Some years we party, and some years we stay home for New Years Eve. Tonight we’re staying in, but I have high hopes of being awake at midnight and kicking off the year I’ll turn 69.
Social media is full of fireworks tonight. The best fireworks I ever saw were in 2007 in Puebla, Mexico, at a Slow Food Congress. We’d just started our local chapter and I was incredibly lucky to be one of 600 delegates to the first international Slow Food event to be held outside of Italy.
The discussions were long and earnest, but there were plenty of breaks, during which generous trays of mezcal and pulque shots were passed, paired with freshly fried chicharrones and a (successful, I think) attempt to create the largest-ever gathering of mariachis . One meal featured an appetizer of fried grasshoppers. Another highlighted chiles en nogada.
After one day’s sessions, we boarded buses and were driven to a dark mountain outside of town (a volcano, I suppose). Eerie music helped build the anticipation. The moon was full. It was not hard to believe that the costumed figures which visited us were really ancient gods returning to help us celebrate. The highlight for me was being there with Alice Waters, although the closest I got to her was standing in line in the ladies’ room.
The sendoff on our last day was a giant snail, which turned out to be the launching pad for the aforementioned fireworks.
I learned a lot from Slow Food during the 10 years I helped lead our local chapter. One thing I learned was that it took a lot of work to keep the group together. I hope 2019 brings some new energy to Slow Food Maumee Valley.