I work for a community college as a student recruiter. Lately my days have been spent driving down winding rural roads out to the far ends of our district giving presentations to students and parents while trying to hawk my goods: education. If I were a salesperson, this product would be the easiest sell, but…
Category: Snacks
Mexican Pesto and Chia Bruschetta
There are few dishes that I’ve really missed while living in Mexico. The food here is diverse, fresh, and always surprising (quite contrary to the blasphemous Mexican food typically found in the States). But sometimes a girl needs her old favorites. For one, I’d give my left arm for a fat pita stuffed with crispy…
Super Smoothie Starter
Ever get the shakes? You know, the I-haven’t-eaten-anything-in-five-hours-yet-I’ve-downed-five-cups-of-coffee shakes? The hastened speech, the lack of concentration, the irrational anger and irritability? Yeah, the hunger shakes. They hit hard this last month while working at the hostel. After prepping, cooking, and serving 30 hung over and happy hostel guests, I look up at the clock…
Plantain Chips with Mango Salsa and Roasted Garlic Guacamole
In Spanish they’re called the “plátano macho.” In English: plantain. The literal translation from Spanish to English is pretty spot on: macho banana. A big, manly banana with bravado. The King Kong of the starchy, golden fruits. They’re also macho intimidating. As big, starchy, and cumbersome as they are, I’ve really never done anything with…
Grilled Corn with Creamy Coconut Sauce
Her stand is smack dab between the lady selling “gorditas de nata” (small sweet puffy pancakes) and the guy who hawks all the pirated European house music cds. My elote (corn) lady sets up at Parque Revolución everyday at 5:30pm and doesn’t leave until 11:00 or until the rains chase her away. Her daughter is always there…
Chocolate Amaranth Cereal with Cinnamon Soy Milk
Who doesn’t love cereal and milk in the morning?. But the problem with a lot of brands is that they’re often hiding white sugar and vegetable oil within. Those are two things I don’t want in my morning routine. What do I want? I want crunchy, crispy, chewy, grainy, slightly sweet, and filling. …
Roasted Tomato Salsa
Prepackaged salsas used to have a hold on me. My favorite, Mrs. Renfro’s, knew just what I needed in a good salsa: a subtly roasted flavor, slightly chunky texture, a teeny bit of spice. She dominated my shelves for years with her perky little label and her chubby glass jar. She kept a firm hold…
Baked Sweet Potato Fries Two Ways
I nearly got on my knees and wept. Perched there on the grocery store shelf amidst all the other vegetables, they beckoned me from across the produce section. They were so beautiful and vibrant! I think I actually galloped over to them… I hadn’t seen sweet potatoes since arriving in Guadalajara 4 months ago, and…