face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
Joseph,
I just loved your story. It reminded me of one I would like to
share.
share.
I was raised by foster parents from Jalisco, my foster mother was from
LaBarca while my foster father was from Tepatitlan.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Can anyone tell me why pan dulce was served right before bedtime and a light
supper provided?
Esperanza
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
bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=0 topMargin=0 rightMargin=7 acc_role="text"
CanvasTabStop="true" name="Compose message area">
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.
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.
href="mailto:ranchos@yahoogroups.com">ranchos@yahoogroups.com
PM
food
share.
LaBarca while my foster father was from Tepatitlan.
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.
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.
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.
up? Can anyone tell me why pan dulce was served right before bedtime and
a light supper provided?