By Late August. Schools coming back. Lucas starts second grade in two weeks. Isabella starts kindergarten in two weeks — she has been preparing for this her whole life and is ready. Camila has another year of preschool. Mateo turns three in January and will start preschool then. Andrés is a year and a half and is the baby. The structure of the family's school calendar is like a tide chart now.
Tuesday food bank: chicken stew with vegetables. Lighter than the carne guisada because the heat had not broken. Yolanda did most of it. Marcus made a side of seasoned cabbage that everyone tried and most people loved. He called it "Hartford slaw" — vinegar, mustard seed, sugar, salt, raw cabbage and onion, sit overnight. Mr. Patterson put it on his sandwich. He approved.
Wednesday I sat with Mami and went over the fall schedule with her. She wanted to know the schedule. She said, "Carmen, when does the class start?" I said, "Mami, September 17. Wednesday evening. Eight weeks." She said, "Will I see it?" I said, "Mami, I do not know. Some of it. You will hear about it from me every week." She nodded. She said, "Carmen, take a picture of the first night. Show me." I said, "Mami, I will." She said, "Carmen, my birthday." I said, "Mami, your birthday is November 12. We will have something." She said, "Carmen, I will be eighty-eight." I said, "Mami, yes." She said, "I want pasteles for my birthday this year. Even though it is not Christmas." I said, "Mami, I will make them." She said, "Carmen, do not start yet. Make them when the leaves are colored. Make them in October. Have them in the freezer for me." I said, "Mami, yes." She closed her eyes. She slept.
Thursday Sofía came by and helped me start prepping for Mami's birthday pasteles even though it was August. We made the sofrito for that batch (a separate batch from the wake batch — Mami's birthday version is slightly different, with more recao). We labeled it "MAMI BIRTHDAY — November 12 2025." I have a freezer that is becoming a calendar.
Friday Eduardo and I had dinner alone. He grilled. We ate on the porch. He said, "Carmen, you are doing too much." I said, "Eduardo, this is a long-known fact." He said, "Carmen, you are doing too much for what is coming." I said, "Eduardo, I know. The doing is the survival." He said, "Carmen, I want you to slow when she goes." I said, "Eduardo, I will not slow. I will redirect." He nodded. He understood. Wepa.
When Marcus made that Hartford slaw — raw cabbage, onion, vinegar, mustard seed, sitting overnight — I kept thinking about what made it work: the dressing. Mr. Patterson put it on his sandwich and nodded, and that kind of quiet approval means everything at a Tuesday food bank. This honey chipotle vinaigrette captures that same balance of sharp and sweet that makes a simple slaw unforgettable, and it is the kind of thing you can make ahead, label, and use across a week that asks a lot of you — which, lately, every week does.
Honey Chipotle Vinaigrette
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 10 min | Servings: 8 (about 1 cup total)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from the can)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (avocado or light olive oil)
Instructions
- Combine the base. In a medium bowl or jar, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey, minced chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and black pepper until fully combined.
- Emulsify the oil. While whisking constantly, drizzle in the oil in a slow, steady stream until the vinaigrette is emulsified and slightly thickened. Alternatively, add all ingredients to a jar with a tight lid and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Taste and adjust. Taste the vinaigrette and adjust seasoning — more honey for sweetness, more vinegar for sharpness, or more chipotle for heat.
- Rest before serving. Let the vinaigrette sit for at least 5 minutes before using so the flavors can meld. For slaw, toss with shredded cabbage and onion and refrigerate overnight for best results.
- Store. Transfer to a sealed jar and refrigerate for up to 10 days. Shake or whisk again before each use.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 135 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 5g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 115mg