Seis de Mayo dinner

Thanks to the non-festive mood set yesterday (rain, the hysteria of swine flu, and a scary amount of laundry), the official Cinco de Mayo holiday was postponed in my kitchen, until tonight, the Seis. I had my mind set on some concoction I dreamed up. Chorizo and potato soft tacos inspired by a recipe for fried quesadillas with the same filling my cookbook called for (incidentally, this book, never fails me: http://www.amazon.com/Mexico-Beautiful-Cookbook-Susanna-Palazuelos/dp/0067575862/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241671068&sr=8-1). I didn't feel like doing any frying and besides, it seemed like it wouldn't be worth the trouble unless I had the homemade masa tortillas pictured in the book. Actually, it tasted delish...and I'm positive it was a lot better than you're imagining. I added cilantro, for color, and well, because I think everything tastes better with cilantro. (It's becoming an addiction). Anyways, after filling a few soft tacos with chorizo-potato mash, I realized it was missing something... Always on the lookout for new combinations of sweet-n-salty, I dug out a neglected bottle of Trader Joe's peach salsa, and lo and behold, I had a very exciting impromptu creation.

In the midst of my post-dinner-success happy dance, I did stop to wonder if this meal was going against my goal to eat locally, when possible. I started thinking about the elements of the dish. I remembered that I read that local tortillerias exist in Brooklyn: http://www.ediblebrooklyn.net/magazine/index.php/spring-2009/indigenous-industry-spring-09.htm, but I wasn't sure how I would get local tortillas, short of visiting the source. Well, was I wrong. I took a look at my tortilla package... it was labeled Tortilleria Plaza Piaxtla. Wait a minute, hadn't I heard of that name somewhere? I double-checked, and it turns out that Piaxtla is one of the three manufacturing plants mentioned in the article. I could hardly believe it, mainly because I didn't purchase this product from a specialty store, but my local Key Food!! The local antithesis of Whole Foods. This is sort of a revelation for me. This local chain grocery, often reserved for "regular joe" neighborhoods, a one-time waste-land of anything local, organic or artisan, was suddently a grocery that carried food I'd only expect to find at fancier, yuppy-centric, food markets. It took me awhile to realize I'd been buying local tortillas, all along, but then again, Cinco de Mayo arrived late this year as well.

Dinner - Some roasted peppers in olive oil and salt and pepper I made for lunch tomorrow; Chorizo-potato tacos with peach salsa.

Moral of the Story - supporting small local food purveyors does not have to be something only those with extra money to spend at the grocery can partake in.