The Girls of Cuernavaca
After half a century of sharing joy, sadness and even the death of loved ones, my mother’s friends have a bond with each other as strong as if they were united by blood. Their friendship and love for each other have endured and flourished through an idea that was hatched at a special gathering they christened the Tanda.
The Tanda began as a simple enough idea. In the early 1940s, my parents moved from Mexico City to Cuernavaca, 40 miles south of the capital. At the same time, several couples their age, all newlyweds, also moved to the town.
Cuernavaca was becoming a haven for young people starting their “careers” and family lives. Most of the men were professionals--doctors, lawyers, engineers and businessmen. All the women were homemakers. Because most of the couples were strangers to the town, friendships were easy to start.
The young women would find each other at their children’s schools and at social gatherings at the Rotary Club and the Lion’s Club. They would meet as volunteers for the Red Cross or on the tennis courts, meticulously cared for by Dona Maria and her husband, or at the majestic greens of the old Club de Golf de Cuernavaca. Finally, the group of women decided to organize a gathering for all the couples at someone’s home.
Twenty-something years later, when fate had made many women widows or when marriages foundered, what had become a weekly party for a group of half a dozen couples became the fortnightly Tanda for 15 women.
In Spanish, “tanda” means to alternate or take turns. And turns still they take today, 50 years after they first got together, alternating homes for the party.
Traditional tandas are used throughout Mexico to save money in a peculiar way. Each guest invests a set number of pesos to a fund that will be disbursed in a lump sum to one person. At year’s end in this Tanda, however, all the funds go to a charity that benefits the Trinity Convent and Hospice for abused girls in Cuernavaca.
Tandas are also a time for each woman to show off her cooking skills and impress the other women with the marvelous recipes she has conjured up.
The most popular recipes are appetizers because “the girls,” as they call themselves, prefer lighter meals in the semitropical climate of Cuernavaca. Most of them like their appetizers with tequila, accompanied by a dash of lemon juice and salt.
Some of the women in the Tanda left Cuernavaca over the years. But they have returned, and today the group is intact with all the original members.
There are a few rules that Tanda members must follow. Initiation into the group, for instance, is extremely difficult. Only a few new women have made it in and that was many years ago. Members are allowed to bring the occasional guest--perhaps a relative who is visiting from out of town--but if that guest tries to work her way into the group permanently, she is discreetly told to please stay away the next time.
A designated member, one of the founders, makes sure these wannabes are not allowed into the group. She is fond of saying, “We like to guard our privacy and keep our secrets amongst ourselves.” My stepfather calls the group “the Untouchables.”
Tanda meetings are notoriously long. They last for hours without any of the women ever showing any signs of fatigue or hurry. Their enthusiasm for life is inexhaustible. Even today, “the girls”--now in their 60s, 70s and 80s--sit for hours telling jokes, exchanging stories about their grandchildren and great-grandchildren as the tequila flows, along with the food and music. Husbands are usually invited to join in only at the end of the Tanda--after all the gossip has been spilled.
To celebrate an anniversary of the Tanda, however, or on a few such special dates as Cinco de Mayo, the women invite a select group of friends and the husbands. They hire a mariachi band or a trio and they prepare the best botanas they can muster.
Here are some of the recipes of the Tandas, ready to be shared with Angelenos this Cinco de Mayo. I can think of no better way to celebrate the Mexican holiday.
ELODIA’S CACTUS SALAD
2 or 3 cactus paddles, trimmed, cleaned and cut in spears
1/2 onion, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
3 or 4 serrano chiles
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
Salt, pepper
1 (6-ounce) can tuna
Toss cactus, onion, tomatoes and chiles in salad bowl. In small bowl, mix olive oil and vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over cactus and toss to coat well. Add tuna and toss again.
Makes 8 servings.
117 calories; 124 mg sodium; 4 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.44 gram fiber.
MARGOT’S SHRIMPS AL AJILLO
1 head garlic, finely chopped
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound small shrimp
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Salt
Fry garlic and onion in olive oil over medium heat until soft and transparent, but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add shrimp and parsley and cook until shrimp are cooked through. Season to taste with salt.
Makes 8 servings.
Each serving contains about:
111 calories; 100 mg sodium; 62 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 0.14 gram fiber.
GOGA’S COTTAGE CHEESE WITH GREEN TOMATILLOS
1 (16-ounce) carton cottage cheese
4 small tomatillos, finely chopped
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 serrano chiles, finely chopped
Tortilla chips, optional
Mix cottage cheese, tomatillos, onion, celery and chiles together. Serve in bowl with tortilla chips for dipping.
Makes about 3 1/2 cups.
Each 1-tablespoon serving, without tortilla chips, contains about:
10 calories; 34 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 0 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.03 gram fiber.
JUANITA’S SMALL POTATOES WITH CILANTRO
1 bunch cilantro
4 to 6 serrano chiles
1 cup water
1 cup oil
Salt
1 pound small boiling potatoes
Puree cilantro, chiles, water, oil and salt to taste in blender or food processor. Set aside.
Place unpeeled potatoes in baking pan and bake at 450 degrees, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 30 minutes.
Pour cilantro sauce over potatoes and cover pan tightly. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 6 servings.
Each serving contains about:
387 calories; 56 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 33 grams fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.64 gram fiber.
ANGELITA’S ITALIAN PARSLEY TACOS
1 cup flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
4 corn tortillas
Salsa, optional
Fry parsley in olive oil until crunchy. Drain on paper towel. Warm tortillas on griddle and wrap parsley in tortillas with a little salsa.
Makes 4 servings.
Each serving, without salsa, contains about:
191 calories; 59 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 15 grams fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1.18 grams fiber.
LAURA’S SHRIMPS WITH MANGO AND CHILE PIQUIN
2 eggs
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Oil
12 large shrimp
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 large mangoes, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon ground chile piquin
Beat eggs. Add coconut.
Heat enough oil for frying to 350 degrees in deep skillet.
Lightly dredge shrimp in flour. Dip shrimp in egg and coconut and fry in oil until brown and tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
Melt sugar in small pan over low heat. When sugar turns pale gold, add vinegar and mangoes. Bring to boil, simmer 5 minutes, then puree in blender or food processor. Add raisins and chile. Serve shrimp on top of sauce.
Makes 6 servings.
Each serving contains about:
209 calories; 64 mg sodium; 92 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.88 gram fiber.
LINDA’S JICAMA FRESCA
1 jicama, peeled and sliced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon ground chile piquin or hot sauce
Toss each slice of jicama with lemon juice. Dust each slice with ground chile piquin.
Makes 12 servings.
Each serving contains about:
9 calories; 4 mg sodium; 0 mg cholesterol; 0 grams fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams protein; 0.14 gram fiber.
LULU’S WHITE BEAN TUNA
1 pound butter beans (alubias)
Salt
2 (6-ounce) cans tuna
1 red onion, finely chopped
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Cover beans with plenty of boiling water, add salt and simmer until tender, about 90 minutes. Drain water and toss beans in bowl with tuna, onion and salt and pepper to taste. Combine vinegar and oil, pour over mixture and toss well to mix.
Makes 8 cups, about 16 servings.
Each serving contains about:
413 calories; 61 mg sodium; 4 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 64 grams carbohydrates; 27 grams protein; 5.8 gram fiber.
MARTHA’S WHITE BEANS WITH CAVIAR
1 (15-ounce) can small white beans, drained
1/2 white onion, finely chopped
Olive oil
1 tablespoon red caviar
Cocktail crackers, optional
Combine beans, onion and olive oil to taste. Toss well and add caviar. Serve on small crackers.
Makes 8 servings.
Each serving, without crackers, contains about:
98 calories; 33 mg sodium; 12 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 0.39 gram fiber.
MELI’S DRIED SHRIMP BROTH
1/2 pound small boiling potatoes
1/2 pound whole dried shrimp
1 head garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small white onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt, pepper
1 (4-ounce) can chipotle chiles
1 lemon, sliced
It’s said that this soup is favored in almost every Mexican cantina.
Peel potatoes and cut into quarters. Set aside.
Rinse shrimp and drain well. Simmer shrimp in 2 quarts water 10 minutes.
Fry garlic in olive oil. Set aside.
When shrimp have boiled 10 minutes, add reserved potatoes, tomato, onion, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Boil mixture another 10 minutes and add garlic-olive oil mixture. Cover and let boil another 10 minutes. Serve hot in small soup cups with chipotle chiles and lemon on side.
Makes 12 to 16 servings.
Each of 12 servings contains about:
94 calories; 636 mg sodium; 112 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 0.23 gram fiber.
NELI’S STUFFED CELERY
1 (7-ounce) round of gouda cheese
1/4 pound requeson or ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons mustard
Salt, pepper
8 to 10 stalks celery, cut in halves
Mix cheese, requeson, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste into paste. Spread paste into center of celery sticks.
Makes 12 to 14 servings.
Each of 12 servings contains about:
82 calories; 190 mg sodium; 23 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams protein; 0.21 gram fiber.
NOEMI’S CHEESE AND CHIPOTLE FLAN
2 cups milk
6 eggs
1 tablespoon canned or fresh roasted chile chipotle, pureed
1/2 cup manchego cheese, shredded
Scald milk and cool. Add eggs, chile puree and shredded cheese. Place in buttered (1-quart) mold. Place on vegetable steamer over boiling water, cover tightly and steam 25 minutes.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Each of 8 servings contains about:
107 calories; 106 mg sodium; 169 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0.05 gram fiber.
OFE’S TUNA AND CHIPOTLE DIP
1 (6-ounce) can tuna
Canned or fresh roasted chipotle chile
1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Crackers, tortilla chips or sliced bread, optional
Mix tuna, chile, onion and mayonnaise together. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips or sliced bread.
Makes about 1 cup.
Each 1-tablespoon serving, without crackers, chips or bread, contains about:
38 calories; 64 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.11 gram fiber.
ROSALBA’S RANCHERO OYSTERS
1 dozen fresh oysters
2 cups dry white wine
2 avocados, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 large tomato, unseeded, unpeeled and chopped
1/4 cup snipped cilantro
2 serrano chiles, chopped
1/3 cup grated Chihuahua cheese or queso fresco
Shuck oysters, reserving shells. Poach oysters in white wine just until edges begin to curl, about 2 minutes.
Puree avocados and place dollop in each oyster shell. Place oyster on top of avocado puree.
Fry onion and garlic in oil until golden. Add tomato, cilantro and chiles. Cook until sauce thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Spoon sauce over each oyster. Top each oyster with grated cheese and place under broiler until cheese melts and browns, about 3 minutes. Serve hot.
Makes 12 servings.
Each serving contains about:
158 calories; 80 mg sodium; 28 mg cholesterol; 10 grams fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.79 gram fiber.
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BACKGROUND
In the United States, Cinco de Mayo has become a date to celebrate the pride of being Mexican. The historic date commemorates the day the Mexican army defeated a foreign invasion by the French army of Napoleon III. France’s troops had a lot of military prestige, yet they were defeated in battle by a small group of patriots. This David-vs.-Goliath aspect of the victory is what makes many Mexicans most proud.
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Cook’s Tip
Fresh cactus (nopalito) usually needs to be cleaned before using. Put on thick gloves and grasp the cactus paddle at one end. Use pliers to remove the large needles, if any. There are irritating but almost invisible tiny needles concealed in small, irregular bumps on the skin of the paddle; shave these bumps off with a sharp knife. Finally, use the knife to trim the edge of the paddle all around and cut off the tough, thick base. The paddle is ready for slicing.
* Dinnerware in Cinco de Mayo photos from Freehand, Los Angeles Times
