Tonight is a treat. It may be late for dinner, but I am certainly not complaining. I just got home from coaching a soccer game and I am sitting at the kitchen counter, blogging, while my brother and his friend are frying tortillas and my family is eating homemade chocolate. Our chef this evening is from Mexico, and so our dinner is blessed with an international flair.
Our appetizer tonight is the homemade chocolate I referred to earlier. Our guest/chef/friend is Ruth, and she is visiting us from Mexico. She made the chocolate with her mother at home and brought it to share at our table. This is an extra special experience because cacao beans are native to Mexico. In addition, she is currently hand-making and pressing tortillas from scratch for tacos tonight. I love tacos and I cannot wait!
This experience reminds me of how incredible of a cultural experience food can provide. It is a way that we are able to share our home and culture with others. Food allows us to smell, taste, see and touch a different culture such that in my Pacific Northwest kitchen, I can be transported to Mexico for an evening.
I am thankful that Ruth wants to cook for us, share her culture with us, and gather around the table with us.
~Lana Lile
