Jello Tacos

I have a lot of will power.  I can go on a no carb diet for 2 years, but I have to make one exception.  Don’t take away my tortillas.  I’ve tried going for a period of time without eating them, but the joy just goes out of  life when I do.  To me a perfect lunch is two tacos made by warming up two corn tortillas directly on the stove top flame,  and rolling into them some leftover chicken from the night before, with a bit of Pico De Gallo (a combination of chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro and Serrano chili peppers), or a slice of avocado, a slice of tomato and a sprinkling of salt.

I love tortillas as much today as I did when I started eating solids.  As a child, I could eat a warm tortilla with just about anything.  A little bit of salt, perfect; a little bit of butter, yummy; with a scrambled egg or some re-fried beans, a work of art.

One day when I was very little , after lunch, we were having orange flavored Jello for dessert.  I announced to my mother “I want a Jello taco!”  “We don’t eat Jello in tacos, that doesn’t taste good, my sweetie.”  My mother said.   “Please please,” I insisted and didn’t let up until my mother said, “I’m letting you have your Jello taco on one condition, that you finish the whole thing. “I will mommy, I will, thank you!.”  They brought me my tortilla and as my mother and brothers watched, in disgust, I cut my squiggly orange dessert into little squares, lined them up in the center of my tortilla, rolled it up and excitedly went for my first bite of orange Jello taco.

As I bit in, I already knew I was in trouble.  This was the worst thing I had ever tasted in my life.  I put it down, lowered my head, and  in a very soft voice, asked my mother if I really had to eat it all.  My mother said, “I warned you, why don’t you believe me when I tell you things, no, you have to try them for yourself no matter what don’t you?   This is what happens when you don’t listen.  Now go ahead and finish your taco!”  My brothers, enjoying this spectacle, giggled to each other while I slowly picked up the enemy, which by now was a sticky cold and stiff orange streaked tortilla, with semi melted Jello leaking from its front and back.  With my second bite I gagged so deeply, that for fear I would throw up, my mother said I would be pardoned from eating the rest. That was the first and last time I ever ate a Jello taco in my life.