826chi guest post series: meat tostadas

bean and chicken tostadas from stef noble's photostream.

this is it. the last post from the 826 kids before i jump behind the bar and make a fool of myself tomorrow night—which, having mardi gras like i will, should make up for the embarrassment, yeah?

pablo closes the series out with thoughts on meat tostadas. it's been great to see the culture that comes through these pieces, even in foods as simple as rice and beans or ceviche. it shows the importance of cooking at home, and how easily these stories and recipes and memories are passed from one generation to the next. "they are special," pablo says, "because we can all be part of this tradition, too."

thanks for following along with the kids, and here's hoping i see you tomorrow night. who knows, i might even be in an extra good mood and buy everyone a round... no promises.

Meat Tostadas
Pablo C. 

It’s almost dinner time and I am hungry. I smell the yummy smell of the meat tostadas. It makes me feel warm. It makes the kitchen smell good but different. It makes me feel happy in a strange way. 

What’s in these tostadas is the sweet avocado, lettuce, and tomato. It has cheese (chihuahua) also. How I help prepare it is I put the tomato, cheese (chihuaha), and avocado, and then serve it. This food tastes like a meat bowl. 

This food is special to me because it’s a carried tradition from my family. This food came from my great grandma, who made this food every Sunday to honor the church’s time for us. My mom still makes it every Sunday, but still makes it on weekdays because it’s good. I help my mom make this food because I want to help her and be part of the tradition. They are special because we can all be part of this tradition, too. 

This food describes me by telling that I am traditional and it reminds me of my ancestors. This food is something I will never forget and I will try to keep it in my family for my whole life long, and show it to my kids to stay in tradition forever so they can learn how food can also be part of our traditions.