Our host family is happy too since we got to make tacos for them last week. (Let us know if you can think of other suggestions for American foods that might not be available or common here.)
The tricky part was that the local grocery stores don't stock much in the way of Mexican food. But... we managed!
Meat, cheese, and lettuce were easy. Salsa we made out of enchilada sauce and tomato puree. We put it on our tacos and dipped chips in it that weren't anything like tortilla chips. So the chips and salsa weren't really the same, but they were tasty. We also made the rice more Mexican with tomato puree and some Mexican spices. Refried beans were insanely expensive. The alternative: mashed up kidney beans.
The tortilla shells were the greatest challenge (and really, they weren't very difficult), but also the most rewarding. It was our first time making them from scratch, and luckily (we were nervous at first) they came out awesome and so fresh. I don't know if I'll be able to buy them pre-made anymore.
Hit the spot:
Notice also our lovely kitchen and dining area in the background of the photos. Not much is stocked behind those cabinet doors and drawers (in the way of both, supplies and food), but it certainly is enough to meet our basic needs.
The following video is entitled, "How to eat a taco" (which is a sequel of "How to make a taco.") You can experience our host family with a bit more animation here. :) (Sorry the quality isn't great. I think the mode got switched at some point when our camera was in the hands of a young host cousin.)
