You Can Take the Girl Out of California......

....but you can't take the California out of the girl. One of the best things about growing up in California was the Mexican food. It's good, abundant and fresh. At the grocery store, tortillas are in the bread aisle, not the refrigerated section. I always miss California Mexican food, though over the years I have learned to make those tastes of home in my home, wherever it may be.

Tonight I made a batch of homemade refried beans. I do that every once in a while, just to have them on hand. For the next few days, we'll have some tostadas, some burritos, and some tacos and beans. Yum. The recipe is an adaptation from Diana Kennedy that I found over at my no-longer secret place for terrific food, Simply Recipes. If you'd like to make a batch of your own, here is the link: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001606refried_beans.php. My sister also has a recipe that makes a great batch of beans, perhaps she'll post it?

I took a picture of my bowl of beans and then saw the fruit bowl behind it, filled with avocados and mangoes, two more staples in my home that remind me of California. It's going to be cold with temps in the 30s here in Jersey today but at my house we'll have burritos with guacamole and queso fresco, courtesy of JT's California Mama.