Of the 1,038 people who took the oath of citizenship yesterday in Pomona, probably just one sells cemitas, comes from Oaxaca and celebrated last night with a Oaxacan feast at a restaurant owned by her parents.
Who is this new U.S. citizen? The answer is Bricia Lopez, whose restaurant, Pal Cabron in Huntington Park, specializes in the signature sandwich of Puebla, the cemita, and also the pizza-like Oaxacan clayuda.
Bricia's parents are Maria and Fernando Lopez of the Guelaguetza restaurants in Los Angeles and Lynwood. Maria was at the stove last night, preparing special dishes that are not on the Guelaguetza menus.
The party filled the Guelaguetza on 8th Street in mid Wilshire. State senator Gil Cedillo presented a proclamation, and gifts ranged from flowers and a rare tequila to Sarah Palin's new book, which brought a few laughs.
Media people, food bloggers, a fashion designer, a TV newcaster and many more ate food that came nonstop.
For starters, there were chips topped with mole coloradito and Oaxacan cheese, which is the signature appetizer at the Guelaguetzas.
Then came platters of Oaxacan tamales, taquitos cloaked with Oaxacan moles, quesadillas and picadas, which are round masa cakes with pinched up edges, topped with tomatoes, onions and cheese.
Drinks flowed too--water, beer, jamaica and three brands of mezcal. For the mezcal drinkers, there were plates of lime wedges and sal de gusano (ground worm salt) and chapulines, Oaxacan grasshoppers.
Although the menu gave a choice of two main dishes, there was so much of each that it was possible to have both, an option that had a lot of takers.
One was spicy--costillas de puerco con verdolagas (above), or pork ribs with earthy-tasting verdolagas (purslane) in a sauce fired up with morita chiles.
And one was mild--lengua de res almendrada, or beef tongue in an elegant, smooth, ground almond sauce flavored with cinnamon and cloves. The recipe came from Maria Lopez's grandmother.
Both plates included rice cooked with chepil leaves brought from Oaxaca.
And the food kept appearing, by this time desserts, among them fried bananas in syrup, Oaxacan fruits put up in alcohol, and arroz con leche, rice pudding with raisins and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
This was a once-in-a lifetime event, and Bricia summed it up the morning after. "It was a very special night for me. I am so happy to be an American."
Guelaguetza, 3337 1/2 W. 8th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90005. Tel: (213) 427-0601. Other locations on Olympic Blvd. in Koreatown and at the Plaza Mexico in Lynwood.
Cemitas y Clayudas Pal Cabron, 2560 E. Gage Ave., Huntington Park, CA 90255. Tel: (323) 277-9899.
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