Serving where the need is greater . . . tacos.

[JW Insider]

Serving [tacos] where the need is greater.

My parents moved our family of 5 from California to Missouri to "serve where the need was greater" in 1964. The first things we missed were the leeks and onions and garlic of Egypt (Num 11:4-6). I mean, of course, the tacos of California. Rather than risk turning into a pillar of sodium chloride by longing for the past, we did just fine with Missouri cuisine. And driving back to California once a year over the summer. Even though in a fairly large University of Missouri township, no local stores within 100 miles sold tortillas in 1964. By 1966, my father went to the town Kroger's and guaranteed the purchase of 2 dozen packs of tortillas if they would just order them. They never heard of them. Finally, he talked some university students into making the same request and they stocked some around '67, I think. 

My brother and I liked taco nights on Wednesdays and sometimes Saturdays. These were the two nights my mother gave us to cook. I became OK at cooking spaghetti on Saturday and tacos on Wednesday, and nothing else. Still pretty true even today. 

Back then it was frying the soft tortillas in boiling oil and then laying them out to dry on napkins. When my brother and I shared the work, we could have instant gratification by sharing the chopping of onions, tomatoes, lettuce grading some cheddar, frying the meat with some random peppers and spices that filled in for taco seasoning. Then we topped them off with Louisiana Hot Sauce. 

Yesterday, also a Wednesday, I fell off my typical vegetarian diet, and had just bought a pound of fresh hamburger, a couple of vine tomatoes, a small jar of salsa, a pound of mild cheddar, salad mix, sprig of cilantro, and a jalapeno pepper, and a crunchy taco kit that has 12 pre-shaped tortillas, some mild sauce and a pack of seasoning for the hamburger. 

Then the race begins -- this time by myself. I start the hamburger to fry, then rush to get out some bowls, and chop, slice, and grade the ingredients. I no longer use "head lettuce" but just salad mix. By the time the hamburger starts browning, I toss in a half cup of V-8 along with the seasoning mix, because the hamburger is extra lean and doesn't produce enough oil and juice to mix the seasoning. That cools the pan enough to give me a little time to finish the ingredients, and start a cookie plate of tortillas to heat in the oven. By the time the oven reaches a good temperature, the meat is done, and all is finished in less than 15 minutes. 

My wife eats 3 and I eat 8. This was a bigger event when the kids still lived at home with us. But I had slacked off for a few months on taco Wednesday, and am starting it up again after ditching the vegetable-based cheese and vegetable-based hamburger. Somehow it's a lot better this time.

Yesterday. Good times. 

[Melinda Mills]

Good to know you can remember the ingredients and the methods.  Glad you enjoyed going back to old recipes but please continue with the vegetables and substitute them for some of the cheese, hamburger/mincemeat for their health-giving benefits and because of your age. Don't forget you were young then. I think you said grade and grading respectively in two instances, where I believe you meant grate and grating.

There is nothing like going back to eating foods you partook of when you were young.

All the best!

[JW Insider]

29 minutes ago, Melinda Mills said:

I think you said grade and grading respectively in two instances, where I believe you meant grate and grating.

Thanks for pointing that out. So we were also then serving where there was a grater need.

[JW Insider]

21 hours ago, Melinda Mills said:

There is nothing like going back to eating foods you partook of when you were young.

So true. I remember my mother baking "Date-Walnut Bread" and there was nothing better than tearing a fistful out of a warm, unsliced loaf -- fresh out of the oven. To recreate this, I have my own recipe:

First, I buy a container of whole, pitted dates, then I buy a loaf of Walnut Bread from a local bakery. As I begin chewing on a chunk of the bread from one hand, I simultaneously bite off pieces of the date from the other hand and chew them together. If the bakery only sold Date-Walnut Bread instead of just Walnut Bread, I wouldn't have to go through the complex procedure.

Next week, I'll share my secret recipe for Banana Bread. 

[Melinda Mills]

They are encouraging us to eat more walnuts as it is a healthy kind of fat. Therefore Date-Walnut Bread is a great choice. Like how you savour eating good food. Looking forward to your secret recipe for Banana Bread.

 

 

[Anna]

13 hours ago, JW Insider said:

Next week, I'll share my secret recipe for Banana Bread. 

How about banana nut bread? I have a good recipe for that. 

[JW Insider]

On 1/19/2024 at 10:59 PM, Anna said:

How about banana nut bread? I have a good recipe for that. 

I thought I would need three hands: one for the bread, one for the nuts, and one for the banana. After deliberating on the process for a few days, I chanced upon a ten-step solution:

1. Find a banana, a container of walnuts, and bread, and place ingredients in front of you.
2. Peel a banana (requires two hands), and set it down. 
3. Dip hand into a container of walnuts to grab a small handful (other types of nuts may work well, too).
4. Set them down in a small pile next to the peeled banana.
5. Grab a slice or handful of your favorite bread and keep in your right hand.
6. Take a bite of the bread, but don't begin chewing yet.
7. Take a bite of the banana and set it back down, but don't begin chewing yet. 
8. Pick a few nuts from the pile and put them in your mouth, too.
9. Begin chewing.
10. Continue alternating among new bite-size portions of bread, nuts, and banana until all items are depleted. 

[Melinda Mills]

That's genius.  Never thought it would be so easy! Don't know what Anna would say!

 

 

 

 

 

[Anna]

3 hours ago, Melinda Mills said:

That's genius.  Never thought it would be so easy! Don't know what Anna would say!

 

 

 

 

 

Anna is thinking that only a male would think of this!