After we were happily settled in Tucson, I read in the paper that there would be a “Menudo” contest for the Hispanic community in a popular outdoor area on the south side of Tucson. There would be Mariachi music, and chefs from the most popular Mexican restaurants would judge the entries and pick the winners. The two types of menudo are red and white.

Menudo is a very popular dish that consists of tripe and hominy. It is customary to serve it on weekends after a night of heavy drinking. It is suppose to settle the stomach and help the drinker get over his hangover.

I wanted to join in because I love mariachi music and it would give me a chance to make some new friends and to chat with them in Spanish.

Each contestant was supposed to prepare either a white or a red menudo and bring it to the contest site in a crock pot so it could be kept hot for the judges and the public to taste. Small samples were taken to the judges in unmarked containers. They would then decide the best red and the best white menudo and award the prizes.

Of course as everybody knows, there is no such thing as “Chinese Menudo,” so I thought I would invent one. The two required ingredients of menudo are tripe and hominy. I really wanted to go to the party, because Latinos always have fun. We could enjoy the music, eat lots of good food and maybe even a little dancing.

Read More