Passing down a Legacy Family Dish

 This past Thursday, October 29, 2026, I was privileged to teach and pass down a treasured family recipe to my granddaughter Maddie. The Chile Verde recipe (made with New Mexico green chile) was taught to me by my father Andrew De La O, who learned it from his father, my grandfather Santiago. My prima (cousin) Juanita De La O-Gordon sent me these chiles from New Mexico. These chiles are from Lemitar, New Mexico, not Hatch.

I told her, This is your recipe now. You are free to adapt it to your own taste and personality. I guided her but she did this on her own. It was awesome and it was hot, as it should be. We don't make chile verde for wimps!

 

A Simple Gift

 This picture was a gift from my youngest daughter Savannah in the mid 1990's. It has been hanging on my wall neigh on 30 years. I cannot remember if it was a birthday gift or a Father's Day gift but either way I fell in love with it at first sight. Now I see her when I look at the picture, as she was when she was a little girl. The picture itself captures those things which I hold dear, The great outdoors, fishing and a good way of life.

Earlier this year I took my two grandsons, Jack and Josiah, fishing at laguna Lake Park. It was a good place to start. We didn't catch anything, but we had a ball. The boys are Savannah's sons. It completes the cycle. Anyway, I've been telling myself I was going to share it and today is the day. God Bless you, stay safe and go fishing!

Once Upon a Time

Way back when, in what we now refer to as the "Old Days", photographers would go door to door offering  to take children or family photos, for posterity sake,  oftentimes bringing along a pony, a child's cowboy hat or other cowboy or western paraphernalia but for the most part it was just simple children's photography.

It might seem odd now but it was mid century America. There were no cell phones with cameras, computers or AI. It was a simpler time, a more trusting time. It was a good way to live.

On one such day, a photographer came by the house and took photos of Jeri and the kids; DeeDee, Lori and Meranda. It was the summer of 1978. Meranda had just been born in May of that year, so I'm guessing these picture were taken in June or July.

Andrew was a few years on the horizon, Savannah about a decade away and all our son in laws and grandchildren were waiting in the future. This was the genesis of our family. Conversely, the older generation, all the people we loved, America's Greatest Generation, were still with us. That is what I see when I look at this photo.

Life was simpler, once upon a time.

Castaneda's in La Habra

 My wife Jeri and I had a few errands to run today in the La Habra area, it was lunchtime and we were hungry so we stopped at Castaneda's for lunch. We have been there at least a half dozen times and I have always ordered the the same thing; one cabesa (beef head) taco and one carne asada taco, a la carte.

My wife on the other hand, has tried a few other dishes but today she ordered the chicken taquitos plate which comes with four taquitos topped with guacamole and the two usual suspects, the ubiquitous but always the perfect accompanments; rice and beans. She enjoyed her meal but could not quite finish. Fortunately I was there to help and ate the last taquito.

They have a small salsa bar but it has enough choices to satisfy.

Castaneda's is a modest, simply adorned restaurant and if you are a boxing fan, you will enjoy all the boxing photos on their wall.

If you go, don't  be squeamish, try the cabesa taco!

Castaneda's Mexican Food

911 W Whittier Blvd

La Habra, Ca 90631

Phone: (562) 690-0290