May Your Life Be Deliciosa

What is the recipe? I ask. Abuela laughs. It is in my heart, Rosie. I use mis ojos, my eyes, to measure. Mis manos, my hands, to feel. Mi boca, my mouth, to taste. My abuela gave it to me, and I am giving it to you. Each year on Christmas Eve, Rosie’s abuela, mama, tia, sister, and cousins all gather together in Abuela’s kitchen to make tamales-cleaning corn husks, chopping onions and garlic, roasting chilis, kneading cornmeal dough, seasoning the filling, and folding it all-and tell stories. Rosie learns from her abuela not only how to make a delicious tamale, but how to make a delicious life, one filled with love, plenty of spice, and family.