La Doña makes atole every morning from scratch, slowly blending and heating the corn masa, water, vanilla and cinnamon into a thin porridge. She works silently next to her eldest daughter, Chacha, who fixes our coffee. Though not a coffee drinker, the aroma of this beverage entices me this morning, and I must try what Chacha places in front of me. The steaming liquid is rich with cinnamon, does not have a lick of bitterness, and is made smooth and sweet with whole milk and raw sugar. I temper the effect of the caffeine with a soft roll spread generously with fresh cream, buttery yellow and thick.
The kitchen is quiet except for our murmuring and the sounds of cooking. Fresh chorizo, the color of terra cotta, cooks on the stove in a large skillet. Chacha breaks it up with the back of a wooden spoon. She removes several brown eggs from a circular, wooden container and cracks them into the skillet. From a jar filled with tiny green and yellow chiles swimming in vinegar, Chacha fishes a green one out and throws it in the pan whole. Despite its pushpin size, I know this chile will pack a punch.
La Doña is now quietly eating her atole with slices of banana, her weathered hands moving slowly from bowl to mouth. I hear a loud spatter and I turn to see Chacha adding some pinto beans to a second skillet, hot with lard. Moments later, she hands me a plate full of spicy scrambled eggs, chorizo, and refried beans. A smooth, red salsa is passed, and freshly made corn tortillas. The frenzy of tasting all these dishes as fast as I possibly can is a challenge to my table manners. After a glance from La Doña I slow down to an acceptable pace, though still striving for the right combination of salsa and eggs, beans and chorizo. Chacha smiles broadly when I ask for more.

May 28, 2007
San Juan Ixtayopan, Mexico