painting

Photo: Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection

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SLIDESHOW

The Chiles Rellenos Moment
Who cares that you just ate chiles rellenos for the first time in 22 years? Nobody. Further, nobody is going to put their client on hold or hunch down in their cubicle to listen to you wax poetic about the soft white cheese that oozed out of the pepper and wonder idly, Where do you buy peppers like that anyway? Nobody, that is, except your lifelong mate, who knows that the last time you had chiles rellenos was at age 8 with your dad, right before he took off for good. Sometimes, the tiniest gestures in life are laden with our personal history. Being married means that somebody recognizes yours and understands that when—after a long, ugly hurt—you just took a small step toward reclaiming Mexican food...and happiness.

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