MANDIO PASTEL

October 4, 2011 is the patron saint of our town’s day. My neighbor came over and taught me to make pastel mandio – a typical food for holidays. We made dough out of 1/2 kilo ground mandioca, 4 eggs, 1/4C oil, and ½ kilo flour. Next, we took small portions of the dough and shaped it into a 3 inch disk. In the center we put a mixture of ground meat, sautéed green onions and parsley. We closed the dough around the meat mixture (like an egg roll) and fried it. Yum.

On October 1st, Paraguayans eat a special meal for lunch called "Jopara" to ward off "Mr. October," a legendary personification of poverty. October is the hardest month for the families of subsistence farmers, as it's the only month all year that their fields don't produce something for them to eat. Pray for God to provide for the many Paraguayans who live hand-to-mouth, especially during this difficult month.