¿Quieres Comer Conmigo?

Yesterday as I was driving home from work I started thinking about how it has been a very long time since I have seen my first boyfriend. Or had dinner with his family. One of the best bonuses of dating a Puerto Rican is the food. Yumm to arroz con habichuelas, bistec encebollao, tostones, pernil, and of course anything con pollo.

I thought it might be a good idea to try cooking something. I mean, it couldn't go worse than my first attempt (when I was fifteen I made bistec for him and I misunderstood the whole season to taste thing - so I coated the beef with vinegar and adobo as if it were chicken I was dipping in egg yolks and bread crumbs. He graciously ate it, though it tasted like schmoo), right?

I didn't realize that bistec (my all-time favorite meal) should marinade for a couple days, so I decided to try the rice and kidney beans with pork chops instead. And I have to say, I am pretty damn impressed with myself. No burned rice, no overseasoned meat. It was pretty friggin good. And gluten-free! So the roommates who were home quite enjoyed it. OK, OK, I'm doing a little back-patting about it, but it's hard not to be proud. Sure, it didn't taste quite as good as his mom's always did, but I'm a second-time gringa. All things considered, how could I not be so enthused?

I'd already bought the ingredients for bistec, so as I write the beef is marinating with onions, vinegar, oil, garlic, adobo, and of course Sazon Azafran. It smells delicious every time I open the fridge.

Now I can't wait until tomorrow.