Author Archives: juanzqui7

Chona was my mother’s next-door neighbor on Highland Circle in my hometown of Crystal City in South Texas. My mother called her Chonita.  Chonita was one of my mother’s most frequent visitors after our family moved from our old neighborhood … Continue reading →

As I’ve mentioned a few times over the past month, I’ve been enjoying Jonathan Alter’s biography of Jimmy Carter, “His Very Best.” It may be the best book to read in these the waning days of the Trump administration, for … Continue reading →

What you will need: A loaf of French bread, sliced about ¾ to 1 inch thick, toasted. (You can use any kind of bread, really, but I think it tasted better with French) One cone of piloncillo, cut into small … Continue reading →

The New York Times is about to release its list of the best books of 2020, so I thought I’d beat it to the punch. Here’s my list of the best 14 books published this year (in no particular order): … Continue reading →

I’VE BEEN making my own salsas for years but I’ve never bothered to write down any recipes, primarily because the recipe changes each time I make it. But friends have been pressing me to write down the recipe, so here … Continue reading →

THE MONTH of May summons many images. Mother’s Day. Cinco de Mayo. Graduation.  But anyone who grew up Catholic will tell you the real significance of the month is that May is the Virgin Mary’s month.  During May, Catholics gather – … Continue reading →

I wrote this column in September, 1994, after a visit to California. I thought it might be of interest to my many Palomo nephews, nieces and cousins and their children and grandchildren who don’t know much about our family’s history. … Continue reading →