Cooking Class de Dona Bertha

Last night was my most favorite night thus far in Honduras! I have been joking with my host family since I got here about wanting to take cooking classes from my host grandmother. When I got home last night the grandmother was yelling at the grandkids to clean the kitchen and living room. I thought it was strange since she has never made a fuss about them cleaning before... After about 15 minutes of the grandkids diligently cleaning the house she then yelled for me to come in the kitchen. I ran in and she said it was going to be my first cooking lesson and I was going to learn how to make baleadas. This is all in Spanish of course because Dona Bertha doesn't speak a lick of English. She had me make refried beans, fried eggs with butter and salt, and the handmade corn tortillas. It was a blast! The two little grandkids were jealous I was cooking in the kitchen with their grandmother so she gave them some dough to make their own tortillas. The grandmother wasn't helping me either. She was just yelling orders at me in Spanish while I ran around making sure the tortillas didn't burn, the eggs didn't burn and the beans as well. Also, today Dona Bertha told me that she cooks for her neighbors, a family of 10, everyday for lunch as a side job. Also a young man that works across the street pays to come over to eat lunch everyday. She is a really great cook and only 58 years old with 5 kids and 3 grandkids.

I now know how to make an authentic Honduran cuisine. It was really a great time. After cooking everyone ate at the same time complimenting me on my tortillas. Usually I always eat alone while the family sits around and then they eat once I have left the room. So this was much more enjoyable for me! The kids were playing with different ring tones on one of the cell phones and the Soldier Boy song came on and I got all excited... They were all looking at me funny so I got up and tried to teach the kids how to do the soldier boy dance. I failed miserably but the family had a great time laughing at me. Linda, the little girls would have loved having Curtis here to teach them the dance!

I hope all is well. Yes Greg now I will be able to cook baleadas for you when I get home.