By Lisa Risager

By C.Levine

Dana Moors Plantains

Mennonite Board of Missions Photograph Collection. , Mission to Brazil.

Finger Lakes Community College, Costa Rica.

Christmas Feast
The smell of lip-smacking Lechon (roasted pork), filled the air each Christmas day in my family home. The smell of garlic and citrus juices together brings back a distinct memory for me. My mouth waters, when I smell it and my stomach growls till this day. The smell of sweet, slow roasted pork and the feeling of an empty stomach always helps to release my endorphins. This childhood reminiscence and tradition, my mother, bestowed upon my “American” family, will forever be embedded in my psyche. My mother’s father, had taught her, how to make this very special meal. The infamous meal in Cuba has the succulent Lechon, as its entrée with many side dishes to compliment it. Every Christmas in my house was celebrated as a “Cuban Christmas”. Conquistadores, are guilty for bringing the first pigs to Cuba. “Queen Isabella insisted that Christopher Columbus take eight pigs to Cuba in 1493” (Brand, 2016). Roasting a pig, is not only a Cuban tradition, but it is celebrated all around the world. “Pig roasting is a symbol of celebrations across the globe in many different countries. From Hawaii, to Puerto Rico, Cuba, the UK, and the Philippines and now in Other USA states and Canada pig roasts are a fun way to get people together (Admin, 2014). Roasted Pork- C. Levine
However, the Lechon (roasted pork) is consumed in many parts of the world, the sides that accompany the meal are Cuban style. The great meal consists of the Lechon (roasted pork), and the sides are: Fried platanos (fried plantains), black beans, white rice, yucca, Cuban bread, and mojo. Each side has its history of origin just as the pork does. I will give a brief history lesson of each side dish, whether they are indigenous to Cuba or not. I’ll begin with the plantain. The plantain is part of the banana family. They were brought to the island in the 1500’s. “The rapid expansion of the Bantu people of south and central Africa around 1500 A.D. is based largely on plantain trade. The plantains were traded to the Canary Islands, and from there they were introduced to Santo Domingo in the Caribbean by a Portuguese Franciscan monk around the year 1516 (Allen, 2016). I’m sure once they went to Santo Domingo, they eventually made their way to Cuba. Black Beans-Lisa Risager
Next, we have Cuban bread. I believed it was originally from the island and then brought to the United State by many Fidel exiles but, I assumed incorrectly.“The origins of “real” Cuban bread are debated, with both Miami and Tampa, Florida claiming to be the home of the best. With regards to where it originated, the earliest U.S. bakery to produce Cuban bread was most likely La Joven Francesca bakery,[1] which was established by the Sicilian-born Francisco Ferlita in 1896 in Ybor City, a thriving Cuban-Spanish-Italian community in Tampa” (Contributors, 2016). The bread is like the tortilla for Mexicans and Central Americans.
Third on my history lesson, are black beans which are a part of many Cuban dishes. “These beans date back at least 7,000 years, when they were a staple food in the diets of Central and South Americans” (Filippone, 2007).
Rice- Mennonite Church USA Archives (Archives)
Black beans and white rice need each other kind of like a marriage of food. Black beans separately (Moros y Christianos) or together which in Cuba is called Arroz Con’gri.
Fourth side is rice. Rice, is one of the first foods to be cultivated. “As far back as 2500 B.C. rice has been documented in the history books as a source of food and for tradition as well. Beginning in China and the surrounding areas, its cultivation spread throughout Sri Lanka, and India. It was then passed onto Greece and areas of the Mediterranean. Rice, spread throughout Southern Europe and to some of North Africa. From Europe rice was brought to the New World. From Portugal, it was brought into Brazil and from Spain to Central and South America” (Rost, 1997). Yucca- Modern Languages at Fingers Lakes Community College Costa Rica-2013
Cuba’s, dishes are an eclectic taste from countries, its distinct ancestry have shaped the current Cuban cuisine. “However, it was the Moors who, during their centuries of reign, most impacted Spanish gastronomy. Spain’s vast array of rice dishes, come straight from the Moors, as does the use of saffron, cinnamon, and nutmeg (Fernandez, 1989-2016). Yucca, is widely eaten with various dishes on the island. “The second major influence was Yucca, is the last side dish. African, arriving with the slaves that were brought to the island to undertake the hardest physical labor. From Africa came foods such as okra, taro root and plantains” (N/A, 2016).
Lastly, Mojo, which is an infusion of as many garlic cloves, as one can desire is fine, half a cup of olive oil or grade seed, 6 lemons bring all to a boil and there is your “Cuban Salsa”. Citrus is significant to give flavor to the meat and the mojo. “Citrus fruits were brought to America by the Spaniards (Columbus took seeds of citrus fruits with him in his second trip) and the Portuguese in their exploration trips to the New World, around year 1500. It is believed that the word “orange” originates from Sanskrit. International trade in fresh citrus fruits began almost two centuries ago. Even at its early stages, Spain played a dominant position in the Mediterranean area, supplying almost all citrus fruits shipped to United Kingdom, Germany, and France” (N/A, Citrus Fruits, 2007). The history lesson has been established, we must return to the recipe for the best meal can enjoy on Christmas.
According, to my mother we could only enjoy this meal twice a year on Christmas and Easter. On Christmas day, we were not allowed to eat until the feast was ready to be devoured. Her, theory was an empty stomach would allow you to eat all the roasted pig one could consume. If a person was to go walking through the streets of Cuba before (Christmas eve) or as it is known in Cuba Noche Buena, they would smell the streets engulfed with garlic, onions, citrus all infusing inside the Lechon. Traditionally, the meal began being prepared a day or two before. For the pig to be salty, sweet, tangy, juicy, and tender a process of patience and a bit of work would have to be put forth. Back in Cuba the pig endures a 12-hour process. The pig was roasted, with the same key ingredients we use today with the exception that it is placed underground and wrapped in banana leaves. However, in my house my mother only went out and bought the shoulder, which only required six to seven hours of slow roasting. As the days got closer to Christmas Eve or (Noche Buena) we would begin to prepare for our overly anticipated feast. I would go to the grocery store with my mother. She would advise me that only the best ingredients were to be bought for the meal. Our shopping hunt would begin heading straight for the meat section, her search was for the reddest, meatiest piece of 15-20-pound pork shoulder. After, she had acquired the best piece of pork in the store, we would beeline it over to the vegetable section. 1 pound of a bag of black beans, 1 pound of a bag of white rice1 bag of Garlic cloves, 15 limes, 15 lemons, 6 Oranges, 1 bottle of cumin, 4 white onions or red, 1 box of Goya sofrito (Cuban spice), 2 green bell peppers, a jar of bay leaves, 1 small jar of Spanish olives all of which filled the bottom of the basket. Yucca, black beans of any type are allowed, white rice, Cuban bread and olive oil were the next items to be put in the basket as side dishes which were to accompany the piglet.
Once home, my mom would instruct me on to how to begin preparations for marinating the pork. One needs to get a whole garlic break it, cut the ends off and peel it. Then get a whole onion and cut it up in tiny strips. A white, purple, or yellow onion will suffice. I like purple onions personally, to me they make they complement meats rather than the white or yellow. Those would be last they can be put in a bowl and put aside. Second step, 6 lemons, 6 oranges, 6 limes need to be cut in half. You can use a spoon to take out the juice of all the fruits. It is important that the pork is full of juice this helps the meat to break down more juice is better. The juice is going to fall to the bottom of the pan. Third, 1 table spoon of salt, 1 table spoon of cumin, 1 table spoon of sofrito is used to rub the pork down. Lastly, grab a sharp knife that has a pointy end. With the knife one must insert slits deep in the pork, this will allow the garlic cloves to sit tight inside while cooking. Get the garlic cloves and make sure that each side of the shank is entrenched with garlic. Place the shank in a deep roasting pan. Add the onion on top along with a bay leaf depending if you wish for an intense earthy flavor. Wrap it tight with aluminum foil leaving no possibility of air to seep out. During the roasting process its own moisture and juices will be absorbed. Allowing for the muscle to break down in the process. Put the pan in the refrigerator overnight. The pork is ready to be placed in the oven Christmas morning if you place it early a 15-pound shoulder, takes about six to seven hours.
Our next task, was to tackle the black beans the night before. There were only six of us eating the dinner, a pound of black beans was adequate. The black beans were to be washed, seethed through for any broken or bad beans. They were to be soaked throughout the night. The washing and soaking allows the beans to be cooked faster and allows all the gases to escape. The next morning, we would begin cooking the black beans while the pork roasted in the oven. We added 1 chopped bell pepper, 2 garlic cloves, 1 pack of sofrito, 1 bay leaf, a few Spanish olives, 1 chopped onion, and as much salt as our heart’s desired. The beans needed to be boiled 3 to 4 hours. The Yucca, needs to be peeled and cut to boil for 1 ½ hours until the starches begin to breakdown kind of like a potato. As time, would get closer to the pork being done. My mom would get 2 cups of rice and 4 cups of water to boil and then she would put it on a low heat allowing the water to evaporate any pan with a lid will suffice. Once, the beans, rice, yucca are done we would peel the plantains and fry them up in a ¾ sauce pan with olive oil. The bread could be served whole or cut into halves. The mojo was the last side to be made. Finally, take out the Lechon, serve your plate and enjoy!

Bibliography
Admin. (2014, March 18). Pig Roasting: A Walk Down Memory Lane. Retrieved from La Caja China: http://blog.lacajachina.com/pig-roasting/
Allen, J. (2016, December 13). History of Plantains. Retrieved from ehow Discover: http://www.ehow.com/about_5377146_history-plantains.html
Archives, M. C. (n.d.). Rice. 1954-1970. IV-10-7.2 Box 2 Folder 20, Photo #5. . Mennonite Board of Missions Photograph Collection. , Mission to Brazil.
Brand, O. H. (2016). The History of Pork. Retrieved from pork Be inspired: http://www.porkbeinspired.com/about-the-national-pork-board/the-history-of-pork/
Brent, M. (1999-2016). The Uses and History of the Yucca Plant. Retrieved from ehow Discover: http://www.ehow.com/how_8252033_prune-off-dead-flowering-stalk.html
C.Levine. (n.d.). Cuban Roasted Pork. N/A. N/A, February 22,2010.
Contributors, W. (2016, December 3). Cuban Bread. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Cuban_bread&id=752771987
Fernandez, G. (1989-2016). Enforex Teaching Spanish since 1989. Retrieved from HIstory of Spanish Food : http://www.enforex.com/culture/history-spanish-food.html
Filippone, P. T. (2007). aboutfood. Retrieved from Black Bean History: http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/blkbeanshistory.htm
Moos, D. (n.d.). plaintain,yuca and sweet potato chips. N/A. N/A, October 24, 2009.
N/A. (2007, August 1). Citrus Fruits. Retrieved from orgin and History: https://citrusfruits.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/originhistory/
N/A. (2016). lahabana.com . Retrieved from Cuban Cuisine traditions and innovations: http://www.lahabana.com/content/cuban-cuisine-traditions-and-innovations/
Project, T. L. (n.d.). Yucca Root. Study Abroad Program, Costa Rica Spring 2013. Modern Languages at Finger Lakes Community College, Costa Rica.
Risager, L. (n.d.). N/A. Black Beans. N/A, July 21, 2009.
Rost, T. L. (1997). Rice Anatomy: Introduction. Retrieved from Division of Bilogical Science University of California, Davis: http://www-plb.ucdavis.edu/labs/rost/Rice/introduction/intro.html

Hope Buhl

Food & Culture

Dr. Annemarie Perez

12/13/2016

Final Project Cookbook Entry:

Dirty Rice-Vegan Style

My dirty rice dish is a recipe that always brings back childhood memories when I prepare it. My childhood was very humble but it was also full of love and great food. I am the youngest of six children whom my Mother raised and because there were so many mouths to feed my Mother always had to be creative to make food last and also to create what we thought were these grand dishes but really it was just my Mother being creative to make ends meet. This dish has always been unique to me because it was different every time and every time my Mother made it, it was delicious. The reason it was different every time was because my Mother would always cook dirty rice when our food got low and so she would use the ingredients that we had in the fridge and cabinet and she would create a master piece out of nothing.

I now prepare the many variations of this dish for my daughter and my family. It is the only dish that I have come to master; my family loves it and often request for me to make it for them. I love to make it for breakfast for my daughter because it’s quick and tasty. I scramble eggs, cheese, white onion, green onion, sausage salt, pepper and rice and she just loves it. I also make a soup out of this by preparing my own broth with tomato paste, water or vegetable stock and seasonings and just add the rice (a photo of this is attached and you can see how red and thick the sauce is).

Now that I have become a working Mom myself, I realize that rice is actually “a saving grace staple food” and what I mean by that is that rice is one of the most inexpensive foods and being that it is so cheap it keeps many bellies full across the world without breaking the bank. It made me emotional writing this paper because as a single working Mother myself of one child, I realized how hard it must have been for my Mother to have to feed six children and at the time and three grandchildren was also added to our family. I couldn’t even imagine having to do that on the income she had. So when I think of it I am both sad and proud of my Mother for having the strength and courage to even attempt such a great task. I am sad because I know it must have been very difficult for her and I can remember that a lot of the times all we had was rice and she would prepare a “sweet rice”, which was boiled and she would add sugar, butter, salt and pepper and it was just devine!

Rice is a staple food around the world and I thought it was so beautiful to research and experience the way people around the world enjoys rice as I did when I was younger and as I continue to enjoy.

Rice is typically rinsed before cooking to remove excess starch. Rice produced in the US is usually fortified with vitamins and minerals, and rinsing will result in a loss of nutrients. Rice may be rinsed repeatedly until the rinse water is clear to improve the texture and taste.

Rice is the staple food of over half the world’s population. It is the predominant dietary energy source for 17 countries in Asia and the Pacific, 9 countries in North and South America and 8 countries in Africa. Rice provides 20% of the world’s dietary energy supply, while wheat supplies 19% and maize (corn) 5%.

A detailed analysis of nutrient content of rice suggests that the nutrition value of rice varies based on a number of factors. It depends on the strain of rice, that is between white, brown, red, and black (or purple) varieties of rice – each prevalent in different parts of the world. It also depends on nutrient quality of the soil rice is grown in, whether and how the rice is polished or processed, the manner it is enriched, and how it is prepared before consumption.

An illustrative comparison between white and brown rice of protein quality, mineral and vitamin quality, carbohydrate and fat quality suggests that neither is a complete nutrition source. Between the two, there is a significant difference in fiber content and minor differences in other nutrients.

Riceland Foods, Inc., is a farmer-owned agricultural marketing cooperative and the world’s largest miller and marketer of rice. The company was founded in 1921 with headquarters in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Riceland owns and operates seven rice mills, including the largest rice mill in the world, located in Jonesboro, Arkansas. More than two-thirds of Riceland’s business is delivering, milling, storing, marketing and distributing rice. The core mission of this farmer-owned cooperative is to generate enhanced revenue and services for its members.

Some commercially available products under the Riceland Rice label include milled white, brown and parboiled rice, and Rice ‘N Easy Flavored Rice. The co-op also sells products to retailers, food service, and food manufacturing companies globally. Riceland also produces rice bran oil and rice flour and offers rice bran and hulls to pet food makers and livestock farmers as feed ingredients and bedding.

Riceland is also a major soybean processor in the Mississippi Delta region of the United States where milling, pressing, packaging and distribution occurs. It refines soybean and other vegetable oils for food service and food manufacturing companies. Soybean meal products are sold primarily to the poultry and catfish industries. In addition, winter wheat and limited quantities of corn are handled, depending on the needs of farmer-members. Bi-products that are commercially marketed include organic gardening amenities like PBH (pasteurized rice hulls) and rice hull ash which are bio-degradable and bio-renewable soil supplement replacements for perlite and vermiculite.

Each year, more than 1,500 employees receive, store, transport, process, and market more than 125 million total bushels of grain produced by its 5,500 farmer/owner members in Arkansas and Missouri.

Vegan Dirty Rice:

Ingredients:

• Jasmine rice (brand-Goya 2 cups)
• Pinapple (1 can of dole chopped)
• Serrano peppers (5 sliced)
• Garlic-fresh (half clove)
• Onion (1 white finely chopped)
• Parsley (half cup) mix at the end of preparation.
• Green onion (half stalk) chop finely
• Broccoli florets (fresh stalk 2) chop small
• Veggie bouillon, chicken bouillon or tomato bouillon for flavor and taste (2 table spoons)
• Grape seed oil (4 table spoons)
• Garlic powder (1 tablespoon)

Preparations:

• Cook two cups of Goya Jasmine rice in a medium sized pot with two cups of water and two cups of rice: I cook it until it is almost done because you don’t want it to be mushy when you fry it at the end. Set the rice aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Chop onion, garlic, green onion and broccoli florets add to a few tablespoons of grape seed oil and sauté until tender and golden.
• Sauté the Serrano peppers in separate skillet with a tea spoon of grape seed oil until golden or until your desired texture.
• In the same skillet you just sautéed the Serrano peppers in add six tablespoons of grape seed oil and add in the rice and veggies
• As you mix in all the rice and veggies, add the 2 table spoons of the bouillon of your choice and also add in the 1 table spoon of garlic powder
• Add in the parsley (half cup and mix in).
• Mix really well so that all the veggies and seasonings are mixed evenly throughout the rice.Dirty Rice Photo

Spam Musubi

As a kid it’s so important what your mom packed in your lunch when you went to school. I remember at school we would all open our lunches together comparing what each of our mothers had carefully packaged in our brown paper bags for lunch. To start, if you had a lunch pail you were already winning the food comparison between friends. I used to be so ashamed because my mother and father would always write, “Matty” on the front of my lunch bag which of course in grade school was death by embarrassment, not only that but they wrote cute notes on my napkins too. After a while I was able to convince her that a Spiderman lunch pail was much needed and my lunch bag problem was solved. After we all opened our lunches we looked at what we got and oftentimes would exchange food items. Food was traded and bartered for amongst friends, for example a bag of grapes and a cheese stick could be trades for a small bag of Lay’s Potato Chips or one Oreo packet could buy you a whole sandwich and something else because the sweets always were one of the most sought after snacks. Although sweets were very popular, the number one thing everyone wanted to trade for was my mom’s Spam Musubi. Nothing hits your taste palate quite like the flavor of Spam Musubi, in my opinion its one of the best things in life. Perfectly cut Spam grilled until golden brown and slightly crunchy, with teriyaki sauce layered in between a ball of freshly cooked rice, all of which is wrapped in toasted seaweed (nori), bringing together a medley of saltiness and sweetness. For as much Spam that I ate growing up, I’m surprised I still love it just as much as the first day I tried it. Now that i think of it, I’ve ate it for so long and so early in my life that it’s impossible to remember the first time that I tried Spam. I would eat scrambled eggs, Spam, portuguese sausage and rice for breakfast, Spam and egg sandwiches or Spam Musubi for lunch, not all in one day but every other day.  My Grandpa, a Hawaiian Filipino cook and jack of all trades, grew up on the Hawaiian Islands where Spam influenced his life and what he cooked greatly. He also fought in the Korean War, during a common  staple in all military branches because it was cheap, easily canned, and had a long shelf life.

Spam Musubi Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
• 2 cups water
• 6 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 (12 ounce) container of Spam
• 5 sheets sushi nori (dry seaweed)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation Time: 25 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ready In: As soon as you’re done or refrigerated to served chilled

Directions:

1. Soak uncooked rice for 4 hours; drain and rinse.
2. In a saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in rice vinegar, and set aside to cool.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Slice SPAM lengthwise into 10 slices, or to desired thickness, and marinate in sauce for 5 minutes.
4. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Cook slices for 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Cut nori sheets in half and lay on a flat work surface. Place a rice press in the center of the sheet, and press rice tightly inside. Top with a slice of SPAM, and remove press. Wrap nori around rice mold, sealing edges with a small amount of water. (Rice may also be formed by hand in the shape of the meat slices, 1 inch thick.) Musubi may be served warm or chilled.

The history of Spam is really interesting for how it gained popularity and how it came about. The article The History of Spam Musubi written by Vanessa Benoit, sums up Spam’s origin well, “The history of spam began with Hormel Foods, in 1937. Jay Hormel, with plans to enhance and build on his father’s company, was not the only SPAMcompany in town. He introduced canned ham in 1926 and it was swiftly imitated. In the 30’s many companies were working on canning ham and pork products. But his competition allowed for pig ears, lips, and snouts in their meat. This gave Hormel an “in” or an advantage over what he could do better. He insisted in not using those parts and decided to instead use the shoulder meat of a pig, which was more time consuming. But now he also needed ways to make his product visibly distinct. He wanted to reduce the size of the can but kept running into an issue where the canned meat would release too much excess juice. He finally decided that the meat needed to be also mixed in a vacuum, to reduce leftover juices. No one really knows why the meat was called “spam”. Many speculate it was an amalgam of the words “spiced ham”, even though actual ham was not added to the concoction until later. Some people like to come up with comical acronyms such as “Spiced Processed Assorted Meat” or “Sciencey Pork and Meat”. The product did not take off by any means, not at first. But it was known for being economical. And in some cases, it was something housewives could throw together for an easy meal.” It started as an economical means of feeding your family, a cheap way of getting your protein, meat could get expensive and during the recession SPAM was the go to product.

More specifically the history of how Spam became so popular in Hawaii (where my family is from) is very interesting. There is some great information about it in this article on Musubi Boy’s website, “In Hawaii during World War II fishing was prohibited and other meat was scarce, which prompted creativity in local recipe selections. This adaptation happily led to the creation of various forms of musubi. When fresh meat was in short supply in these remote islands, resourceful Hawaiian inhabitants were initially introduced to Spam, the lovable meat product in a can and one of the components of some musubi. During the following years, the local populace invented numerous culinary creations utilizing this canned wonder, however musubi will always be first in their hearts… When Hawaii food historian Arnold Hiura traveled to California to talk about his book, Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands (Watermark Publishing, 2009), he was surprised to find many Japanese-Americans staking ethnicity claims on the quintessential Island snack favorite: the Spam musubi. “They feel they invented the Spam musubi,” he says. “They actually trace it to the internment camps.” Following the December 1941 Japanese attack on Oahu’s Pearl Harbor, more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry living on the U.S. mainland West Coast were imprisoned in remote internment camps in multiple states for the duration of World War II. With the pink canned meat prevalent, they crafted a sort-of Spam sushi, placing seasoned slices of it on white rice in a baking pan. Says Hiura, “They’d cut it, serve it and that was the forerunner to what we know as the Spam musubi.” Served to soldiers stationed here, Spam was omnipresent in World War II-era Hawaii, too. Today, Island residents consume almost 7 million cans of Spam annually—the nation’s highest per capita consumption—much of it in musubi. The modern Spam musubi, however, is typically crafted individually, sans baking pan, its slice of salty meat further seasoned with a shoyu-sugar sauce and placed on a block of white rice with the same surface area as the Spam slice, then wrapped in nori (dry seaweed). Offered pretty much everywhere prepared foods are sold in Hawaii, they’re our perfect portable, eat-anywhere snack”. Since early 1937, Minnesota-based Hormel Foods, the home of Spam, has sold over 7 billion cans throughout the world. Annually there are about 100 million cans sold just in the US in Hawaii alone, approximately six cans per person annually are consumed or about 5 million pounds per year for the whole state combined.

During World War II there was need for a product that could be sent to troops far away on the front lines, something that didn’t need to be refrigerated, could be shipped easily, survive wet tropical conditions and was high in protein, SPAM was that product. During the war over 100 Million pounds of SPAM was sent to feed troops. Hawaii’s population was 423,000 and out of that total 158,000 were of Japanese descent, that’s over one third of the population. Since they logistically couldn’t send that many Japanese to internment camps like the government was doing along the west coast of the US, they had to put restrictions on them. It was illegal to fish if you were Japanese for fear of leaving the island and conspiring with the Japanese Imperial Army. Since they couldn’t fish their main source of protein was depleted, people turned to SPAM instead. There was even a mascot invented called Slammin’ Spammy who GI’s painted onto the sides of their Airplanes as well as the Hormel Girls that would tour the country selling the canned meat and promoting it through song and dance. SPAM can be found in McDonald’s and Burger Kings in the Hawaiian Islands and are even sold at 7/11 stores. There are 22 different flavors and types of SPAM available for consumption, and in 2007, Hormel says, it shipped off its 7 billionth can. It took 22 years to break the billion-tin mark, at which point the sales ramped up exponentially.

I’m so glad that Hawaii helped make SPAM popular through musubi’s. It’s kind of crazy that a product that was originally made for the low income families has turned into such a big deal. There’s a Spam Museum, a festival cook-off in Waikiki, National SPAM olympics and even high end SPAM dishes in famous restaurants in Los Angeles. Who would’ve thought there was so much history behind some canned meat made for the poor.

Work Cited Page

Vanessa Benoit. (2016, June 26). The history of the Spam Musubi. Retrieved November 30, 2016, from http://www.tabelog.us/articles/the-history-of-the-spam-musubi

Fulton, A. (2015, April 13). How Spam helped shape Hawaii. Retrieved November 30, 2016, from http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/13/how-spam-helped-shape-hawaii/

Lamar, E. (2015, April 1). There’s a lot more to Musubi than just Spam. Retrieved November 30, 2016, from https://munchies.vice.com/en/articles/theres-a-lot-more-to-musubi-than-just-spam

Musubi boy. Retrieved December 12, 2016, from http://maework21.wixsite.com/musubiboy/musubi-history

Onigiri (2016). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onigiri

Toth, C. (2016, August 22). The history of Five local grinds. Retrieved December 14, 2016, from http://www.hawaiimagazine.com/content/history-five-local-grinds

Hartley, M. (2016, January 27). Episode 30: Spam, Hawaii, & Japanese internment – the hidden history of business Podcast. Retrieved December 14, 2016, from Food, http://hiddenhistoryofbusiness.com/index.php/2016/01/27/episode-30-spam-hawaii-japanese-internment/

Carbone, N. (2012, July 9). How much Spam? | Spam turns 75: 10 things you didn’t know about the canned meat | TIME.Com. Retrieved December 14, 2016, from http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/07/10/spam-turns-75-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-canned-meat/slide/more-than-seven-billion-cans-have-been-sold/

New York Times Magazine (2007, June 11). International Business. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/11/business/worldbusiness/11iht-spam.1.6089119.html?_r=0

Turner, W. (1984, September 9). MILK WAR POINTS UP HAWAIIAN INSULARITY. Week in Review. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/09/weekinreview/milk-war-points-up-hawaiian-insularity.html

As a kid, I knew it.  We. Were. Poor.  How poor?  Rationed-milk poor; Rationed-everything, poor.  Sometimes, our meals were comprised entirely from government issued food products.  And, for some odd reason, we didn’t qualify for food stamps or any other social assistance.  But, my Mom figured it out; She had to.  Sometimes, for dinner, we’d have an avocado and two tortillas each, period.  I remember one Christmas, the only reason we had any type of holiday dinner is because the Police dropped off a box of food—some sort of neighbor outreach program.  We were thankful, but I remember sitting there with my immigrant mother, wondering what you could POSSIBLY use cranberry sauce or stuffing for; it just made no sense, why not send a bag of beans instead?

It is from this struggle that my mother’s tostadas were born.  Like all overpriced cuisine, it was born from desperation and brought to you by the poor.  My Mother could make a meal out of nothing.  I don’t remember the specific date, but the memory always starts the same:  I was hungry and all we had in the refrigerator was a take-home-plate from a party we had attended over the weekend.  The plate was composed of two or three pieces of chicken, rice, salad and some hardened tortillas.  For Latinos growing up in Los Angeles, this was a common food given at parties, because it was cheap to make.  Other times, it could have been what looked like a bare-bone chicken on a plate.  Whatever the set up, my mother would pluck the remaining poultry meat from the bones, and add whatever veggies she could.  She would deep fry the tortillas, once crisp, she would smother a teaspoon of fried beans over them.  The chicken layer would be next, and it would all be topped with shredded lettuce, chile and a sprinkle of cheese.  The result:  The world famous Crenshaw Tostada.  It was perfect.  It was warm.  The flavors of freshness would explode in your mouth.  If we were doing well, it would include Guacamole.  The tostada is perfect, no matter what the occasion.  As I bit through the warm crunchy awesomeness, using my hand to hold it together as my teeth created a cracked fault line through the middle of the deep fried tortilla, I knew we would be okay.  I have continued the tradition of the Tostada and have renamed it the Bell Gardens tostada.  It costs about .80 cents to make, but you can get one at Broken Spanish in Downtown L.A. for $13.00.

Overpriced cuisine, inspired by necessity

The Burrito.  $12.87 for the Quesarito Burrito (Chipotle secret menu).  Neither Taco Bell or El Cholo are responsible for the Burrito’s creation.  Though there are cultural references of the Burrito since 1848, it made the Oxford English Dictionary in 1934.  The visual we get of a Burrito is a modern model, it is the “Mission style” burrito.  Though people have been putting food inside a tortilla since the creation of the tortilla, we understand that the burrito is a product of the labor force.  Poor workers would wrap meat and whatever other leftovers they had into a large tortilla to-go, only to unwrap it many miles later, perhaps while sitting under a tree.  Without access to refrigeration and too far from the farm house for a quick trip back for lunch, the Burrito became the most efficient way to “take your lunch” with you.

Fried Chicken.  $200 for a fried chicken meal, Ad Hoc, Yountville, CA.  Scottish-Irish Immigrants to the United States introduced their motherland cooking tricks to the Southern States, where African slaves were able to incorporate American seasonings to make it, well, American.  Think about it, how do you feed an entire family with one chicken?  You bread it.  Increasing the calorie count and obviously flavor.  The same recipe was given to Catfish, creating a separate famous southern dish.

Gumbo. $18 a bowl, Harold and Belle’s.  According to Dr. Carl A. Brasseaux, expert on all things Cajun, the first documented references to gumbo appeared in the 19th century. In 1803, gumbo was served at a Gubernatorial reception in New Orleans, and in 1804 gumbo was served at a Cajun gathering on the Acadian Coast.  Today’s Gumbo however, is very different from what was served in the 1800’s.  Most people associate Gumbo with seafood gumbo; it isn’t rare for it to also include chicken, ham, bacon, oysters, crab, shrimp and beef.  The modern version of Gumbo is a result of the poor getting together trying to have a good time with everybody bringing a little something to the party and throwing it “in the pot”.  Everybody eats.

Chile con Carne.  International Chili Cookoff First-place prize: $25,000.  Historians agree that J.C. Clopper, from Texas, was the first to document the phenomenon. In his visit to San Antonio in 1828, he documented his observations and wrote “When they [poor families of San Antonio] have to lay for their meat in the market, a very little is made to suffice for the family; it is generally cut into a kind of hash with nearly as many peppers as there are pieces of meat–this is all stewed together.”  Like most things in Texas (cowboys, spurs and music) Chili con Carne is Mexican influenced.  Before the dividing lines of border politics, poor Mexican and poor American cowboys met along what is now the border, to discuss topography and ranching.  It was not rare for a witch’s plot full of hash meat, chili peppers and beans to be sitting over a fire.

 Lobster.  $16.29 for one Maine Lobster Tail, Red Lobster.  Seafood is supposed to be a poorman’s food.  So as long as you have a hook and some string, you can catch and cook your own seafood.  During peak season, Lobster was approximately $3.69 a pound, in Maine.

Modern day Tostada Ingridients:

6 crunchy Tostadas

Two boiled chicken breast

Frozen Vegetables

1 can of tomato sauce

1 garlic clove

Half a chopped onion

Half a head of lettuce

One chopped tomato

Shredded Parmesan cheese

1 can of beans (any color of beans)

Sour Cream

Avocado

The Bell Gardens Tostada Ingredients:

Chicken.  Restaurant left-over chicken is the best.  It is seasoned differently than you would.  The local food bank would provide us with a box of produce occasionally.  This allowed for my mother to sautee the chicken meat with carrots, onion, potatoes, carrots, celery and tomato.

Beans.  We always had boiled beans in the house.  Tostadas require the beans be mashed and fried; with pork fat, or Manteca.  Throwing in a little chile and/or Cotija cheese in the frying process was always an option.

Side Sauce.  Tomatoes are blended and poured into a deep, hot pan, where garlic and onion have been caramelized.  This is your topping sauce.

Tostadas.  Tostadas must be served hot, so they are the last to be prepared.  Day-old tortillas are preferred.  Once you decide if you will be dipping them in enchilada sauce or not, put them in hot oil until crispy.

Please reference paragraph two for preparation instructions.

Enjoy!

References

“The Mexican Food Revolution.” National Museum of American History. N.p., 30 May 2014.

Web. 26 Nov. 2016. <http://americanhistory.si.edu/food/resetting-table/mexican-food-revolution>.

“Four Big Facts The Daily Got Wrong In Its History of the Burrito.” OC Weekly. N.p., 27 May

2016. Web. 01 Dec. 2016. <http://www.ocweekly.com/restaurants/four-big-facts-the-daily-got-wrong-in-its-history-of-the-burrito-6627691>.

“History of Fried Chicken & Spotlight on Chef Duff Goldman…” Ergo Chef Blog. N.p., 15 July

2015. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. <http://ergochef.com/blog/history-of-fried-chicken-spotlight-on-chef-duff-goldman/>.

“Where Did Southern Fried Chicken Come From?” United States – Where Did Southern Fried

Chicken Come From? – History Stack Exchange. Stack Exchange, 28 Sept. 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2016. http://history.stackexchange.com/questions/15364/where-did-southern-fried-chicken-come-from.

“Chili History.” National Chili Day. ICS, 23 Feb. 2016. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

<http://www.nationalchiliday.com/chili-history.html#.WERORtIrJdg>.

The Sopa Verde, which is translated as the green soup, is not really a green soup; it is pasta with a creamy green chile sauce and cheese.  It is a dish that my family and I have enjoyed since I can remember.  This dish was always prepared during the holidays during Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is a side dish but we love it and we enjoy it often as a main dish.  I asked my mother where this recipe came from and she said she was 99% sure that it came from one of my father’s sisters.  My dad came from a big family of 12 siblings, the aunt that made the Sopa Verde was Tere short for Teresa, and she passed away 8 years ago.  All of my aunts, there are 6 six of them, are all good at cooking.  I have tasted everyone’s cooking and it has all been delicious.  Which makes sense because they all grew up learning to cook in the same kitchen from my Grandmother, but when you ask each of my aunts who cooks the best out of all the sisters they will all have the same answer “tu tia Tere,” translation, “ your aunt Tere.”

During the holidays when I was a little girl one of the things I looked forward to was eating that Sopa Verde, we would look forward to it all year long.  For the longest time I thought I was the only who loved the dish the most, but as I got older I learned that all of my cousins and aunts and uncles were thinking the same thing.  For Christmas every year we would go to Ensenada, Mexico.  Ensenada is about 2 hours away from the Tijuana Border.  It is a beautiful trip during the day and even more beautiful if the sun is setting, you have the ocean view all the way to Ensenada.  As you arrive to Ensenada you can see all the fishing boats, this always makes me think of my dad and my Grandfather.  My Grandfather owned a few of the fishing boats and my dad was one of the fishermen so they used be out fishing for months at a time.   My parents are both from Ensenada and we would always stay at my mother’s only sisters’ house through our Christmas Vacation.  We would celebrate with my mother’s family on Christmas Eve, and then on Christmas day we would go to my father’s parent’s house.  We would get there at around 4 or 5 in the evening by that time most of the family was there.   The house was so full of people at least 50 people, all immediate family.  I was always so overwhelmed with my dad’s huge family but also happy to see them all.  The kitchen always seemed to be the most popular room.  My aunts were always there forming an assembly line to be able to feed the whole family, my mother would always join in and help.  It was fun watching all the sisters together helping each other cook and the interesting part to me was that even though it was a lot of hard work cooking all that food and serving everybody they always looked so happy and enjoying themselves laughing and talking the whole time.  For Christmas the Sopa Verde accompanied the Tamales, beans, and a carrot salad and it was first introduced to the family (dad’s side) on Christmas Eve dinner by my aunt Tere.  For Thanksgiving the Sopa Verde became part of our Turkey dinner and it goes great with everything.  When I asked my mother and my aunts where my aunt discovered this recipe, none of them were too sure or could remember, but they said that she must have picked it up from one of the parties she attended.  My aunt was notorious for attending parties, birthdays, wedding, etc. at least one every weekend.  My aunt was the wife of a principle to a middle school, so she was invited to many events.   She must have picked up the recipe from one of the thousands of parties she attended.  My aunt had given my mother the recipe, and my mother introduced it to her side of the family, and now they are all obsessed with this dish, having no Sopa Verde for Thanksgiving dinner would be like having no turkey, in our family it is very important.  My mom’s sister and cousins have all learned how to make Sopa Verde.  I’m pretty sure other families make this dish on for the holidays as well. Although, I have never seen it in anybody else’s home for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, but my says she has over heard someone in the market saying “don’t forget the green noodles to make the green pasta,” this could mean anything just because they said green doesn’t mean it was our Sopa Verde, they could have meant a pesto pasta or maybe they use green food coloring, I just don’t think it was our Sopa Verde, but my mother seems to think so.  Another time I was describing it to a co-worker and she said she thought her family makes it too, she said the ingredients sounded familiar.  It’s possible, but I don’t think so.

This is the way my mother prepares it;

• She boils thin curly egg noodles which she changed since last year, she used the thicker noodles before, in my opinion the thinner ones are better
• 
• Then she drains the noodles once their cooked, and starts making the sauce.
• 
• For the sauce she uses canned green chiles, and it is the quicker version of the recipe. The original recipe calls for fresh roasted peppers.  My aunt always took the time to roast the green chile peppers on an open flame, then peel them and deseed them (just like chile rellenos) It does come out a bit spicier, which I prefer and it of course it does the fresh peppers do give more flavor, but if you don’t like spice then go with the canned version or you can add a little more sour cream it will still come out good.
• Next you put the roasted chiles in the blender along with about one cup of sour cream, 1 table spoon Knorr bouillon powder a little salt, and pepper, and blend.   My mother never uses measurements, she’s been making it forever so she just knows the right amount, and she’s constantly tasting just see to if she needs to add a little more of anything, that is very important.
• You put your noodles in your baking bowl, we usually use the big disposable aluminum pans since were making a big portion. Before you add the sauce you cut pieces of one stick of butter, you don’t have to use the entire stick, and put them on top of the past.  Once the sauce tastes perfect to your liking you pour the green chile creamy sauce all over the noodles.
• Finally you sprinkle your, either mozzarella, or jack cheese, we always mix both cheeses, but either one will come out good. Cover with foil and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese has melted.        

I tried to find a recipe online to see if there was one out there, but I really couldn’t find anything.  The closest recipe I found was one from a restaurant called Pinto Restaurant & Salsa Company, the recipe calls for green roasted chiles, but they add chicken, parmesan cheese and garlic which make it in my opinion a little more Italian style.  Another recipe I found was a Green Chile-Cilantro Pesto Sauce (Pasta), I love a pesto sauce and it looks really good but not the same.

The history of pasta is not very easy to trace.  I looked up some of the origins of pasta and most would think that it originated in Italy since they are famous for it.  Historians claim that it was the Arabs, especially from Libya, that were the first to bring pasta along with spinach, eggplant and sugar cane.  Pasta was introduced to Italy during the Arabs conquest in Sicily, which also influenced Italian dishes.  A common belief about pasta is that it was brought to Italy from China by Marco Polo during the 13th century.  Since Polo’s original work doesn’t exist anymore, the book relies on stories retold by various authors.  Oh and did you know there  are over 500 different types of pasta from shapes to colors, I found a list of the pasta variations that I thought was pretty interesting to see.

The history of the green chile is the pepper, member of the genus Capsicum part of the night shade family of flowering plants.  It is related to the tomato and the potato, that’s strange they are so different.  The red and green peppers are fruits from the same plant picked at different times.  Most chiles come from New Mexico; it is considered the Chile capitol of the world.  Chile peppers are good sources of vitamin A, B, and C.  They are high in fiber, phytonutrients, and Capsaicin.  They also help boost your metabolism and the nutrients help stimulate weight loss.

Chiles were said to have originated back in 7000 B.C.  Mexicans used the chiles to spice up and give their food flavor.  The green chile was brought to the U.S by none other than Christopher Columbus, the very same Columbus who discovered America in 1493.  Christopher mistook the chile for black pepper and that is how the name “chile pepper” came to be.  Chile seeds were brought to North America for cultivation.  Cross breeding of chile peppers started in 1888 and peppers evolved into a variety of chile peppers.

They say mozzarella cheese was first made when cheese curds accidentally fell into a pail of hot water in a cheese factory near Naples and thereafter the first pizza was made.  The truth is that new cheeses are often created when mistakes happen, so there may be truth.

Mozzarella originated in Italy near Naples from the milk of water buffalos, because it was not made from pasteurized milk and because there was little or no refrigeration the cheese would go bad very quickly therefore, it did not leave the southern region of Italy near Naples where it was made.  As cheese technology, refrigeration systems developed the cheese spread to other areas of Italy.  Today two types of mozzarella are produced in the U.S, low moisture and high moisture.

David Jacks is the man said to have been responsible for the name Monterey Jack cheese.  David Jacks was a Monterey, California, businessman in the 1800s.  However, history shows that it actually was based on a recipe for queso del país “country cheese”, brought to California by Franciscan monks in the 1700s.  David Jacks did increase the popularity and demand for the cheese when he began shipping it to San Francisco.  The name Monterey Jack came about because production was based in Monterey County, California.  Eventually other areas named the cheese for their region, as with Sonoma Jack (Sonoma County, California), and now Monterey Jack cheese is made in other parts of the United States.

SOURCES:

El Pinto Restaurant, Green Chile Chicken recipe,

http://www.elpinto.com/recipes/green-chile-chicken- pasta, accessed on 12/6/16

By Ihvhope, Green Chile-Cilantro Pesto Sauce (Pasta) recipe,

http://www.food.com/recipe/green-chile-cilantro-pesto-sauce-pasta-301899, accessed on 6 Dec. 2016

Julia, “Pasta Is Not Originally From Italy”, Today I Found Out, June 3, 2011

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/06/pasta-is-not-originally-from-italy/, accessed on 6 Dec. 2016

Avey, Tori, “Uncover the History of Pasta”, The History Kitchen, July 26, 2012

http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/uncover-the-history-of-pasta/, accessed 7 Dec. 2016

Maister, Kathy, “Different Types of Past” Start Cooking,

http://startcooking.com/different-types-of-pasta, accessed on 7 Dec. 2016

From Wikipedia,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pasta, accessed on 7 Dec. 2016

Diaz, Eddie, “The History of Green Chile”, Diaz Farms, May 25, 2013

http://diazfarms.com/chile-history/the-history-of-green-chile, accessed on 7 Dec. 2016

Origin of Chili,

http://www.chilly.in/origin_of_chili.htm,  accessed on 7 Dec. 2016

Mozzarella History, La Bella Mozzarella, 5/15/2012

http://www.labellamozzarella.com/MozzarellaHistory.htm, accessed on 7 Dec. 2016

Tyler-Herbst, Sharon and Herbst, Ron,” Monterey Jack”, The Food Lover’s Companion, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. 2007, http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/monterey-jack/index.html, accessed on 7 Dec. 2016