A Very Puerto Rican Christmas

Crispy pork skin is possibly the closest thing to heaven on earth. Next comes Titi Annie's red rice and beans, and pasteles rounds out the meal. Puerto Ricans know how to eat. I would argue that we have the best food known to man. You can disagree, but I am pretty sure I'm right.

Christmas this year was nearly a flop. My Titi was going to have everyone over on the 19th and no one knew who was going to have everyone over. Then the snow storm happened. No party. Titi decided that she'd do Christmas instead. I was all for this plan since on the 19th I was crying over my ethics final. I guess Titi wasn't up for a ton of cooking on Christmas, so she told my cousin that she was thinking of making a lasagna.

"We are not white people!"

My cousin convinced my Titi that the lasagna was not such a great idea. Instead she made a pork roast, a giant pot of rice, pasteles, and all kinds of yummy dips and foods. Ahhh heavenly! Before you get the wrong idea, my cousin has nothing against white people. We just feel bad for them. I mean can you imagine sitting at Christmas dinner over lasagna and reminiscing over that 3rd grade science project that didn't work out so well, then the awkward silence happens.

*Side Story* We went out to dinner in Philadelphia when my cousin graduated from med school. It was just us girls, and we were laughing and joking. Across from us was another family. Not a one of them were talking. Their food must have been terribly interesting is all I have to say. *End side story*

I grew up in a relatively average size family with a HUMONGOUS extended family. Two rather large extended families actually. With my dad's family there is always good food and I literally laugh so hard that my stomach hurts. Between stories about my cousin who's a surgeon and my Uncle Tony remembering my Abuela throwing a spoon at my Uncle Hector's head. It was metal and actually stuck into the wall; Uncle Hector obviously moved fairly quickly.

My mom's family may eat creamed hot dogs (think hot dogs in a white cream sauce and then throw up a little bit in your mouth), but they are also a rather good time. If creamed hot dogs are on the menu, I just eat before I go.

What constitutes a white person? Well I think vanilla people would be a better definition, because I know a lot of rather exciting white people. (I love you mom!) Food should be something you are in tears laughing over. It shouldn't bring the family together. It should bring the family running to the pile of plates to fill up on food before someone else gets the crispy burnt rice on the bottom of the caldera (rice pot).

Worried you're a vanilla person? Well never fear there is still hope. I think pork is a great way to liven things up. Just bite into the crispy skin and you will smile and remember a great story to send everyone into fits of painful laughter. There's actually a hunk of pork sitting in our fridge right now. I'll send out that recipe and pictures when we make it. Hope you are happily stuffed on holiday goodies. Diets don't start till January 1st so be sure to overindulge.

Happy Eating!!!

Emily