Thanksgiving is Not Taco Thursday
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
The best tamales I ever had were from the mother of a legal secretary I had when I was practicing in Houston. She’d bring the weekly deliveries by the office. I don’t know if they were in the trunk but I’d guess that they probably were. She might have been more careful with my tamales since her daughter worked for me.
Roadside stands and little kiosks selling food are everywhere in Texas. And often the closest ER is an hour away.
I have very fond memories of buying roadside tamales in Oakdale, La, (not a renown center of Mexican cuisine) while visiting my great-grandparents in the 1970s. I’ve never had tamales that match those.
When I first purchased my Austin, Texas home we had a lovely Mexican grandma who sold homemade tamales door-to-door out of a massive old baby stroller. She didn’t speak a bit of English and had her granddaughter with her to act as translator. Those tamales were $5/dozen and delicious. Our neighborhood has since gentrified and it’s been years since I’ve had a visit from the Tamale Grandma.