On The First Day Of Oh Six…

… my true love said to me: TAMALES!

Tamales AlbertoIn accordance with the tradition we began on New Year’s Day last year, tamales were the order of the day. Last year we did so on December 31, getting them from an Echo Park panderia on Sunset Boulevard, but this year being a day late we discovered that place was closed and had to find another tamale hook-up, which turned out to be the Spanish-speaking-only extablishment of Tamale Alberto on Temple Street in the Historic Fililipinotown (or “Hi-Fi”) section of the city.

Once there Susan stocked up on a baker’s dozen of beef and chicken tamales (they were out of pork), and we ended up eating not a one because mom came over in the early afternoon with New Year’s meal traditions of her own: a crock pot full of Hoppin’ John, dishes of collard and turnip greens, home-made corn bread, and a pork roast just for kicks.

Stove-top tamalesAll of it exquisite and enjoyed while watching the Redskins beat the Eagles. But don’t mourn the tamales or chastise us as wasteful. We’ll be chowing down on them tomorrow after our first hike of 2006 (up from Fern Dell to Mt. Hollywood) rain or shine. Besides, Susan says they’re better a day later anyway.

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Will

Will Campbell arrived in town via the maternity ward at Good Sam Hospital way back in OneNineSixFour and has never stopped calling Los Angeles home. Presently he lives in Silver Lake with his wife Susan, their cat Rocky, dogs Terra and Hazel, and a red-eared slider turtle named Mater. Blogging since 2001, Will's web endeavors extend back to 1995 with laonstage.com, a comprehensive theater site that was well received but ever-short on capital (or a business model). The pinnacle of his online success (which speaks volumes) arrived in 1997, when much to his surprise, a hobby site he'd built called VisuaL.A. was named "best website" in Los Angeles magazine's annual "Best of L.A." issue. He enjoys experiencing (and writing about) pretty much anything creative, explorational and/or adventurous, loves his ebike, is a better tennis player than he is horr golfer, and a lover of all creatures great and small -- emphasis on "all."