table talk.

~Once and a while, I'll get a really chatty cab driver. It makes my day. And if I respond positively and enthusiastically to their questions about Mexican food (..I do..), it makes their day. It's kind of like one of them said, "For a foreigner not to eat tacos in Mexico City, they haven't even been to Mexico City." 

And seeing as I can't imagine Mexico City without tacos (al pastor to be specific) I heartily agree. 

~At a wedding I attended, the table conversation kept circling back to the food spread around us (naturally). In between tortilla refills, a friend leaned to me to say, "You know, they say we are 75% water…and 25% corn tortillas." 

And from the stacks of tortillas that I saw disappear just that night, it seems quite possible. 

~I've been searching for the perfect tamale recipe so I can put my hands to whipping up a killer batch when I go back to the states next month. This has led me to shamelessly plead for best advice and secret ingredients. But all recommendations round back to the preparation: "If you are upset or angry while making tamales, they will be hard and dry. But if you are cheerful and accompanied by equally lively friends and music, the tamales will be moist and fluffy". 

And because tamales are just one of the things Mexico has down pat, I have to believe there really is some truth to these consejos…

~Yesterday, a friend made me some chicken soup to help remedy a never-ending stomach bug. Not even 12 hours later and I'm cured. She says that's because the secret is that it was made with love. 

After 7 months, I'm seeing how food is more than just diet and sustenance here. It is an ingredient that makes up a larger culture, art, friendship, and family. 

And as I keep learning (read: eating), I'm savoring each moment…and bite.