Bob Lacaff, Mom’s second cousin and Maurine’s son, longtime San Antonio resident and serious Tex-Mex eater, blessed us with his magnificent recipe for the best gazpacho we’ve ever eaten.

• 5 cups tomato juice
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon Tabasco
• 1 large cucumber, thinly sliced for garnish
• 1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and diced

Mix first nine items in bowl. Cover tightly and refrigerate for two hours before serving. Pour into serving bowls or cups, and garnish with cucumber and tomato. Serve ice cold.

From right to left, Eleanor (Maurine’s sister whom she always called “Ange” for angel, and we suspect that was mostly snark), their architect father Florian, and Maurine. We find it more than a little odd that Florian looks pretty much exactly like our friend Jim DeFrancisco. We must have had a Belgian-Italian relative somewhere in the past.