Mother Love

May 8, 2011 By 12 Comments
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Mother's Day did not originate as a bonanza for florists and restaurants. It is a little known fact that it began as a Proclamation by the social activist Julia Ward Howe in 1870 after she lived through the atrocities of the Civil War as a wife and mother. She believed that mothers ultimately bring to bear a sense of responsibility regarding the destruction that war brings upon society: Arise, then, women of this day!
 Arise, all women who have hearts, Whether our baptism be of water or of tears! We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies, Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gilda V. Carbonaro, Musings Tagged With: , ,

La Gritona

May 5, 2011 By 4 Comments
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If this Cinco de Mayo you find yourself in need of a reminder about why to celebrate this festive holiday, read my article entitled The Power of Cinco de Mayo on DailyGrito.com, a new site dedicated to Latinos in politics and the media.  After you've read and are duly inspired (I hope), consider sipping this gorgeous and refreshing margarita we've named "La Gritona" and dedicated to the Latino powerhouse that is the DailyGrito.com team. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beverages/Bebidas, Gilda (Dini) Karasik

Tacho’s Ceviche

May 1, 2011 By 10 Comments
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The summer of 1969 my best friend, Susan, and I decided to take a vacation to what was at that time a remote part of Mexico: Isla Mujeres, off the Yucatan peninsula. We had already experienced life away from home that year as college students in Houston. Working as waitresses to help defray our college expenses, we had heard about the island from other students who worked with us. So, on a shoestring budget, we embarked on our trip. Starting out in our hometown, Laredo, we set off on trains and buses, stopping in Monterrey, Mexico City and Merida.  We finally made it to Puerto Juarez where we took a ferry to Isla Mujeres. We were two 19-year-olds, mesmerized as we arrived by the sight of white, powdery sand, crystalline water and the smell of the sea. We played like children along the water's edge with a kaleidoscope of fish that surrounded us. Walking along the beach one day, an old … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Appetizers/Aperitivos, Fish/Pescado, Gilda V. Carbonaro, Musings Tagged With: , ,

Egg Ensalada Remix

April 24, 2011 By 5 Comments
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As a lover of jalapeños and in possession of a surplus of hard-boiled eggs, I set out today to make this Jalapeño Egg Salad recipe by Lisa over at Homesick Texan.  But not before The Saint and I spent the morning coloring Easter eggs and making a few cascarones with the kids. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Gilda (Dini) Karasik, Musings, Salads/Ensaladas Tagged With: , , , ,

Merienda Alarm Clock

April 17, 2011 By 9 Comments
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In the hard drive of the brain are buried the myriad experiences of a lifetime, irrepressible memories ready to spring like a jack-in-the box, surprising us with their unpredictability. For example, around 3:30 on any afternoon at school when I'm not buried in work, when there is an unexpected lag in the usual mad teaching schedule, when the door of my classroom is closed and the rest of the world is on the other side, there is an alarm clock that goes off somewhere in my mind. Suddenly my memories turn to the routine (and the glories) of the merienda hour of my childhood. A chilly, rainy afternoon like today reminds me of how by this time, my mother would have had the table set with hot cinnamon tea or a glass of milk and a plate of hojarascas, semita, campechanas (her favorites) and conchas for her three daughters. Sometimes we were joined by aunts from across the river or señoras … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Desserts/Postres, Gilda V. Carbonaro, Musings Tagged With: , , , , ,