Planning dinner here at Winterpast is often as tricky as picking something to write about on a frosty autumn day. In honor of Tuesday, tacos will be served tonight along with Mexican Rice, Refried Beans, and all the trimmings. Sounds yummy to me.
As a child growing up in a very German farming household, ethnic meals were limited. My mother was an excellent cook who never repeated meals or relied on leftovers. With five daughters and a hungry husband, there was never anything left anyway. Her mental cookbook held a variety of meals that covered one month’s time and almost all were amazing, (minus the Hot Tuna Casserole With Peas). She never forced us to eat liver, but tried to serve a variety of foods to keep everyone happy, healthy, and trim.
It wasn’t until I was in high school that she learned how to make tacos. Perhaps my Dad asked her to try to make them, having been introduced to them by his employees. I can assure you, she didn’t learn how to make them from her mom. In those days, there were no cooking shows, and besides, she was too busy to watch them if there were. Before the age of the computer, recipes were passed around by word of mouth or on hand written pages. Someone, somewhere showed her a thing or two about making tacos and enchiladas.
Once every ten days, we’d have Mexican Night, which we all learned to love. A hard sell at first, but once we tried them, we were all hooked. Not hooked to the point we would ever venture out to have dinner at a Mexican restaurant. The closest town was a 30 minute drive. Eating out was something a farming family just didn’t do unless someone had died or was in the hospital dying. No. There were no favorite restaurants for farming kids.
About that time, Taco Bell was opening franchises around California. My town, being a farming town between Los Angeles and San Francisco, was always last to get anything great like a new fast food restaurant. My mother’s tacos were the only ones I’d ever eaten.
Visiting my older sister in Sacramento was always enlightening. She knew all the best places to eat and the most outrageous things to do. Already married with two small children under her wing, I think she enjoyed the outings with me as much as I enjoyed going to visit her. I was about 13 when she asked if I would like to try a taco at a place called “Taco Bell”.
What????
A taco from a restaurant???
Not from Mom’s kitchen????
So ethnic.
So risky.
So wrong on every level to a 13 year old who had zero experience eating out at ANY restaurant let alone an ETHNIC one serving TACOS that were not prepared by my MOTHER!!!!
This was just a step too far.
Just what was this sister of mine thinking?????
It took her some pleading and persuading to change my mind on this. At this point, she was hooked on Taco Bell, serving it to her little family many times every month. My little nephew was elated when he learned we might having Taco Bell for dinner. With every bit of bravery I had, I agreed to go and try a bite of their version of a taco. My sister seemed to be correct about many new experiences. I’d need to trust her on this one.
One bit and I was hooked. Mom’s tacos now took a back seat to Taco Bell. The best thing I had eaten in my entire life.
That day is the best example I can come up with to explain the sheltered existence in which I grew up. Surrounded by a miles and miles of vineyards in any direction for as far as the eye could see, there weren’t a lot of opportunities for mayhem or devilment. Just never ending work that changed from season to season. It was easy to get great grades when homework was the most exciting distraction there was. Even the phone was tethered to the wall and well within earshot of a mother preparing to cook, cooking, or cleaning up after cooking. Constance surveillance of the German variety in a 1900’s farm house in the middle of Nowhere-Ville.
One taco in a town far away from the vineyard opened a window to new tastes, experiences, and best of all, TACOS.
I still make my mother’s recipe, although I think mine is better.
German-Girl Tacos
Fry 1 large onions until translucent.
Fry 1 lb. ground beef until well done.
Smother in a secret tomato-y sauce.
Fry corn tortillas until they are the perfect crunch.
Top with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and a little sour cream.
Serve with homemade Mexican Rice and Refried Beans.
The perfect meal to serve to one hungry Mysterious Marine who will join me for dinner this evening.
Whatever you do today, keep in mind Taco Tuesday is a real thing. Do some research in your town and find out where you can get your own piping hot street tacos at a reduced price. Taco Tuesday. It doesn’t get better than that, unless they’re tacos enjoyed with a friend.
More tomorrow.