Texas meets Toulouse

I have never cooked texmex before. I guess technically what I attempted for one of my adopted French families Tuesday night was mexican. I'm not entirely sure what it was... but I know that it turned out surprisingly well for my first foray into western food !

In the tiny five ft. by five ft. "U" shaped kitchen, lacking many of the American utensils and appliances that I was used to, I managed to prepare an enchilada casserole, quesadillas, and fresh guacamole that I was proud of. I'm skipping over the preparation part because it was sheer madness trying to fix the three at once with only one cutting board, one skillet, and a teeny tiny oven the size of a microwave. Adding to the craziness was a lack of counter space or preparation space. About one foot on the table was free and about a foot on the counter. I never thought non-cooking me would care about kitchen space, but this french enchilada experience taught me that a tiny kitchen is a hindrance. It amazes me (and annoys me) that the French, renowned for their cuisine, stick with teeny tiny kitchens.

Anyhow, luck was with me Tuesday evening, and the end result was delicious. The guacamole needed more spice (jalepenos would have been perfect), the quesadillas needed more cheese, but the enchilada casserole (complete with red enchilada sauce from TX and sharp cheddar cheese) was perfect ! My french student, his girl friend, my adopted French mother, and the father all chowed down on their foreign food with moans of 'happy tummy' pleasure and many compliments to me.

They tried unsuccessfully, but with much humor derived on my part, to memorize the names of the dishes. The poor little girl was gulping water throughout the meal because the food was so 'spicy'. (In truth it was no spicier than something from Taco Bell, which as an American knows, isn't spicy at all) I felt slightly bad for her when she decided on a second helping. I think she liked it though, despite the spice, and the guacamole helped tone it down for her. The father bravely tried the store bought, Ole el Paso brand salsa. He couldn't handle the heat, instead choosing the guacamole to dip his quesadillas into. Everyone cleaned their plates (even their second helpings) !!! I couldn't have had a prouder moment here I think... good times indeed!

~Tam *texmex chef in residence* in Toulouse