"That's All Right Mama" (Elvis Cover) by Andrew De La O

Samba Pa Ti - Santana

Like any work of art, music has a way of getting inside of you. Samba Pa Ti by Santana gets inside of me. Maybe because it's an instrumental I can put my own interpretation on it. Maybe that's what it's suppose to do. The Latin flavor of the song also hits home. When I hear this piece, in my minds eye, I can see and feel certain times of my life playing out, good and bad. Maybe that's what good art is suppose to do.

Memorial Day 2011

Maddie's 7th Birthday Party at Penn Park

Photos from My granddaughter Maddie's 7th birthday party at Penn Park, March 12, 2011. Her actual birthday is March 2nd.

Cesar Chavez Day

Cesar Chavez 1927 - 1993

Today is Cesar Chavez Day, it is also his birthday. Cesar Chavez was an ordinary man that took a stand against injustice. He dedicated his life to improving the working conditions of the migrant farmworker. He remained a humble and hard working man all of his life. He died an extraordinary man. Viva Chavez!

Ode to Forgetfulness

If you have ever walked into a room and can't remember why you went there or if you have ever looked for your glasses while you were still wearing them then this video is for you. Check it out. It's pretty funny.

Spanish Parish Records

President Obama's Address to Congress

Republican Respose

At Tom and Lori's

We took this video at my daughter Lori's house in Yorba Linda this past Saturday on December 20th for an early Christmas, since we were going to be out of town visiting my mother in Spring Vally Lake during the holidays. My grandson Trevor was hitting the mitts. He had already been hitting them for a while before being video taped.  A future champ?

Working with Dried Red Chiles

Cookbook author, restaurant owner and television chef

Zarela Martinez shares her technique.

Paul Newman 1925 - 2008

R.I.P.

Carlos Santana feat. Rob Thomas - Smooth

Carlos Santana feat. Rob Thomas - Smooth @ Yahoo! Video

Carlos Santana & Sarah McLachlan - In The Arms Of An Angel

Carlos Santana & Sarah McLachlan - In The Arms Of An Angel @ Yahoo! Video

September 11, 2001, Lest We Forget........

......In memory of all those that lost their lives.May God Bless America.

HISTORY's 102 Minutes That Changed America- 5 Min Sneak Peek @ Yahoo! Video

Roasting Green Chiles on a Griddle or Gas Burner

Cookbook author, restaurant owner and television chef

Zarela Martinez shares her technique.

Carne Asada Sunday at the Dodgers Stadium

Photos and recipe are through the courtesy of the Los Angeles Times food section.

This past Sunday at the Dodgers Stadium, Los Angeles Dodger Nomar Garciaparra served up some carne asada tacos, along with rice and beans and roasted serrano chilies, and some mariachi music for his fans. His annual Carne Asada Sunday raises money for charity. For a $50.00 donation, Dodger fans are served all they can eat, get to spend some time with Garciaparra, get an autographed photo and have some pictures taken with Nomar. The recipe sounded so good that I just decided to post it. We're pretty big on carne asada here at home so I'm sure I'll be trying this recipe soon. I'll let you know how it turns out. Below is the recipe for the Carne Asada. The complete story from the Los Angeles Times can be found here. A direct link to a video of the event can be found here.

Carne asada

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes plus overnight marinating time

Servings: 16

Note: From Joseph Martin, executive chef, Levy Restaurants at Dodger Stadium. At the stadium, the carne asada is served with corn tortillas, pico de gallo, tomatillo sauce, chopped onions, chopped cilantro, grilled whole serrano chiles and slices of lime.

4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3/4 cup chopped onions

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup tomato purée

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 1/2 pounds skirt steak

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the chipotle, garlic, onions, cumin, green onions, cilantro, parsley, tomato purée, lime juice, salt, pepper and oil.

2. Rub the marinade all over the skirt steak, then place the steak in a large, resealable plastic bag with the marinade and refrigerate overnight.

3. Remove the bag from the refrigerator one hour before grilling to allow the steak to come to room temperature. .

4. Heat a grill over medium-high heat. Grill the steak about 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium rare. Set the steak aside until cool enough to handle, then cut it into a half-inch dice or slice it against the grain into 1-inch slices. Serve immediately.

Each serving: 151 calories; 14 grams protein; 1 gram carbohydrate; 0 fiber; 10 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 32 mg. cholesterol; 157 mg. sodium.

Next Carne Asada Sunday: August 3, 2008
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks - 1:10 p.m.

Get Your Tickets Now

Victor Villasenor Interview

The following video is an interesting interview with Victor Villasenor, author of the best selling "Rain of Gold" and "Macho" and many other books. He talks about his family history and his own life as a Mexican American in California. If you haven't yet read "Rain of Gold", take my word for it, it's a great book. It should be mandatory reading.

“I want to leave a body of work that's wonderful and inspires people. I'm not just a Chicano writer, or a Mexican writer I'm a writer as universal as Shakespeare or Confucius.” Victor Villasenor

Mexican Foods

Mexican cuisine, along with Italian, French and Chinese is considered one of the world's great cuisine. It is versatile and has many regional varieties including the Mexican American foods of the Southwestern United States. The following video will give you a small but interesting glimpse into Mexican cooking.

A Message for Uncle Andrew

This is from my granddaughter Mariah Guardian to her Uncle Andrew De La O in Seattle, Washington, where he is stationed on the USCGC Midgett.

The Pledge of Allegiance

If you have never heard Red Skelton's rendition of the Pledge of Allegiance you are in for a treat. It should be mandatory viewing in every classroom and in every grade in America. It should be mandatory viewing by every new citizen before they become citizens. Listen to it, enjoy it and remember why America is America.