Diary of a Mad (Puerto Rican) Mother

It's time once again to reflect on the "madness" that is motherhood. No roses are red, violets are blue for me. I know I am not the only mother with a touch of locura. I have plenty of company.

You belong to the same club if:

• You put an azabache manita protectora or charm to ward off evil spirits on you newborn. Agúzate que te están tirando.

• You cook rice with every meal. Arroz blanco, arroz amarillo, arroz con gandules...

• You clean with Fabuloso or if your old school with Pine Sol. You blast the salsa and dance with the mop, broom or vacuum.

• You check in on your own mother several times a week. Sí, mommy...

• You don't want your children too far from you (old school), but check their wings and let them fly (new school).

• You know the meaning of chancleta and so do your children. If you're new school, you use "time out" but keep the chancleta on ice...

• You taught your children to love El Gran Combo and Will.I.Am.

• Your kids think you're cool because you rock to Calle 13 and Don Omar.

•  You know what tongonear is and how to do it to your children, and your kids love it.

• And lastly, when your child says, "I hate you! You're ruining my life," you smile and say, "Ay, mija..."

I leave you with a few motherly words by Spanish singer-composer, and one my favorite artists, Alejandro Sanz:

...No hay amor como este mío
No hay distancia que esté lejos
Desde lejos nos queremos...

¡Feliz Día de las Madres!

A Little Bit of Pico On el Cinco

You don't need Cinco de Mayo to eat Mexican food, but of course it's especially important on Cinco de Mayo to eat a la mexicana.

I'm sharing a recipe for salsa, otherwise known as pico de gallo. It's been reported that salsa is now more popular in America than ketchup, meaning sales are higher. And that makes sense. Salsa is so much more versatile: bits of onion, peppers, chiles, cilantro, garlic, etc. Plus, it goes great with anything, from chips and eggs to meat and seafood. Why reach for ketchup when you can have salsa? I knew you'd agree.

I asked my chef hubby for his pico de gallo recipe but he didn't have time to write it down, which is a shame because my hubby's mango salsa is the best. So I went on the Food Network to look up a suitable recipe for you.

I found an entry by Paula Deen that is simple to make (most salsas, by the way, are simple to make). But—and this is a big but—it didn't call for cilantro. I know Paula Deen is crazy, but I didn't know she was that crazy. A pico de gallo without cilantro is .... well, something else.

Here's a recipe that contains a little bit of this and a little bit of that from several recipes.


Pico de gallo
3 medium tomatoes, firm to the touch
1 medium sweet yellow onion
1 green onion with stalk
3 jalapeños or serrano peppers to taste
2 garlic coves, minced

1/2 cilantro bush, about 1/2 cup or more
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh lime or lemon juice to taste
Salt to taste


Dice the tomatoes and onions into little cubes. The green onion,  jalapeños, garlic and cilantro should be finely chopped. Toss all the ingredients together and mix well. Add olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with salt. Mix again. Cover and chill until ready to serve.


4 to 6 servings

If you want to be more adventurous, add half a mango or avocado, cubed.

Note: If your pico de gallo isn't green, it doesn't have enough chiles or cilantro and it ain't got that swing.

Buen provecho!