Menudo Peludo

Since I have been off from school for the holidays I have been back in the kitchen. Not to mention my kitchen is finally done being under construction (that's a whole other blog). I didn't do much Christmas shopping this year because as of  lately I have not had any patience for traffic, lines and crowds. My time off is too precious to be all up in that mix. With that said I got around to making some holiday favorites and truly holiday traditions. My honey is from Puerto Rico and he loves pernil. Since he was spending a day golfing I decided to marinate a big fat pernil. You have to understand that he comes from a family of great cooks. So when I create any Puerto Rican dish I have to get it right. My honey loves my food but he will not hesitate to let me know if it does not meet his expectations. After a night of marinating and with a morning of baking which filled my house with a delightful aroma...I created a fabulous dish. I got the stamp of approval from Lou. He liked it so much he ate it 3 days straight.  I must say that I will not crave pernil for awhile. The best thing about learning to make these dishes is making it your own and keeping it  a part of your family tradition.

For Christmas my parents came to town and I had our traditional Tex Mex Christmas plate which consist of tamales (From Tellez/San Antonio's #1) and my homemade beans and rice which really was a hit. Everyone seemed to love the beans so much that they were eating it alone after awhile. By the way I have no urge to ever make tamales from scratch. I will leave that to Tellez.

Now that New Years is a few days away I have attempted to make Menudo today. Menudo is a tradition in my family. My Mom and Dad make it every year around New Years. It is such a big deal and it seems like a lot of work. Since my parents both work and live out of town I thought I may take this off their hands this year. I of course optioned to buy the pre cut meat to save me time. I hope it is as good as it taste and looks. I have the onions diced, lemons sliced and the tortillas warmed. I'm waiting for the hubs to get home from the country land so he can be my taste tester. I am sure he will enjoy a bowl after being out in the cold weather. However, My first and official stamp of approval will be my brother, besides my parents. He has already called me this morning to check on the status of the Menudo. Wish me luck!