WOW! 300+ posts in June, and it is only July 2, and there are already 31 posts! Bring it on! The food postings have been very interesting, and has caused me to reflect on why I cook as I do. My father is my Zacatecas connection; he came to the U.S. in 1916 as a 4 yr. old - his mother died when he was 17 yrs. old, so I am sure she impacted his culinary tastes and traditions. (My mother was born in Calif. - her mother was from Mexico, but I don't know where; my mother was 5 yrs. old when her mother died; I was almost 12 yrs. when my mother died. I remember her as being a good cook - she made flour tortillas everyday, a skill I NEVER learned; I don't know her culinary traditions.) Back to my father: he loved carnitas, frijoles de olla, birria, cabeza, cesos, lengua, capirotada, to name a few. Growing up, these were foods eaten only on special occasions or holidays. When I first came to Virginia in the late 60's, the only tortillas available were frozen corn tortillas!! By the mid-70's, when my children were young, I would make sure that they made their acquaintence with tortillas & frijoles, tacos & enchiladas (which morphed into a layered casserole - too lazy to roll the enchilads; I called them chilaquiles, though they aren't truly chilaquiles - my 5 yr. old grandson, of Irish, Lithuanian, Anglo, Mexican, maybe Cherokee-heritage, has grown to like them). OK - I'm sorry - got off the track. RE: DNA - Are any of you familiar with the following site: http://genetealogy.com ? This site was established by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak (that's right, her maiden name and married name), co-author of "Trace Your Roots with DNA: Using Genetic Tests to Explore Your Family Tree". See also: Http://genetealogy.com/articles/html/ Very interesting reading for those of you on the DNA track. Well, I think I better close for now. Y'all have a great day. Hasta la proxima. Natalie Coleman, VA
