---
Memories of food
Emilie:
I'm a die hard fan of Frida Kahlo as well . . . I was 10 years old when my parents took me to Guanajuato and we were able to walk thorough one of their homes (Diego & Frida). It was beautiful and I will never forget it. Since then I have made it a mission to read about her as much as possible. I'm contemplating on buying her diary. Have you read it? I also love the movie! I cried my eyes out! About Mexican pottery . . . I have tons because I'm always going to Tijuana to visit family, it's great to live so close to the border.
Janet Iglesias
MEXICAN POTTERY
JANET, HOW DO YOU CURE MEXICAN POTTERY FOR COOKING? I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS, I JUST PURCHASED SOME OLLAS/ POTS AND NEED SOME ASSISTANCE. PERHAPS OTHERS IN THE GROUP HAVE AN IDEA. I WAS TOLD THAT IN DURANGO THEY USE "CAL" MIX IT WITH WATER UNTILL IT MAKES A PASTE AND COVER THE INSIDE OF THE POTS, IT THEN CURES FOR ONE OR TWO DAYS AND IS WASHED THROUGHLY. ONE MUST ALWAYS USE GLOVES TO APPLY THE LYE BECAUSE IT BURNS THE SKIN. I JUST CAN'T QUITE BRING MYSELF TO USE THIS METHOD....WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK???? I WOULD LOVE TO COOK BEANS IN MY NEW OLLA JUST LIKE MY ABUELA AURELIA USED TOO, BUT..... I AM LEARY! YOLANDA MEDINA PEREZ
janet iglesias <reynavaleria@hotmail.com>
wrote:
MEXICAN POTTERY
Yolanda,
I use the pottery strictly as a decorative item. What I have is old
and may be lead-based and not food safe. I wouldn't try to cure it
myself. Some newer Mexican pottery is food-safe, but I would not cook in
it, I would maybe serve food in it and then with a liner only.
Emilie Garcia
Port Orchard, WA
Memories of food
Janet,
No, I didn't know Frida's diary was published. I will order it from
Amazon. Thanks,
Emilie