CALIFORNIA CHRISTMAS

When we toured the Arboretum in Fullerton I pointed out the prickly pear cactus to our Finnish friends and explained that people eat them and they are said to be quite tasty. Our friends were eager to try cactus, Nopalitos, but we haven’t found them on the menu at any Mexican restaurants we’ve visited so I’ve decided to cook them on Sunday. I watched a You Tube video, then printed out a recipe from the internet, so I’m good to go. Today I went to the local Northgate Market to buy the cactus paddles. I hope it isn’t too difficult to get the stickers off. That should be an adventure. The woman on You Tube made it look easy. We’ll see.

     This got me thinking about how much my Christmas meals have changed over the years. I grew up in Iowa on farm food. Christmas dinner was always ham, scalloped potatoes and corn, homemade rolls, maybe something green, cranberries, then lots of yummy pies. We moved to California and the tradition continued for as long as my mom and dad lived in Southern California. When they moved, so did my Christmas meals.

     My husband Rex’s mom was from Costa Rica and his dad from Michigan. Their Christmas meals were a combination of both. Mom made Costa Rican tamales every year. I grew to love them. They are different from Mexican tamales and are not spicy. The corn meal is whiter and softened with the addition of mashed potatoes. The meat and vegetables are placed on top of the corn meal and it’s all wrapped with banana leaves. I made them a couple of years, again going to Northgate Market for the supplies. I thought they were pretty good but the truth came out. No one really liked Costa Rican tamales as much as Mexican tamales. So now I just order Mexican tamales from one of the local markets.

     I’m having a birthday dinner here Sunday. What are we eating? Tacos, refried beans, rice, chips and salsa and of course guacamole. Christmas Eve we’re going to brother Bill’s house. Tacos again. Then Christmas breakfast we’re having tamales and chili rellenos.

     So, that’s the Christmas tradition now at the Pratt household. No more farm food. We have that on Thanksgiving.  

I would be perfectly happy eating Mexican food every day of the week. I do look forward to my California Christmas breakfast every year. Cheers!