She grew up along the Mexican border, learned to cook by watching her mom, and has been feeding her New Hampshire community for over 30 years. In this special Cinco de Mayo episode, Carol invites her friend of 15+ years, Silvia Boissonneault, into her personal kitchen to cook together -- and the result is one of the most real, warm, and delicious episodes of Beyond the Plate yet.

Silvia walks Carol through making pastel -- a layered Mexican lasagna made with corn tortillas, chile verde chicken, homemade salsa verde, poblano peppers, and Oaxacan cheese. Along the way, they talk about what Cinco de Mayo actually means (hint: most of Mexico doesn't celebrate it the way we do), the foods Silvia grew up with along the Texas border, what it was like finding Mexican ingredients in New Hampshire 34 years ago, and the beautiful, unexpected life she has built here with her husband John, her three daughters, and her grandchildren -- including her daughter Sarah, who keeps her heart full every single day.

This is a new format for Beyond the Plate -- and Carol's kitchen has never smelled better.

In this episode:

• Silvia's journey from the Mexican border to Manchester, NH

• How she learned to cook -- calling her mom for every recipe after she got married

• What pastel (Mexican lasagna) is and how to make it from scratch

• The real history of Cinco de Mayo -- and why most of Mexico doesn't celebrate it

• The truth about birria, menudo, and the foods Americans are just now discovering

• Her daughter Sarah, Special Olympics, and the family that fills her kitchen with love

📍 Beyond the Plate with Carol -- Carol's Kitchen, Manchester, NH

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ABOUT BEYOND THE PLATE WITH CAROL

Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.

📍 Red Arrow Diner -- 4 NH locations, open 24/7

🔗 redarrowdiner.com

Follow Carol:

Instagram: @carolsew24

Follow Red Arrow Diner:

Instagram: @redarrow24diner

Facebook: Red Arrow Diner

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 - Intro & welcome to Carol's kitchen

0:38 - What are we making? Pastel -- Mexican lasagna

0:56 - Silvia's story: growing up along the Mexican border

2:09 - Who taught Silvia to cook?

2:49 - "When I got married, I didn't even know how to cook eggs" 😂

3:05 - Making the salsa verde from scratch

5:39 - Charleston the dog crashes the episode 😂

9:11 - Finding Mexican ingredients in NH 34 years ago

11:22 - How Carol and Silvia met

16:56 - Mexican food traditions by season -- Christmas, Cinco de Mayo, September 16th

20:33 - The birria conversation -- why it's suddenly everywhere

24:48 - Assembling the pastel layer by layer

28:22 - Meet the family -- three daughters, three grandkids

30:51 - Sarah and the Special Olympics

37:46 - The REAL history of Cinco de Mayo

46:00 - What Silvia wants people to know about Mexican culture

49:56 - Lightning Round

54:45 - Cutting into the pastel -- the reveal

55:19 - "Provecho!" -- Carol takes her first bite

54:45 - Cutting into the pastel -- the reveal

55:12 - "Provecho" -- the Mexican word for enjoy

55:34 - Carol tastes it -- "That is delicious"