The Return, Tradition, and Family

 I know, I know... 

It's been a while. Tony went back to work in May (I think) I went back into the office full-time in June and then it was the regular school year. I was back to being busy and exhausted, so this took a back seat. I am hoping that I get to pick this back up on a semi-regular basis. We will see how it goes...

Sunday Morning

This morning, I started my morning with a cup of Blue Mountain Espresso and sat up in my bed to watch an episode of Netflix's Chef's Table BBQ. The Chef's Table series is one that makes me emotional, which I am sure it is meant to do. I knew this morning I would be making breakfast (well, brunch really) and I knew it would be my breakfast potatoes, so while I made my cup of coffee, I put a frozen package of bacon in cold water to defrost. This series, it tells the stories that I want Tony to have, the experiences, the exploration, the feeling of purpose when you find your passion. He loves food and he loves working in the food industry and I don't want his experience to be cold and corporate. 

So after the episode, I take myself over to the kitchen and I start to prep breakfast. I have to say, I love having my family in the kitchen with me. Seriously, there is no greater feeling than teaching Aidan how to slice or telling him the stories about food and family in the kitchen. I love having Tony right there next to me, bouncing ideas off of each other, or teaching him the proper technique for this or that, or even explaining to him why some steps are the way they are. And as much as I say I hate cooking or baking with Wes because he is slow and deliberate in the kitchen, I take so much pleasure in watching him figure things out, getting excited when he does something he never thought he could, and then laughing (while rolling my eyes) every time he finishes one part and HAS to stop and clean up and rearrange everything he has done and has to do. I love you, babe, but if we ever DO open a restaurant, you are forbidden from the kitchen.

This morning, I am on my own, which on a Sunday morning, I am ok with. The kids are still asleep, Wes is working on the computer and I am left to my thoughts and memories in the kitchen. As I said earlier, I love having them in the kitchen, but those moments when I am by myself making things I have learned from those I have loved most in this life, it is special. I begin doing the grunt work, dicing onions, smashing and chopping garlic, peeling and slicing potatoes and as I get into each of those tasks, memories come to mind. 

Papas has always been my favorite at-home breakfast. It is what my parents made all the time. Now, those of you who really know me, know I do not eat eggs...ya...I know. So my parents would make papas con huevos and there would always be a little scoopful of papas off to the side for me. My cousin who lived next door to us, she would always make me her version of papas. The last time I made these, Aidan was with me, helping me prep (this was only a couple of weeks ago) and I was telling him stories of papas. 

You always knew who made the papas that day...

MOM: Mom was always very practical in how she cooked. There were no professional techniques, she cooked with expediency and practicality in mind. It was not about turning out a beautiful plate of food, it was about getting you fed early and quickly so we can move on with the day's requirements. Her papas were half-moon slices, like mine, but thin, oh so thin. Her purpose was to cook quickly and usually, on the healthier side. There was a "chorrito" of vegetable oil in the pan, when it was hot, you put in the potatoes, salt, and pepper, toss them so they all got coated in the oil and cover to cook for however long it took for them to be soft.

DAD: Dad had the same things in mind when cooking, expediency and practicality, but he was dad and always had to be different. Dad diced his potatoes, these perfect little square dices. You would almost swear they were from those frozen bags of hash browns (by the way, do not get me started on those, hash browns are grated not diced) except that I watched him. I watched him take that big russet potato and dice it quickly and perfectly. He taught me that dicing it left this mass to the potato that was fluffy on the inside. He always said, high heat to fry the potatoes, then lower the heat and cover the pan to steam them inside. This. This has been with me every day. Dad knew I didn't like eggs and being the manly man that he was insisted he always needed meat with his papas so his go-to was breakfast sausage, and honestly, I think it was his go-to because I loved it. I remember one tennis tournament where I asked him the night before to make these tacos for the team. Did he do it you ask? Hell yes, he did. Was he ever going to tell anyone of his kids no when it came to a request like this? Absolutely not. He and I were very similar in one specific way, but I didn't realize it until much later in life, and that's a story for another day.

and then there was...

VALENTINA: My next-door cousin. She was my dad's first cousin, the mother to my third cousin who was an only child and was really more like my big sister (more about Yvette another day). Vale (pronounced Va-leh) had the potatoes I most craved. I mean, I'll basically eat any potatoes, but Vale's, man oh man. She cooked hers in bacon and bacon grease. She added onion, my dad hated onion so I only got them in hers, and the bacon was tossed throughout the papas. Like I said, hers were the ones I craved.

So making my own version of breakfast papas took lessons from everyone. I slice half-moons, but 1/2 inch thick, I dice 1/3 of a sweet yellow onion finely, I chop 3-4 cloves of garlic, and I cut my bacon into lardons (1/2 inch slices). I cook my bacon on medium heat to get them cooked mostly through and I wait until they are mostly done. Then, I add the onion and garlic and let the onion fry and garlic bloom. Onion has a lot of water so remember that when adding it to the bacon and grease, be careful. And then the potatoes, lay them on top of the bacon, onion, and garlic. Season with salt, pepper (I use fresh cracked), and paprika, then toss together to get the grease distributed. Raise the heat up just a bit and let fry for a few minutes, then lower the heat and cover to steam for about 10-15 minutes. Toss, raise the heat to refry for a couple of minutes while you warm your tortillas. Serve them the way you want them, con huevos, salsa picante, shredded cheese, or...ketchup.