According to the Mayans, the Day of Creation occurred on this date in 3113BC. T was from the Yucatan peninsula which had once been part of the Mayan homeland. On his inital kiss, he gently bit my lower lip – it was an invitation and a warning. He was descended from a noble and fiery people who built elaborate monuments, intricate artworks, and practiced human sacrifice. I was aroused.  He drank all the beer I had left over from a party while I drank bourbon. We smelled like a Tammy Wynette song and he tasted just as good. Our playful nibbling escalated into deep and penetrating kisses. We had to pause like divers and intermittently come up for air. I removed his shirt – his skin was smooth and the color of dulce de leche. He was warm to the touch and his armpit hair was black like his eyes. We sacrificed countless kisses and my ass to the Mayan gods that evening.

Mayan cuisine ranks among my favorites. One simple and revelatory dish can be made easily at home Tok-Sel – roasted lima beans. Forget everything you know or simply suspect about limas. This recipe will permanently change your mind about this much maligned legume.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. of fresh or frozen lima beans
1 bunch of green onions
1/2 bunch of parsley
Salt to taste
Lemon juice to taste
6 oz. roasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 oz. of sesame oil

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. If using frozen beans, defrost and set aside to dry. Finely chop the green onions and parsley and set aside. Grind the pumpkin seeds in a food processor. Next have all the ingredients ready as the crisis point comes quickly. Put the sesame oil in a skillet on medium heat. When the oil starts smoking, throw the lima beans in first. Sauté them until they are brown and roasted on both sides. Add all the other ingredients except the lemon juice and sauté for one additional minute. Add lemon juice just before serving.