Pollo a la Cacerola

(A tangy way to prepare chicken, that just falls off the bone. Rod got this recipe from his mother and I ask him to make it about once a week.)

5 or 6 chicken thighs w/o skin
Salt & pepper
1 Tbls cooking oil
Two large potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes
Apple vinegar
2 large bay leaves
1 Tbls flour
2 cloves minced garlic

Wash chicken thighs, dry with paper towels and season with salt & pepper.

In a deep pot (that has a lid) brown chicken thighs in the cooking oil. Add the chopped potatoes and nearly cover (about 7/8ths) the chicken and potato mixture with apple vinegar. Use water to finish covering the mixture.

Put flour in a glass jar with 1/3 cup water and shake to mix. Add to pot and stir. Stir in bay leaves and garlic.

Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork but are still a little firm (about one hour).

Remove lid and continue to simmer until sauce is reduced by half.

Hipo (Hiccup)

Doesn’t everyone keep their kittens in a bowl?

Padrino (Godfather)

You may remember some years back when I was asked to be the Godfather to Karla and Pawis’ daughter Enya. It was quite an honor, being invited into my first Mexican family.

Since I am gay (and not Catholic) it was not an official baptism but rather a spiritual service performed under a tent in or front yard by our friend Reverend Nancy Anderson, and translated by Rodrigo.

That was over three years ago. Since then Karla and Pawis divorced and Karla took Enya to Cuernavaca where they have been living with Karla’s mother. So I only get to see Enya on the occasional visit to San Miguel which, thus far, has been about once a year.

Monday was one of those days.

My heart melted as I opened the door and Enya threw herself into my arms for a fierce and long-lasting hug. Throughout the afternoon she would yell, “CharleS!” (with a special emphasis on the “S”.) But my favorite was when she called me “Padrino.”

We spent the afternoon looking for ‘ranas” (frogs) in the pond. More often than not Enya was carrying our kitten “hipo” (hiccup) wound up in a ball in her arms.

What amazed me was how much and what this three-year-old would eat. First she consumed two bananas before lunch. At lunch she ate rice and chicken in poblano sauce (Thanks Bob and Karen for the leftovers!) and César salad. Later she had a couple pieces of Halloween candy and just before leaving, she ate a ripe tomato as one would eat an apple.

As they drove out the front gate, Enya insisted on leaning out the window for her third kiss goodbye.

Rodrigo’s father’s 70th birthday is in December with Christmas falling the weekend after. We’re thinking about renting a house in Cuernavaca for that week thereby allowing us to spend time with Rodrigo’s family and now, of course, with Enya and Karla.

The Election

A couple of firsts;

The first time I’ve ever been glued to the television watching election returns.

The first time I’ve ever voted for someone younger than I am.

I had a dream last night, after the election, that I was asked by Obama to be a political advisor. I wasn’t certain, in my dream, what advice I might be qualified to offer, other than how to make a good salad dressing. But I accepted and was very excited at the prospect of dispensing my opinions in the west wing.

I’d come out of retirement for that job.