My Favorite Holiday

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I'm Southern so naturally some of my preparations are going to echo the South in their preparations. There will be some green beans, cornbread, mac and cheese, candied yams and mashed potatoes, of course. But this year I'm adding some of the influences from other parts of my life's experience. Most of you who know me are aware that I was once married for six weeks and never again. But I don't talk much about that husband, but i can say he was a way better husband than I was a wife. I never wanted it and vowed I'd never do it again. I didn't. Lorenzo Flores was the handsomest man I'd ever seen, jet black curly hair, eyes just as black with a dazzling smile that I saw from across the room and went weak in the knees. Larry was born and raised in Minnesota, where his parents had migrated up from the Valley of the Moon in Mexico. At that time in my most ignorant teenage state, I didn't even know there were Mexicans in MN. What you don't know at 16 fills volumes and volumes. Ok, so when I met Larry and fell in lust it was that time in my development when I wanted to get inside the very skin of the person I loved (think back for a moment and you'll remember that time). I wanted to discover everything there was about the Mexican culture. I learned to make tortillas from scratch, to refry beans and to make tamales....and so here we come full circle. This year I'm making tamales and stuffing my turkey with those tamales. I've done it before and it's a great tasting surprise. I'm also doing Arroz Rojo (red rice), chillied corn and mango/cranberry salsa to spoon over the turkey and dressing. My mouth is over here watering. I'm the very multicultural cook and somewhat smarter Ruth Adkins Robinson