”Hors D’oeuvre: A ham sandwich cut into forty pieces.” Jack Benny

On: April 21, 2019
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This week we scoured the land searching in vain for the elusive Easter Ham with no luck – there were no bone-in or spiral hams to be found in México. Procuring it would qualify as one of the miracles of the holiday season. Every place we went (including Costco) and asked … we received the same answer . . . “only at Navidad.” Well then, we’ll buy one at Christmas and freeze (or sell on the black market!).

So should I serve our Easter Sunday potluck brunch guests sliced deli ham? Claro que no ~ next week I’ll divulge the replacement. We’re hosting 24 people ~ a mixed group of new friends composed of nationals and ex-pats.

One of our guests, Berenice, reminds me of my late Tia Patria and who equally gives the greatest hugs with the biggest smile. She responded to my invitation with “Es una fiesta de traje (formal)?” Innocently, I answered, “… oh no, it’s casual…” She saw the bewildered look on my face and she explained that the Mexican name for a potluck gathering is a fiesta de traje…..play on words of the Spanish word, traer (to bring something).

On our last trip to LA, we’d made a quick stop at the 99 Cents store and stocked up and shlepped back all sorts of Easter decorative goodies. The only thing we forgot to buy for David were marshmallow Peeps ~ never thought that they weren’t available SOB 😢

Early in the week, David approached me with a strange message on his Facebook page – something about “… do you want to go horseback riding?” I responded, “Wow – I contacted her at the beginning of the year…” He responded, “You know I’m not going!” After our Ecuadorian Andes Mountain cavalcade, he will not even ride a merry-go-round!

So on Thursday morning, I met a group of 5 horse-loving ladies for a three-hour ride on the east side of Chapala. We rode through fields, country lanes, and two small pueblos… stopping for refreshments … never realized before how good a beer (or two!) tastes on horseback………GUILTY! Drinking and riding.

My ride was a beautiful 10-year old gelding with a shining red coat. I started calling him Pelirojo, but his true name is Payaso, a clown in Spanish. There was nothing clownish about him. Gentle disposition and a well-paced canter.

We rode by a pasture where if we’d been there just a few hours earlier, we could have witnessed a birth – the mare was still cleaning her foal, as it was trying to walk on its spindly, shaky legs. A beautiful gift of nature.

The offshoot of infrequent riding – I’ll suffer a few days of inner thigh pain, but oh what a feeling of freedom to ride and ride again. The ladies asked me if I want to join them in future rides…….claro Que si!

On the menu this week grilled salmon topped with a Jamaica (hibiscus flower) glazed reduction accompanied by Mexican rice and sautéed calabazitas and red onions.