The countdown has begun.
We are out-of-our-skin-excited because….
We’re taking a ROAD TRIP to Porto’s Bakery in Glendale. woo-hoo!
Amy, Lucy and I are braving the busiest freeway system in So Cal for the most amazing papas rellenas, pork tamales, croquetas de jamon, pastel de pollo, and of course, refugiados. And I haven’t even mentioned the desserts!
It will take us at least an hour to get there. An hour to take it all in. Another hour to get home.
When we return with the spoils we will be lauded and praised and there will be much rejoicing in the land.
"They made a trip all the way to Porto’s for us!" they’ll cry, and commence praising us with great praise. We will glance modestly at our feet and say "it was nothing." And the festivities will reach a frenzied peak as they realize the pasteles are guava AND cream cheese. "Refugiados!" they’ll cheer with a great "Huzzah!"
My mother who must take credit for most of this because she gave birth to all of us will chime in with "que inteligentes son estas muchachitas." Las muchachitas will take the glory bestowed along with an extra papa rellena.
What a beautiful moment. The anticipation is excruciating.
Is it worth it? you ask. If you have to ask, you don’t understand Cuban food.
It is SOOO worth it!
Feliz Navidad!
As a child, my older cousins were the ones making the trip and bringing back the spoils and I was part of the crowd cheering. I feel like I have officially arrived now that I am the one who has been chosen to make the trip and I will be the one cooking the arroz con pollo on Christmas Day. “Welcome to Cuban-Adulthood Amy!” A different kind of “life on the hyphen.”YAAAAAYYYYY, I CAN’T WAIT!!
WOOOOOHOOOOO!! PORTO’S!!! REFUGIADOS!! FELIZ NAVIDAD!