Cinco De Coronation

Ten years ago, I was still living on East 94th Street, Obama was still president, and Ed and I were still dating transatlantically. Back and forth we flew. Edinburgh to NYC. NYC to Edinburgh. Exhausted, running low on vacation/sick days, running even lower on money, but very much in love. And very much determined to make the most of each of our long weekends together. 🌎 💕 ✈️

Cinco de Mayo 2013. Ed flew to me. We went to a Yankees game with Ciaran and Rachel. We had kungpao pastrami and margaritas at @eatatmission . We popped over to Becky’s house. And I cooked. My first ever meal for Ed. Mexican food. Duck tacos with habanero cream sauce. Salsa verde. Refried black beans. Probably something else? I don’t remember. I just know I was so nervous about cooking for Ed that I did an entire dry-run the week prior— Ben and Kira came over for that, and I sliced my finger open on a can of black beans. I do remember that. And the look of horror on Ben’s face when he walked into my little blood-splattered galley kitchen.
🩸 🦆 ⚾️ 🇺🇸 🌮

I made Mexican food this weekend too. A Cinco de Coronation party, if you will. I pulled out my trusty “Tacos, Tortas and More” @fondanyc (source of the OG Mexican meal for Ed a decade ago and my forever and always go-to for Mexican basics) and made lamb barbacoa and cochinita pibil and mushroom tacos and refried beans. I made the same pico de gallo and guacamole I’ve been making since 2003 on St. Mark’s Place. I did some green rice a la @mexicoinmykitchen . I put together a makeshift elotes salad with feta subbed in for impossible-to-find-in-the-UK cojita. And I made my first mole— an insanely delicious one from @gabrielacamara ‘s “My Mexico City Kitchen”— and, let me tell you, cinco de coronation chicken mole beats “coronation chicken” any and every day, and I’m certain it was also more delicious than that quiche. Too bad I forgot the Coronas, though. Major missed opportunity there. Sigh. 👑 🇲🇽 🌮 🐓 👑 🇬🇧

Two May bank holidays down, one to go….