Benito Was a No-Show
As traditional as barbequing on the 4th of July, there is a long-standing south Louisiana tradition of boiling crawfish at Easter. There are more live crawfish sold that day than any other day in the year and a walk through any neighborhood will bring a strong aroma of the highly seasoned crustaceans. Hot boiled crawfish with beer it just doesnt get any better than that.
Consequently, we decided to do Mexican. As in Cinco de Easter.
Few realize that the Monday before Easter was Benito Juarez birthday you know. (At least that is what my desk calendar says.)
Two buddies had told me about this place they discovered that sold killer fajita meat and Id been looking forward to trying it out. Easter seemed like as good an opportunity as any since we were expecting lots of friends and family over. It ended up being about twenty (not including the five dogs and one cat) since some of the kids friends and significant others had their own family obligations.
The meat has to be ordered in person rather than on the phone. Why? Because in this little restaurant/meat market hole in the wall there is no English spoken. ZERO English spoken. All orders are placed by pointing at the item wanted and then displaying a number of fingers for the number of pounds (or orders if off the menu). In other words, the real deal. I ordered the meat, some homemade tortillas, and some white Mexican cheese. It was all fabulous and the marinated, perfectly seasoned, meat was cut paper thin for easy grilling. Fajitas with Spanish rice and refried beans on the side. Chips and salsa and hot con queso dip of course, but also a homemade shrimp dip and four homemade deserts. Quite the resurrection feast indeed.
As the kids and I set up the patio area with portable tables and chairs for the shindig, my daughter made one of her famous astute observations, Dad, you can tell this is one of OUR family gatherings. Really? Hows that? The largest table is for the bar. Hmmmm good point. Needed room for: frozen marguerites, frozen strawberry marguerites, some brand of Mexican Merlot, and beer. Lots of beer: Corona, Tecate, two varieties of Dos Equis, two varieties of Abita (a local brew), Ultra, and my Bud Lite. Gots to have beer with Mexican.
Perhaps not traditional, but certainly tons of fun. We did do the traditional Easter baskets for the kids (who will never be too old for such), filled with their favorite candies. And my sweet little girl thought to bring her Dad his favorite too a package of Chicken PEEPS. Whoo Hooo!! And the special bonus prize she presented as a father/daughter bonding activity was:
Who knew? ArtImp were you aware of this??!!
I would send pics of our completed works of art, but think back on the big table again. Alas, we didnt get to it before she left for home the next day. Ill save em for next year. PEEPS are like styrofoam. They last forever (if you gum them long enough first).
Maybe I’m a peep.
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They are especially good when they are just thismuch stale. Mmm mm! In the interest of being ‘good’, I am amazed happy to report I have had zero peeps this year.
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Mexican food is a tradition for nearly every meal in AZ..so, I can appreciate killer fajita. Strawberry margueritas are a girl drink that make me glad to be a girl. yummmmm. Sounds like a good time. (Though, admittadly, I’d rather have been in NOLA eating spicy crustaecians.
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I’d never heard of Peeps until my Amurrican husband arrived on the scene. I thought he’d lost his mind: We have to have Peeps for Easter he said. I just shook my head and thought he was being cute about wanting eggs!
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D may have had zero peeps, but she had 3 lbs of robin’s eggs. I, on the other hand, had one blue chick and confirmed the fact I find them most gaggy in their fresh state. I can barely stomach them when they’re hard and chewy. Ick. Now a chocolate butter cream egg is a different story entirely.
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OMG … I love Mexican. I sounds divine!!!
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“It”. Typo.
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Sounds like no one missed Benito. Your daughter is a peep pip! Y’all sound like good PEEPle. 😀
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I’ve never heard of a mexican-themed easter celebration, but I can dig it. I could sure go for a strawberry margarita right now. So what if it’s only 10 a.m.?
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they also now have a ‘make your own’ peeps machine. so now you can make them and decorate them. they are much better when they are sticky and you have to lick them off your….uh….fingers.
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Sounds like a great day! I just realized it’s been a year since I was in New Orleans. Wow. Time sure flies. On the other hand, so much has happened in that year! Anyway, thinking of you today.
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Did you end up dancing again? ryn: if you ever do come back to your childhood stomping grounds, let me know. I’ll give you a tour of the old neighborhood.
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suddenly i’m craving crawfish, fajitas and peeps.
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The newspaper in our area ran a recipe for Peeps on Sunday. I decided not to make them, because what would Easter be if you could get Peeps anytime of year?!?
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RYN. I checked. You’re write. Caramel-flavoured.
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I’m thinking of retiring in Mexico and buying a cabana boy (or two). Oh. Guess that’s not the same as having Mexican for Easter. I must do a crawfish some day. Maybe the cabana boy could feed them to me like grapes? Just a thought. LWM 143,
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Damn those peeps! once they see you, your dead! A beber y a tragar, que el mundo se va a acabar!
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Do you think you could send an order of the Fajita meat up this way? DC’s food is quite mediocre and crazy expensive. My ex use to call all the restaurants around here Fern Bars….all catering to wealthy lawyers with delicate palates.
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I love stale peeps. Didn’t know about the decorating kit. I’ll keep up with this stuff next Easter. 😉
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GAH! Too much work! I’d end up stuffing in the marshmallows and squirting the Cake Mate in right on top of them.
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BWAAAAH HA! Er…that would be: stuffing them into my MOUTH. I have done gone and cracked up my own self.
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Non-traditional is usually the best fun…unless it would have involved the lack of chocolate and sugar No,no, no! Love the decorating kit – no I didn’t know!
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ryn: Haph I told you lately how phunny you are? 😀
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ryn: no cheese 9206 White Chimney Lane!
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I find peeps to be very disgusting! lol They are like a combination of rubber and styrofoam actually. I like to try and squish them into paper thin thingies but would never, ever eat them. I’m the same way about hard boiled eggs. I like to squish but not eat. I’m just wierd like that. *Sigh* Oh well. I need a drink.
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That sounds like an Easter celebration I could really get into. Hey, next year, plan a little bit early and do confetti eggs! Yeah! Very festive!
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ryn: and that makes me different from most of today’s rock stars … how?
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RYN – “A beber y a tragar, que el mundo se va a acabar” Eat, drink and be merry (for tomorrow we die) I don’t think that there is a spanish word for “peeps”.
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Peeps are an Easter necessity. I buy them every year, don’t eat a single one, but find them stuck in every concieveable place in my house. There is probably one still stuck in my first husband’s butt crack!
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ryn: I have no problem sending you a pic of me in the sweater. Next time I wear it, I’ll take one. What do I get in return?
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RYN: It wasn’t Mexican food! I had crawfish ettoufee last night!! And it was damn good, too. Reminded me of that place you took me to in New Orleans, where I had that crawfish sampler. Remember that? And do you really want to know more about a bondage scene that culminated in a birth??
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ryn: 3 Platinum cards? what am I going to do with those? Buy more sweaters???
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ryn: hey, if you’re buying, i’m wearing.
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OK, next time I wear it, I’ll get a good pic for you…when I get it, I’ll get an email address from you of where to send it.
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RYN: whomenotmeIdneverdosomethinglikethatnopenoway… (I really didn’t, but it’s certainly fitting.)
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ryn: I think we must inherit our sense of humor from our parents. Your kids will have great, funny memories of you – not to worry.
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I love peeps actually! It’s fun to wait until you are mad and then bite the heads off of them. In a pinch, if no peeps are available, gummy bears will do.
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