Stories told at My Mother's Recipe

Burnt Buns & Margaritas

Another year, another holiday, another burnt dish. We don’t let mom cook often and when she does, guaranteed it will be burnt to a crisp.

When it comes to cooking my mother lacks patience to say the least. She gets bored when things take too long and will get distracted by another project, not remembering the buns are warming in the oven until the smoke detector is going off.
“Again?!” My father and I shout. It wouldn’t be a family feast without my mother burning the buns. “Ma, everyTIME,” I exclaim while we pack into our tiny kitchen, feverishly cooking all the dishes for the holiday meal. We went to a family member’s for Thanksgiving last year and they asked her to watch over the buns, little did they know what a mistake that was. I think you can guess what happened to them.

My mom is of Irish descent and comes from a tiny town in the Hudson Valley. Needless to say lasagna and soufflés (or buns) were never her thing – but suddenly lime and tequila were. Her impatient yet perfectionist ways helped her craft her now famous dish – Mare’s Margaritas.

Yes, my mother’s best dish is actually a drink. And not a single person can make one that comes close. Made with tequila, triple sec, and lime as expected, Mare’s specialty has fresh strawberries, ice, and a little bit of agave – all blended to perfection. Rumor has it they get better the more you have, not that I know from experience.

When Cinco de Mayo comes around my mom brings out the blender for the season. Friends and family will gather by the pool and Mare will set up shop on the patio with her lime squeezer and Patron. Like Pavlov’s law, I think of summer and my mouth starts watering for one of Mare’s Margs.

Much like her character, they are sweet and pack a punch (and cause a whole lotta’ laughs). I guess that’s why we’re best friends.

Dana Marchetti

1 October 2018