An Ode To Tex-Mex Cuisine
I recently ran across an old article written by Don Ray Williams for his blog, 'Chiriqui Chatter' which was praising Tex-Mex cuisine. Since real Tex-Mex is non-existent here in David, the article got me to reflecting nostalgically.
The part of K.C. Kansas I grew up in had a large Mexican population that had been entrenched for generations (mostly laborers on Santa Fe RR). It had two restaurants and four beer joints (3.2 beer only) in the ‘Mexican Town’ part of town close to my high school. There was also a taco factory, ‘Spanish Gardens’ that serviced restaurants and grocery stores across a broad area of that part of country.
About the time I was in Junior H.S. it became the ‘in thing’ to go to ‘Chief’s Restaurant’ and eat tacos (rebellious teenagers). Parents, most of whom had never even sampled Tex-Mex, were going nuts: “That will make you sick” and “You are going to get poisoned on that stuff”, or “You don’t even know what’s in those dishes with the funny names.” Even worse, the real kicker, “You kids will stay out of Mexican Town if you know what’s good for you!”
We had been told by our Hispanic classmates to order Tacos and quickly became hooked. Slowly over a period of months (and maybe years) we expanded our choices to include many other dishes. We broadened our tastes based on suggestions from the dumpy little old ladies who served as waitresses and had taken us under their wings over the years, even the two who merely repeated endlessly, ‘No hable Ingles’.
I was pleased (and surprised) when I started traveling the U.S. a few years later (USAF) to find other places in the country had ‘discovered’ this cuisine. But I still had some things to learn. I remember the first time I ordered tacos and they delivered soft shells (What are these things?). And, “This green glop is called ‘guaca’ what?”, or “What do ya do with this sour cream again?” and “Chicken? In a taco? Who came up with that?” and “What’s missing here? Why doesn’t juice drip off your elbow when you eat these tacos?”
To this day I have never tasted a tamale that is even in the same league as the ones the old Mexican gent sold from his pushcart on the streets of
Argentine (K.C., Ks)! My uncle used to kid the old man that his tamales were, “nothing more than hay and horses**t” and he would respond with a big toothless grin and insist, ‘no hay, nunca hay, nada.” That script was repeated verbatim every time the two crossed paths for years, nothing more or less.
Based on my background, try as hard as I might (not very), I still cannot see any kind of seafood in MY Mexican food. I am convinced that God no more intended shrimp to be in a taco than he/she did intend anchovies on a pizza!
Oh, before I go and while I am at it – God, could you please put just one REAL Tex-Mex restaurant in David, Panama? And, oh yeah, outfit them with at least one salsa that does not taste like pabulum. Thanks.
____________
For those of you who would like to read the Don Ray Williams article that triggered this little rant, here is the link:
http://www.chiriquichatter.net/blog/2006/03/29/texmex-mexican-food/
In addition, many of you might enjoy Don's blog posting on a regular basis. Not only does he providing some interesting observations on many topics, his position as the Warden here in David for the U.S. Embassy allows all of us expats here to stay abreast of what is going on in Panama and how it may effect us. You may want to visit this link and add it to your 'Favorites' file in your browser.
http://www.chiriquichatter.net/
Prosecutor Calls "Wild Bill" Holbert and Reese to Trial
The First Superior Prosecutor of Chiriqui, Luis Martinez, requested that William Dathan Holbert, alias "Wild Bill", and his wife Laura Michelle Reese, be called to trial for the deaths of five foreigners which occurred in the province of Bocas del Toro. The request establishes that the couple is responsible for the killings that occurred on Holbert's private estate in Bocas del Toro.
This means the prosecutor has finished his investigation, capped by his "prosecutor's opinion" which says he thinks they are guilty. Now the court will establish a date for the hearing.
Meanwhile Back In The Real World (Gringo Land)
A collection of news snippets that make one homesick, often meaning that some of the goofy goings-on in the U.S. tend to make you sick!
- Our tropical weather in Panama: On my semi-annual trips back to North Carolina (one son in Charlotte, another at the opposite end of the state in Wilmington), I am inevitable hit with the same question repeatedly. The question, “How do you cope with that tropical weather down there?”, comes in a variety of forms. I patiently try to explain how the weather fluctuates very little season-to-season, year round with highs between 85-90 and lows rarely in the 60s, even at night. But, attention spans being what they are … well, you get the picture.
So let’s try this: “Hey Bubba, I have only seen it hit 95 down here once and it never gets cold enough at any time of day/night/year to have to put socks on with my sandals. Yesterday the high temperature was 38C in Raleigh, while it was about the boringly normal of 29C here in the tropics. So you don’t have to break into the mainframe computer to convert, that means it was over 100F in Raleigh while we were struggling with about 85F here in the sweltering tropics. Yeah, you’re right, probably was humid.”
- An honorable act draws warm fuzzies from your Big Brother government: This week Derek Jeter hit a historic home run - 1st N.Y. Yankee with 3,000th hits in a career. Fan Christian Lopez, a mobile phone salesman, caught the ball and returned it to Jeter with no strings attached. (The ball Mark McGwire hit for his 70th home run in 1998 sold for around $3 million.) Tax experts estimate Lopez will owe $14,000+ in taxes for his 'windfall' from the tickets and memorabilia the Yankees and Jeter gave him in appreciation.
- We need to work on our Spanish: Students, I don't understand why you struggle with Spanish. It's simple. Example: Translation: Español 'caja' (noun) = English 'box'. Alternately translates to (based on use): cash, case, housing, casing, crate, body, checkout, cash register, cash desk, shell, checkbox, drawer, cashbox, shaft, barrel, slush fund, cushion, well, pay desk, pay office, or take. Now, ready for the next word.....?
- Our Unions Protecting the U.S. Worker: Why the big backlash recently concerning unions? Let’s take just a snapshot at the rebuilding at World Trade Center. Union rules and contracts require a master mechanic be present to make repairs whenever three tower cranes or five pieces of heavy equipment are in use. The master mechanic base salary is $135,000 a year. But, the mechanics annual earnings with overtime go to about $405,000 a year due to the 12-16 hour, 6 day a week construction schedule. And benefit costs raise that figure to $300,000 a year for each of the three mechanics on the project. What’s the problem? Technology has eliminated the master mechanics’ duties – all maintenance of this type of equipment is done by the manufacturer or has been simplified to the point that the operator repairs his own rig. When you include all of the other no-work jobs (duties displaced by technology and equipment design like oilers and operators) at Ground Zero, the additive costs for ‘work no longer required or being done’ are estimated at $96 million. And that is just this project. Now, want to talk about the auto industry?
James Bond In Panama?
Someone broke into the house of María del Pilar Hurtado, the former Chief of Colombia's Intelligence Service (DAS), who has been living in exile (asylum) in Panama since November 2010. According to information circulating in social networks, whoever broke in was able to steal a computer and a safe from the house. The local authorities have not provided information on the subject. Hurtado fled to Panama because it is alleged she was involved in illegal wiretapping in Colombia
Don Winter (Panama-Guide) notes; This case is suspicious because normally someone breaks into a house to steal valuables – all the valuables in sight and any others they can dig out of hiding. In the case of the highly visible María del Pilar Hurtado, it appears they probably broke in just to get her computer and whatever she had locked away in the safe - in order to obtain some kind of proof or evidence against her. Are there Colombian intelligence agents at work in Panama City? Does the Martinelli administration have anything to be nervous about as a result of this break-in?
A Funny Exchange From A New Reader
My regular readers know that I sign off each blog entry with a Spanish term, Pura Vida. This term, which literally translates to ‘pure life’ is a common phrase used by, and identified with, the Costa Ricans. If you say ‘como estas’ to a Tico the response is not, ‘bien’, instead they invariable respond ‘pura vida’.
I received this comment from a new reader:
"LOVE YOUR BLOG BUT I MUST TELL YOU THAT 'PURA VIDA' IS A COSTA RICAN (TICO) EXPRESSION, NEVER USED BY A PANAMANIAN! I KNOW, I LIVED 4 YEARS IN COSTA RICA BEFORE MOVING HERE 12 YEARS AGO. IF YOU SAY 'PURA VIDA' TO A PANAMANIAN THEY WILL LOOK AT YOU AS IF YOU ARE STUPID, AS IF YOU ARE CALLING THEM A COSTA RICAN (TICO), NOW I'M SURE THAT YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO GIVE THEM THAT IMPRESSION."
I realized when I saw his comments that I may be confusing others with my sign off. Yes, I picked up the term in Costa Rica, but that is where I was when I started the blog (and was there for the next nine months).
I continued to use the phrase partly as a tongue-in-cheek move. One of my first exposures to the Panamanian sense of humor was that most of the employees in the hotel knew that I came down here from Costa Rica, so several of then started kidding me by responding to my bad attempts at Spanish by responding with ‘pura vida’ (for a while, seemingly to every thing I said). Four years later that has stuck – in fact, it has spread to most of the hotel employees, and to a number of people outside of the hotel. I have been assured that (and I interpret it) it as a sign of friendship (familiarity if nothing else) and the term has stuck.
I thank the reader for jogging my memory. Pura Vida.
My Book – ‘Angels in Panama’
Judy Brown from Texas sent me a nice review of my book. She also included this picture with is most appreciated and very clever. Thanks again Judy.
Good News - Amazon has reduced the price again of the E-book format (Kindle) of my book, putting it in line with the E-book market. And yes, Mrs. Anderson, the book is also available at Barnes and Noble for you folks with a Nook, however the price is over $25, so I don't mention it.
It has just been called to my attention by an alert reader that the price of the Kindle version of the book is listed at $26. This is ridiculous and is a repeat of some kind of squabble between the publisher and Amazon. I am caught in the middle again. I will not recommend purchase until this dispute is settled and let you know right here in future postings.
The links below are for my book in two different formats - take your pick. I have also included a link to my website where you can read excerpts if you want.
Till Next Time. Pura Vida
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