Had it with the Food Channel...

[Daisy and Delilah]

Sounds delicious!!! Thanks!

[RICHARD]

D&D,

I just noticed that you live in FL!

There should be some Mex stores down there!

Now, If you are really daring? Grab a small jar of cactus and you can have a Mex breakfast like I was used to.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Richard,

We have alot of Mexican stores here. I have to say I've never ventured into one yet.
There was one at the end of my street on the main drag. They closed after a month. I was bummed because I wanted to go there.

The Mexican people aren't really heavily populated in my town but very heavy, north of me. Many of them are fern cutters in Pierson, the Fern Capital Of The World. I kid you not. That's what they call the town.
Alot of them are brought in by the wealthy growers to work the fields. It's a fascinating story.

I was lucky to have lots of Mexican kids come into the library where I worked. They were so appreciative and delighted to be there. Polite and kind as they could possibly be.

My sister is a school teacher. Her classes, for the last 5 years, were 60% Mexican kids. That school was about 30 miles north of me. It unfortunately closed last year along with 7 other small schools. My sister was so fortunate to have homemade Mexican food every day. In the cafeteria, and, delicious food brought in by her students Moms. She was in heaven.

I need to get in the car and drive up north and hit one of the stores. I'll let you know when I do. I've heard about the cactus and I've seen it in stores. It's another thing I have no idea how to cook.
What can you do with cactus?

[RICHARD]

I've heard about the cactus and I've seen it in stores. It's another thing I have no idea how to cook.
What can you do with cactus?

You don't have to cook the cactus-you can get it canned!

Nopales! They are just like string beans. You can buy them raw and cook them, but you have to de-spine them, chop and then boil.

They make a 'slime' that some people find offensive, just rinse and heat.

Breakfast?

Chorizo, egg, some nopales?

Or you can buy a canned enchilada sauce-has to be red- toss some nopales in and heat it up! serve as a side veggie.

Scrambled eggs and nopales, with some salsa in a flour tortilla? Lunch?

By themselves!

Buy a small jar to get the taste -sabor (sah bore)- and go from there!

Oh and invite your sister over and cook for her!

[smokey the elder]

I have one of Rick Bayless' cookbooks, Mexico, One Plate at a Time. There are some yummers recipes in there. We do Mexican a lot now!

[Daisy and Delilah]

I'm intrigued by the "slime". Is that a big turnoff? Are we talking slime like okra? That doesn't bother me. Cactus is a succulent so I guess it would pretty much reduce to a slimy substance. Hmmmm...... This is so interesting.

[RICHARD]

I'm intrigued by the "slime". Is that a big turnoff? Are we talking slime like okra? That doesn't bother me. Cactus is a succulent so I guess it would pretty much reduce to a slimy substance. Hmmmm...... This is so interesting.

Yes, Slime like OPRAH!
DUDE, you are on your way!
When you go to the store take a pencil and write down what you see and let me know.....I'll try to figure it out!


STE.

LOL, that's another 'man crush' I have. Getting paid to eat Mex?

Get outta here!

We have to have a MEX recipe week! Do you find it hard to get ingredients where you live?

Anthony Munoz, a lineman for the football Bengals found that there were no places to get good tortillas in the midwest when he was playing there. He opened up a mex food place and made money on it, that was years ago!