echando a perder se aprende

through conversation with a variety of people, it is decidedly so that i am not mexican [we all knew that], but neither am i entirely gringa. therefore i am a hybrid of the two, making me mexi-gringa.

this mexi-gringa likes to think she can cook mexican food. and people, let me tell you that cooking mexican food [cooking it the long, hard way that Tomasita cooks it] is QUITE the undertaking.

I wish I'd taken pictures to be able to add to this post, but alas, my words will have to suffice.

I tried my hand at making flautas last week and I still wonder what Tomasa would have said if she had tasted them. I thought they were decent. A little burnt, but decent. Apparently they are never [ever] made with ground beef, or ground turkey [which is what i used], but with pulled chicken. They are also supposed to be cooked to a golden color [flautas are also known as tacos dorados aka golden tacos], and mine turned out more brownish than golden. No matter the color, I still maintain that for a first try flying solo, I did ok. [but i'm not Tomasa]

Then there's the beans... well they're a different story. You'd think that after a year of eating beans and rice I'd know how to cook me some beans. Apparently not. They were extremely salty. Extremely salty. Turns out you're not supposed to put knorr suiza [aka chicken stock] in the water when you cook beans. It's only a little salt, half an onion, and a little oil. Somehow, I left Mexico thinking that no Mexican dish is complete without knorr suiza. ::Sorry T-girl. I messed this one up big-time.::

With these culinary failures under my belt, I think I've proven that I am much more gringa than mexican. Perhaps it's a 85-15 breakdown. oh well. But even with salty beans, I still have hope because my favorite line Tomasa used on me regularly was "echando a perder se aprende" [you learn by/through ruining things] -- similar to our "practice makes perfect" line, but sounds much more fun in español.