On top of that, we made picadas, I say we because I rolled the little balls and I pressed them! Picadas are like little sopes and Gaby and Zarela made a delicious green tomatillo and avocado salsa that they placed on top of the picadita with sour cream and oaxacan cheese. They were so delicious! I ate like 3 of them while everyone else only had one. :)
It was a night full of great conversation, amazing food, and dancing and singing. Zarela is actually from Agua Prieta, Sonora, which is where Armando's dad is from, so we wonder if their families knew each other. She's so gracious and hilarious, and told jokes all night! She told us about her professional career, her personal life, and her determination to beat Parkinson's Disease. Her house is a beautiful 4-story brown stone in midtown Manhattan and is full of Mexican and Latin American art, retablos, and talavera. Oh the talavera was incredible. It was gorgeous and I realized that at some point, that's what I want my kitchen to look like. She also collects cloth napkins from every city and state she visits in Mexico, which means that I will do that now too! I already collect rebozos from the states that I visit, but now, I will start collecting napkins as well. Her house is incredible and the night couldn't have been better. Everything was so delicious and I felt honored to have shared in this experience with Gaby, Alex and Zarela.
I also must say that I especially enjoyed watching my husband dance with Zarela! They danced merengue, salsa, and banda! I loved it! I think that's when I appreciate him the most because he's such a kind and fun-loving person and I could tell that Zarela was really happy to have danced part of the night away. :) It was truly one of the best nights of my life, and now I need to go buy her cook books because her food was beyond delicious and all the recipes came from her books!
