Mahalo Chicos,

Just the other day I thought I’d purchase some home-made spinach pasta for our lunch. The pasta place is literally right around the corner from our apartment so it was super convenient.

As I strolled down the shelves filled with already made pasta I noticed some cream sauce that I happen to love to make. Its cheese, cream, and mushrooms all the naughty ingredients minus the mushrooms. I asked the clerk in my Pacific Islander Spanish if the cream sauce contained any meat at all. She said no. So I thought I’d give it a try.

Hey, sometimes even the avid cook wants a break from the kitchen. My other half asked what was for lunch and I told him my recent purchase and he was interested to give it a try.

It took a mere 10 minutes or even less to prep and serve the dish. As my other half forked a healthy serving, he asked me if the sauce contained any meat. I said no with such certainty that he kept on eating. Of course I had to pick through the dish just to be super sure. And as I picked through it, I saw chucks of, gasp! HAM!

I immediately told my other half to put down his fork and that the sauce indeed contained meat, HAM!

He was not in shock for this sorta thing has happened to him at work. The cook at his work made the same sauce and with the same meat, HAM.

He said that Ham is not considered meat in Montevideo, Uruguay, rather its considered by some locals as a “Vegetarian Option”. My gawd!

Furthermore, chicken was also considered a “Vegetarian Option”. Gasp, double gasp…

So we poked fun at our miss fortune and I had to discard the rest of the meal and make a completely new meal.

Much healthier of course, mixed salad and a side of whole wheat grilled cheese sammies.

Ciao,

Odeliza Jacoba

Odeliza