Happy Cinco de Mayo everybody! It may be a minor holiday in Mexico but we here in ‘Murica sure do love an excuse to get rip-roarin’ drunk on cheap tequila during the middle of the week!

Since Cinco de Mayo fell to me on the FYCE calendar I puzzled over what to offer up. Something Tex-Mex, I thought, but what? Something that hasn’t been done a million times before? Providence shone on me when, for the hundredth time, I recently happened to catch Natalie Wood (born Natalie Zacharenko to Russian immigrant parents) portraying Puerto Rican María in “West Side Story”. I thought, “Wait a tick…aren’t I preparing a Celebrity Sunday Matinee post about Natalie Wood and her recipe for something south of the border, maybe Tex-Mex…?” Yes I was! 

I’ll do a full-blown Celebrity Sunday Matinee post about Natrushka with another recipe at some point but for now, here is:

Natalie Wood’s Huevos Rancheros

4 tortillas

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, mashed

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

1 small serrano or other chili pepper, chopped or 2 teaspoons red chili powder

1 cup fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 1 cup canned tomato sauce

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

4 eggs

1 tablespoon butter

Fry tortillas quickly in hot oil; drain on paper towel.

Keep oil hot; add garlic, marjoram, chopped chili, tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer tomato mixture for a few minutes until flavors are well blended and sauce has thickened slightly. 

Fry eggs in a small amount of butter in separate pan, or poach in the hot tomato sauce. 

To serve, place one egg on each tortilla, cover with sauce. Serve at once.