SOME HITS FROM MY TOP 10. (Food / Spotlight)
Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)
January 7, 2004 | Meitus, Marty
Byline: Marty Meitus, ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS
I hate articles that begin "If you're like most people," so let me phrase it differently: If you're like me, you probably have 10 dishes that you make for dinner over and over. (I read a statistic that said this is the norm.) Most of those 10 come down to what you can remember off the top of your head, what everyone will eat or what you can fix in five minutes, eat in three and still get the kid off to soccer practice. What are my 10? Well, I will tell you that I make a mean fried chicken. That's one. And the other nine, ummm, I'm thinking . . .
In any given year, I try dozens and dozens of recipes. Sometimes they become part of the rotation, but after a while, I forget about them and usually go back to the same old same-old. (OK, spaghetti and meat sauce - that's two. Maybe I was exaggerating about the 10.) This past year I added an enchilada casserole from children's-book author Renee Fajardo that I cleverly make with that precooked pot roast. I skip the step where you soften the tortillas in oil (although I do dip them in the enchilada sauce), and no one has complained yet. You can also sub flour tortillas for the corn. I also added a sesame chicken that I got from cooking teacher Mei Hamilton that takes about 15 minutes. I forgot about both of them until last week, when I was casting about for something to make. Hamilton's recipe received the ultimate compliment from my son, who said, "Of all the things you make, I think this one is my favorite."
Auntie Lucy's Enchiladas
Makes eight enchiladas
8 soft corn tortillas
1 1/2 to 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (or you may mix half cheddar and half Monterey Jack for a milder taste), shredded; reserve about 1/2 cup for topping
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce (see below)
1 1/4 cups canola oil
Enchilada sauce:
1 1/2-ounce package of Fernandez Chile Mix for Enchilada Sauce and Chile Con Carne (available in the Mexican-foods aisle at the grocery)
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 to 3 cloves finely chopped garlic
2 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
* Make the sauce: Heat oil in saucepan. Saute garlic in hot oil until it begins to look transparent.
* Slowly stir in Fernandez Chile Mix, using a whisk and thoroughly saturating all chili-powder mix with oil until it's a smooth consistency.
* Heat mixture for one minute. You'll begin to smell the aroma of the chili and the garlic being released. Start adding chicken broth, 1/4 cup at a time, whisking continuously. You'll have a very thick sauce at first. Keep adding liquid and whisking, making sure there are no clumps in the mixture.
* Once all the broth has been added, bring to a slow boil, stirring continuously.
* Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
* Meanwhile, mix onions with shredded cheese. Set aside.
* To make enchiladas: Heat 1 1/4 cups of canola oil in a skillet. Dip each corn tortilla into hot oil (use tongs and keep the oil hot enough only to immediately warm the tortilla); shake off excess oil from corn tortilla.
* Next dip the tortilla into the warm enchilada sauce. Fill each tortilla with onion and cheese mixture.
* Start at one end of tortilla and roll up. Place enchilada in baking dish. Repeat process with remaining tortillas. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and top with grated cheese.
* Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
* Editor's note: You can add cooked, shredded or ground beef to the cheese and onion mixture.
Nutritional information per serving: 537 cal., 50 g fat (9 g sat.), 30 mg chol., 16 g carb., 3 g fiber, 10 g pro.
Sesame Chicken
Serves four
1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 to 6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg yolk, beaten with 1/4 teaspoon salt
White sesame seeds, to taste
Sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
4 tablespoons water
* Marinate chicken cubes with egg yolk and 1/4 teaspoon salt for about 15 minutes. Dust the chicken lightly with cornstarch. Shake off excess cornstarch. Add 3 tablespoons oil to a hot pan over high heat.
* Add the chicken and cook one side until golden brown, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook the other side until done. Add oil as needed.
* Mix sauce ingredients and add sauce to pan. Stir until chicken is coated thoroughly with the sauce.
* Remove chicken onto a plate. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Serve over rice.
Nutritional information per serving: 304 cal., 6 g fat (2 g sat.), 150 mg chol., 23 g carb., 1 g fiber, 37 g pro.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Rocky Mountain News. All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission of Dialog LLC by Gale Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights or concerns about this content should be directed to Customer Service. For permission to reuse this article, contact Copyright Clearance Center.
Frijoles, Elotes, Y Chipotles, Oh My! New Book Blends Storytelling With Food
BY NATHAN HEFFELDEC 11, 2015
Food has a way of bringing people together -- like making a birthday cake with friends, cooking hot dogs at a summer BBQ, family brunches. But food can also lead to family stories and traditions. That's the idea around the new book "Frijoles, Elotes, Y Chipotles, Oh My! & Other Tummy Tales."
The book weaves multicultural stories together with recipes including collard greens, fruit noodle kugel and, of course, frijoles. It was compiled, in part, by Dr. Renee Fajardo, the Journey Through our Heritage coordinator at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Here's one of Fajardo's favorite recipe, her aunt's frijoles.
Tia Lucy’s Frijoles
Tía Lucy isn’t in this story, but her frijoles recipe is what Uncle Jake was making.
Here it is. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 pound dried beans, any kind
Water
2-3 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
5-6 whole garlic cloves
Instructions
1. Clean and sort the beans.
2. The night before you plan to cook (10-14 hours ahead of time), soak the beans to reduce cooking time.
3. Drain the soaked beans and transfer to a large cooking pot. Cover with water to at least 4 inches above the beans.
4. Bring the beans to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to a medium simmer and let boil until there is only an inch of water left in pot.
5. Add boiling water to the pot as the beans reduce, until the water level is about 4 inches above the beans. Repeat until beans are tender.
6. After one hour, check beans for doneness. When done, add salt and garlic to taste.
Depending on their age, size, and variety, beans can take anywhere from an hour to three hours to cook through. This method of cooking will produce a rich, thick gravy that is wonderful to sop up with tortillas.
You can cool the beans in their cooking liquid and transfer them to refrigerator containers, still with their liquid. Beans will keep for one week refrigerated, or can be frozen for up to three months.
Colorado Public Radio: DEC 11, 2015
http://www.cpr.org/news/story/frijoles-elotes-y-chipotles-oh-my-new-book-blends-storytelling-food
Celebrate Ultimate Colorado Holiday cookie with “Biscochitos for Mis Jitos & Other Tummy Tales”
Just in time for the holidays the perfect Colorado cookie story. The latest addition to the local Tummy Tales series is a new book titled “Biscochitos for Mis Jitos & Other Tummy Tales.”
The newest book in the collection of family food stories features some of the Southwest’s best storytellers and authors. The highlight of the book celebrates a cookie called a Biscochito, which is regionally identified as having originated in Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico over a hundred years ago according to MSU Denver Journey Through Our Heritage students who have helped compile the new book.
The multi-cultural stories in the book are traditional family food tales, complete with recipes, and a lot of humor. The stories and recipes represent the numerous ethnic influences throughout the Southwest. Food recipes featured in the book include everything from biscochitos to apple, pandowdy to potato latkes to chili guiso.
Contributors include in the new book are: Carl Ruby, “Mr. Origami”, Renee Fajardo of MSU Denver (recent recipient of the Denver Public Library Cesar Chavez Hall of Fame award for her work on collecting Colorado stories), Lois Burrell, African American storyteller, Geneva Escobedo, Arizona author of Dichos de mi Padre; Rita Flores Wallace, Mexican folklorist, Sondra Singer, storyteller and folk musician; Jane Treat, author of Women & Middlehood: Halfway Up the Mountain; and eight others. Illustrated by famed Chicana artist Arlette Lucero and edited by Ed Winograd, prolific editor and Spanish/English translator, the book is a delightful holiday treat for old and young alike.
There are two book launches scheduled.. Each book launch features a biscochito contest.
Book Signings for “Biscochitos for Mis Jitos”
Sat. Nov. 10th, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 noon
Denver Woman’s Press Club (1325 Logan St. Denver, Co.)
Wed. Dec. 12th, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Chicano Humanities & Arts Council ( CHAC ) 222 Santa Fe Street, Denver, Co.)
Call For Biscochitos Contestants
Come to either of the book launches/ bring in two dozen of your homemade Biscochitos
Prizes for best Biscochitos to be awarded at event
For more information contact Renee Fajardo at jtoh2016@gmail.com or call 720-329-0869
More Info
Tummy Tale History – Over 20 years ago, with a grant from the Colorado Council on the Arts, Renee Fajardo, a Jeffco PTA mother of seven, and Carl Ruby, media specialist at Thomson Elementary in Arvada, published their first children’s book, “Holy Molé Guacamole! & Other Tummy Tales” (which received an award from the Colorado Council on the Arts and Humanities).
The multicultural stories in the book feature traditional family food tales, complete with recipes and a lot of humor. Fajardo said that the goal at that time was to “create a book that all children from many different cultural backgrounds could relate to. Family recipes proved to be great common ground.” Ruby and Fajardo gleaned the stories and recipes both from their own family traditions and from residents of Denver’s numerous ethnic neighborhoods. Foods featured in the book include everything from black-eyed peas and Italian pizzelles to matzo balls and Navajo tacos.
Other Tummy Tales Series Titles Include:
“Pinch A Lotta Enchiladas & Other Tummy Tales” (2002, from which the title story was selected from 3,000 entries nationwide to be in “Chicken Soup For the Latino Soul”), “Chili Today, Hot Tamale & Other Tummy Tales” (2005), “Ole! Posole! & Other Tummy Tales” (2006), and “Frijoles, Elotes, y Chipotles, Oh My! & Other Tummy Tales” (2016).
Authors Include:
Lois Burrell is an African-American storyteller. She loves to tell folk and fairy tales from around the world, plus stories from African and African-American culture. She participates in many events and locations that celebrate the art of storytelling. Lois has traveled internationally sharing her folktales. At almost 90 years old, Lois is one of the premier African American storytellers in Colorado and is considered a venerable veteran of the art of story. She is also a Corn Mother, featured in the book and traveling photojournalism exhibit, Return of the Corn Mothers.
Sandra Maresh Doe serves as Professor of English at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she has been employed since 1965. She recently published Trip and Return: Poems from 50 Years (Denver: First Cold Press, 2017) Her poems are included in The Crack in the Air: Poems from the Prairie. Ed. Angela Keane. (Denver, CO, Story Preserves, 2012). Rattapallax 12 published her story “Air, Soil, and Water,” in 2005. As an NEH/University of Iowa fellow at the 1979 Institute on Writing, she published “Experiments in Composing,” in Courses for Change in Writing: A Selection from the NEH/Iowa Institute.
Geneva Escobedo is the author of “Dichos de mi Padre: Sayings of My Father,” and one of 12 authors for “Frijoles, Elotes, y Chipotles, Oh My! & Other Tummy Tales.” For 30 years, Geneva has taught in higher education, but during those times and even during college, she began journaling and joined two women’s writing groups to pursue her goals to write and publish poetry and short stories. Geneva was also one of many Corn Mothers featured in the “Return of the Corn Mothers” photojournalism exhibit at the Arizona State University Museum of Anthropology in 2010, at the Center for Visual Arts at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and at Pima Community College.
Renee Fajardo is the director of MSU Denver’s Department of Chicano/a Studies Journey Through Our Heritage program, a freelance writer, and a contributor and author of numerous articles and books, most notably the Tummy Tales series and the “Return of the Corn Mothers.” Renee has been a longtime advocate for children and family rights. She has helped at-risk children with a summer camp, high school programs, workshops, and more. Passionate about bringing community together, she has dedicated the past 30 years to initiating collaborative neighborhood projects throughout Colorado.
David Henley, an attorney by training, has found a way to translate his colorful imagination into children’s stories about food that take you on an exciting journey each time you read them. A practicing attorney and healthcare executive, David never would have dreamed he would be able to say that he has had five stories published. David’s mother was a devout Christian and a dedicated elementary school teacher who taught him the value of giving back to the community. That’s what creates the inspiration for his stories and the reason he always includes a quote or lesson from the Bible. David hopes his stories will inspire children to be more compassionate towards others and recognize the power of food and traditions to bring people together.
Arlette Lucero is a professional visual artist in Denver. She uses a combination of realism, symbolism, and vibrant colors to capture the sensual mystery of her original concept. She has freelanced as a Graphic Artist, working with many clients for Web pages, company logos, posters, prints, fliers, postcards, brochures, catalogs, advertisements, magazine covers, CD labels, T-shirts and other souvenir items, art pages, and Christmas cards. Her favorite art projects have been illustrating children books. Aside from creating art such as “Chicana” (a symbolic painting representing the unification of diversity with a single woman), she teaches similar art techniques to children at Escuela de Guadalupe.
Bonnie Velarde Medina was born in Alamosa in the San Luis Valley, daughter of Walter and Bertha Velarde. She grew up in Alamosa. She attended Adams State University and completed her Associates Degree in IT from the University of Phoenix. She is currently employed with the Governor’s Office of Information Technology. She and husband Larry Medina have two beautiful children, Larysa and Logan Medina. She is a keeper of tradition and is a member of the Azteca danzante group, Huitzilopochtli. She learned to make biscochitos from her mother as well as many other traditional “Valle” foods like choke cherry jelly and green chili.
Mary P. Ozanic was born and raised in southern Illinois. The oldest of eight children in a family neighborhood of Slavic descent, food, home gardening, cooking and sharing meals was an integral part of family life. Ozanic spent the bulk of her professional career in the marketing and production of entertainment and sporting events in arenas and stadiums; graduated with her bachelor’s degree in communication in 2016 and is now a graduate student at the University of Colorado-Denver in the Social Sciences/Humanities Department where her research focuses on the significance of food and nutrition on relapse prevention in treatments for chemical dependencies.
Natalie Rose a JTOH MSU Denver alumni, she lives anywhere and everywhere with her one-eyed puggle named Smudge. She is pursuing life in the present, beside, and among. Her writing ties together experience, place, and peripheral people. She is currently in California for trauma recovery, mindfulness practice, and rest.
Carl Ruby (Mr. Origami) is a professional storyteller best known for his Japanese stories, complete with origami. He worked in the Jefferson County school district as a media specialist for many years before retiring to write and tell tall tales. This is his sixth Tummy Tales book.
Sondra Singer is the child and grandchild of immigrants who came here for better opportunities and freedom. She has her B.A. in Speech/Theater from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, where she received a full tuition talent grant for acting. Sondra retired in 2017 from the media advertising/corporate support world after over 30 years in Denver radio, and 4 years at Rocky Mountain Public Media. Sondra has been a performer all her life. She is a professional storyteller and musician (ukulele, voice, and percussion), is an aspiring children’s book author, and writes two adult blogs (so far).
Jane Treat is the co-author of “Women & Middlehood: Halfway Up the Mountain.” She is also a storyteller with programs that combine traditional tales from many parts of the world with true stories of modern people. Her love of books and stories are vital in her job as the Media/Library Coordinator of an elementary school in Littleton. Jane also leads modern day rites of passage programs.
Ed Winograd is an editor, translator, and storyteller. He has edited many computer, chemistry, and math books, but his favorite edits are the five books he has edited for the Tummy Tales series. He was honored to edit “Return of the Corn Mothers,” a compilation of photos and biographies of more than 40 women from the Southwest, and their stories of extraordinary women. He has written stories for four of the Tummy Tales books. His Spanish-to-English translations include newspaper articles, press releases, technical translations, and two books of poetry. As a storyteller, he performs original tales and stories from folklore, mostly Jewish and Hispanic. He served for many years on the board of the Rocky Mountain Storytellers Conference.
Rita Wallace is a renowned Mexican folklore educator, creator, and storyteller. Rita grew up in Galeana, both a municipality and a city, in the state of Nuevo León in Mexico. At age 9, she went to school to become a secretary, where she learned the domestic arts of embroidery and weaving, along with other skills. She is married to John Wallace, at the time of their meeting a Baker Middle School teacher from Denver, who she met when he was visiting Mexico. After their marriage in 1980, she left Mexico to join him in Denver, where she brought her love for the art and culture of Mexico to Colorado. Rita has created an educational legacy of Mexican folklore and arts, and her works have been featured at locations like the Denver Art Museum, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, El Pueblo History Museum, and the Center for Visual.
https://yourhub.denverpost.com/blog/2018/11/celebrate-colorado-ultimate-holiday-cookie-biscochitos-with-new-tummy-tale-book/229391/
