Thought for the Week
I confess, I’m a gringo. But I grew up in Southern California, near enough to take daytrips into México. Plus, I always had enough friends with big Mexican families to get a taste of—and for—south-of-the-border culture. Which, to me, meant the two fs: family and food. Their families always found reasons to celebrate la alegría de la vida. And, oh, how they expressed that joy with the second f – food!
I remember watching sisters and aunts chatter as they used heavy granite stones to ground corn into masa, and then form it into tortillas and tamales. And I remember seeing brothers and uncles laughing as they grilled wonderfully-spiced carnitas, pollo, and carne asada!
Years later, we moved our family to Cincinnati. It was a beautiful city with great dining and cultural experiences. But Mexican food? Nada. All we could find were what I called “Midwestican” restaurants selling prefab shells filled with ground beef, shredded lettuce and American cheese, spiced with ketchup disguised as “salsa.”
Then we discovered a little taqueria just twenty minutes out of town in the midst of a Mexican enclave. Here was a gift from the saints: an authentic Mexican restaurant run by an extended familia! So auténtico was it that we were the only English-speakers there. And yet, the moment this gringo walked in, I teared up, turned to my wife, and said, “We’re home!”
Since then, to my unending felicidad, Cincinnati has gone loco for Mexican food and culture. They’ve even hatched a popular annual celebration called Cincy Cinco. Sí, the two fs are alive and well in Cincinnati, and I couldn’t be happier! So, I’m wishing all my Mexican friends, and even gringos like me, un…
Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
Happy Cinco De Mayo. I’m a gringo that loves it too! 💗
…or Revenge of the Fifth, whichever you prefer. 😉
;>) Once a Star Wars fan, always a Star Wars fan.
I like most food. But tacos…. man…. I love me some tacos! Might have some tonight!
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Gracias, mi amigo!
Amen brother, preach
;>)
Yummy post, but… when I am in Cincinnati it’s Skyline Chili for me 🙂
Yep, Skyline rocks.
Yum… reading this made me hungry.
;>)
💙💙💙
There was a Mexican restaurant in the town I used to live in whose drink specialty was the “why not,” a giant margarita with eight shots of tequila. They finally stopped serving it after too many cases of cars backing into each other in the parking lot. 🤪🥴
¡Ay, caramba! That’s a lot of tequila!
You and I are two peas in a pod! We are from South Texas but living in Georgia now with almost exactly the same experience! Consequently, this gringa has had to learn to make her own salsa, tortillas, and enchilada sauce. They just can’t be found here. Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Gracias, mi amiga!
Today is our 18th wedding anniversary. My husband Rick likes to call it “Cinco de Champagne.” Ole!
Feliz aniversario, Caroll!
“Midwestican!” I love it. A good descriptor. Ha, ha.
hic… it’s going well ~~~
;>)
hola cora
I remember being in Columbus at Ohio State in the 70s. Midwestican is a great descriptor! I had a hard enough time finding Italian sausage.
One of the restaurants near here calls today “cinco de drinko.”
;>)
I’m a Mexican food lover also.
I am a gringa from Southern California. 🙂
I lived in southern California for a while. In Chula Vista, in fact. And I made trips into Mexico that I remember mostly fondy. Tijuana is a city to endure as much as to enjoy. But I had to go to Tecate a couple of times and liked the town very much. I also lived in Cincinnati. I wish I had known about the Mexican enclave there. Pues, Ojala que tu tengas un dia especial. (I don’t know where are the Spanish diacriticals to apply.)
We’re brothers from another mamacita, Christopher.
Happy Cinco de Mayo. We are still searching for a good Mexican restaurant where we live now. We found a nice food truck and the man who runs it makes yummy tacos. So far we just cook Mexican food ourselves, what we had been taught by the restaurant owners I grew up with in my old neighborhood when I was a little girl.
Thank you. And how great that you were taught how to cook those Mexican dishes yourself!
Happy Belated Cinco de Mayo! Come to Colorado … there’s Mexican restaurants everywhere!
Gracias, Denise!
Growing up Hispanic, I had the treasure of Mexican food with my abuela, we could always count on her for those tastes. That said growing up Hispanic in Texas is a wonder that it didn’t grow up with me, I have to go out for Mexican food, my wife is also Hispanic, but she grew up in a farm where they adapted to American food and life. I miss my abuela and her tasties.
Blessings Mitch.
You too, my Mexican tastes-missing amigo!
🤣😂