* First Dinner Party at Quinta de Luz

Maria arrived at 3:00 pm.  I had asked her to  cook us a typical Mexican mean and keep it a sorpresa (surprise) from all of us.  I washed and prepared the vegetables before she arrived and started a fresh guacamole for an appetizer.

Maria came loaded down with fresh chicken, chocolate and mole.  Oaxaca mole (Sylvia's favorite).  Don't ask me exactly what mole is.  All I know is it involves chocolate and some chile and its very very good.  Rice and sesame seeds also appeared out of her bag.  Maria put me to work shelling peas, while she prepared the chicken for boiling.  I noticed she put salt, some onions and garlic in with the chicken.  Then I was put in charge of cleaning the sesame seeds.  This was new to me.  They all looked the same.  Looked clean to me.  What did I know.  Maria taught me to take out the dark or brown or black seeds.  She was very skilled and seemed to be able to scoop up one little seed at a time at lightening speed I might add.  I lost half a spoon full to the garbage each time I attempted to pick out one bad one.  It was quite hilarious!

Can you tell which dish has been cleaned and which one has not?  Yep, you are getting it!  Hard to tell the difference.  

It was indeed a beautiful typical Mexican meal.  Pollo Mole, served on a bed of lettuce.  Creamy rice with fresh vegetables and blue corn tortillas. Beer.  Delicious.  Maria is a very good cook.  I think we all had second helpings.  I can still hardly move as I put this to post.

Want some?

I enjoyed the entire day immensely.  I needed people fix and this was perfect.  I learned a lot from Maria today about Mexican cooking.  That was fun.  Enjoyed my wonderful company at dinner.  Listening to the laughter and general loud chatter of children playing in the yard was an unexpected pleasure.  Habibi got his people fix as well.  I think he was getting a little bored.  It was lovely to have Sylvia and her family as my first dinner guests.  That in itself sets the tone for the future at Quinta de Luz parties.  

Did I tell you we rented a table and 10 chairs?  They are delivered to my house, after dinner they come and pick them up.  It cost me $8.00.  I couldn't have done it otherwise.  A table and chairs are sort of necessary for dinner parties.  Such a deal!

Everyone drifted off about 8:00 pm.  Thank you all for coming and making it so special.  Hope you come back to Mexico soon J & Z.  I'd love to get to know you both a little better.  Safe trip home.  Oh J ... forgot to say ... muchos gracias por la cerveza!

"Who has but once dined with her friends, has tasted what it is to be Caesar."
Herman Mellville, 'Moby Dick' (1851)

On a  totally different subject.  I have again posted some of my writings.  This time "Thoughts on my Papa's Passing".  Death and dieing.  Interesting subjects.  I may have to expound on that one of these days.  In the meantime, I am adding these old writings to my collection on Fragments of a Woman.  I would be pleased if you are interested, share my writing  HERE.