A Guatemalan Thanksgiving

Getting our first pictures of Noe on Monday and writing the words 'THE END' for my first novel made for an especially full Thanksgiving for us this year. Thank you to everyone who has e-mailed and called for all your enthusiasm and excitement for us. We can't tell you how grateful we are to be sharing this time with you.

We had planned on spending Thanksgiving alone this year, using the day to recharge, give thanks and absorb all that has happened in the past week. So Christopher had the brilliant idea of cooking a simple Guatemalan meal to celebrate, and that we did. Our friend Marilee Wingert had sent us a recipe for Pollo Jocon (Chicken in Green Sauce) earlier, so we printed it out and made it along with black beans, Spanish rice and homemade corn tortillas. It was the first of what we're sure will be many Guatemalan meals at the Huber household.

Here's the recipe (thanks Marilee!) in case you're interested in trying:

Pollo Jocon (from False Tongues and Sunday Bread)

1 3lb. chicken, cut into serving pieces
1 small onion, quartered
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sliced scallions, green part only
1/2 cup tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. flour
1 tsp. hot green chile slices

Cook the chicken, onion and salt in 1 cup of water in a saucepan over moderate heat for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, process the scallions, tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, flour and chile into a smooth paste with 1/2 cup water.

Add the green sauce to the chicken and continue to cook over moderate to low heat for 20 minutes. Serve warm with rice.