An Evening with Irma

I wrote in an earlier post about my dear friend Irma. I have known her since my college days, almost fifty years ago.  She was the wife of one of my Spanish professors, and they would frequently entertain the Spanish students at their home.  Irma was born and raised in Jalapa, the capital of the Mexican state of Veracruz, before coming to the United States.  She still has family in Jalapa, and she was visiting down there at the same time that I was in Mexico City on my most recent trip.

Irma has a collection of Nativity scenes, so while I was in Mexico City, I bought her a couple of "nacimientos" at the International Fair that was being held on the main plaza.

The one to the left is from El Salvador and the one to the right is from Peru.  

It's difficult to make out in the photo, but the Peruvian Nativity scene is quite charming because not only are the figures dressed in Andean garb, but instead of a cow there is a llama.

Irma and I got together yesterday, and she was very pleased with the additions to her collection.

We then went out to a Ukrainian restaurant for dinner  I have been there a couple times, but Irma, who always enjoys dining at new places, had never been there.  The Ukrainian cuisine is similar to Polish cooking and features pierogi.  Irma had never tasted pierogi even though they are very popular here in the Cleveland area with its large Eastern European population.

So, after starting with a cup of borsht, she had a "pierogi sampler" and a plate of kielbasa with sauerkraut.

She liked everything she tasted, and wants to return sometime for more Ukrainian cooking.