Red Hook Vendors

This weekend we finally made it to the El Salvadorian vendors at the Red Hook Ballfields. (We say "finally," because you can't live in New York and call yourself a food lover without going, apparently.) We feasted on corn dipped in butter, Parmesan cheese, and chili powder; papusas stuffed with cheese and pork and cheese and jalapenos; and a tamal pisque (cheese and beans). And we worshiped at the altar of jugo de sandia (watermelon juice). Now that we've been, we have our strategy down for our next visit, which we're seriously considering doing this coming weekend: choose the truck selling papusas with lorocco (part of the national flower of El Salvador) that doesn't have too long of a line. While one of us waits, the other will bring over the starters (the corn) and drinks (more watermelon juice, please, along with some pineapple juice . . . even the shortest lines are long, since the food is made to order). Then we'll eat the papusas on the grass or, if there's space, at one of the picnic tables. This process will be repeated as necessary until satiation or destitution, whichever comes first.