Blog Archives - Buffalohair-Jage Ann's Journals Collection 2

TAMALE TIME

10/31/2015

TAMALE TIME

Antonio Sanchez

This is a VERY condensed version of a “how to video” I recently completed about making tamales – a labor of love which has existed in our family since time immemorial. I did this as another project in the learning process – with new camera and editing software.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJt9iiaiHpc&feature=share

ShadowCatcherPro http://www.youtube.com/user/ShadowCatcherPro?feature=watch

Baked Zucchini Chips

10/31/2015

Baked Zucchini Chips

Super yummy and healthy recipes! Don’t forget to share on your timeline so that you always have these:
Baked Zucchini Chips

INGREDIENTS:
1 large zucchini
2 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two large baking sheets (I used two 17″ baking sheets) with silicon baking mats or parchment paper.

Slice your zucchini on a mandolin. Mine had 1, 2, or 3 for thickness and I used 2.

After you slice your zucchini, place the slices on a sheet of paper towels and take another paper towel and sandwich the zucchini slices and press on them. This helps draw out the liquid so it’ll cook a bit faster.
Line up the zucchini slices on the prepared baking sheet tightly next to each other in a straight line, making sure not to overlap them.

In a small bowl, pour your olive oil in and take a pastry brush to brush the olive oil on each zucchini slice.

Sprinkle salt throughout the baking sheet. Do NOT over-season, in fact, it’s better to use less salt initially because the slices will shrink; so if you over-season, it’ll be way too salty! You can always add more later.

Bake for 2+ hours until they start to brown and aren’t soggy and are crisp.

Let cool before removing and serving.

Keep in an airtight container for no more than 3 days.

Buffalohair: Pho 95 Vietnamese Cuisine / Par Excellence in the DFW Area

10/31/2015

Pho 95 Vietnamese Cuisine, Par Excellence in the DFW Area

Pho 95 Homepage

It is always a pleasure to report a quality eatery and in keeping with tradition I am happy to give you the run down on a restaurant named Pho 95 in the Haltom City area of Fort Worth Texas. Lovingly called Pho which is a pauper’s or comfort food back in Vietnam and 95 for the year the doors first opened. Though humbly titled nothing could be further from the truth because their meals are fit for a king and it is well worth your patronage..

Though there are three Pho 95 restaurants in the Dallas/Fort Worth area the one I dined in was located at the Belknap Shopping Center within the Little Saigon Mall. Quaint, clean and roomy best describes the establishment with a wait staff who are friendly and attentive to the customers needs. The tables are fully loaded with a variety of Asian condiments and an ample supply of chopsticks though western dining utensils are supplied clean and hygienically wrapped. This attention to cleanliness was way cool I thought.

I’ve always contended that if you want to eat quality Asian cuisine go where the Asians eat. In this case I followed a lead from one of my Vietnamese friends. I imbibed in the Pho dishes and enjoyed the freshness and the quality of the broth. I savor broths from a multitude of cultures within Asian and it was a pleasant surprise that Pho ranked highly along side other Asian fare I’ve enjoyed in the past. Other dishes I’ve sampled over that last few months were also delightful. There are other quality Vietnamese restaurants within Haltom City I frequent for other specialties such as hot pots etc but it is nice to add another restaurant to my list quality eateries.

For about the price of a cardiac combo burger, triglyceride fries and a fructose soda you can eat healthy and that’s the bottom line.

For more information contact Pho 95 at; http://www.pho-95.com/

Your Devil’s Advocate
Buffalohair

© 2012, Buffalohair Productions. All rights reserved.

April 8, 2012 9:14 am
Author: Buffalohair
Categories: Culture News
Tags: culinary news, dallas/fort worth news, texas, US News, vietnamese cuisine

Buffalohair: Are Extraterrestrials Edible?

10/30/2015

Buffalohair: Are Extraterrestrials Edible?

Are Extraterrestrials Edible?

So it’s February 6th 2013 and I just dug my way out of a makeshift dwelling I built after my home and community was destroyed in December. Water is not an issue because it snowed, big time. Good thing my pair of Louis Vittons survived the cataclysms because everywhere the eye can see is in white-out conditions. To top it all off, I’m on my last Tanka Bar, haven’t seen a Snickers in weeks and I’m out of Pepsi so it’s time to forage for victuals. Besides, I had to go outside to pee.

Well, so much for global warming because the snow is now about 100 feet thick burying my part of the planet in a velvety white coffin. Not even power poles are visible anymore. After several days trekking around the new neighbourhood it has become all too apparent that everything is buried and totally out of reach. I can’t even locate where the 7-11 down the street where the ole stand by textured soy burritos used to live. To make things worse, I’ve already eaten my pets; Mr Turtle; who became my walking sandwich and Bear the Wonder Dog; only because he had designs on my joining his food group first. Just when despair and starvation begins to set in, a flicker of something shiny in the distance catches my eye. With the last spurt of energy I make a beeline for this last glimmer of hope. Or at least I hope it is.

Advancing towards what appears to be a metallic object it becomes clear that this is one of those UFO’s, stuck in the snow like a Frisbee in the sand. Well, the visions did say, “no one from throughout the universe would be immune to the wrath of nature in the time of change” and for this crew of extraterrestrials it would appear they are toast. Finding the spare key I open the hatch of this wondrous craft and discover 3 dead alien guys or girls or whatever the hell they are. If they are dudes then they needed some major Viagra since I can’t see their tiny willies, not that I’m looking. If they are chicks, where are the boobs?? They must have a boring sex life being test tube babies and all. And talk about buck ugly, they don’t even have a butt.

Now for the next question, where is their fridge or ice chest? Surely these guys had to eat and drink something. Maybe they still have some cow parts left over from their last mutilation. No telling which parts they might have but I ate a Mickie Dee’s mystery meat burger before so this should not be too different anyway. 100% Beef, what a sales pitch that was and people bought into it not realizing cows consist of more than prime rib and sirloin. In any event I scrounge around the craft and can’t seem to find anything at all to eat, not even a cow uterus. I mean there is nothing at all to be found, glove box and trunk are empty except for a few unopened packages of anal probes, pair of cheap sunglasses and a couple Jefferson Starship CDs. What would Survivor-Man or Andrew Zimmern do, I wonder?

One thing is for sure, these space dudes are not G*DS since they are deader than a door nail and on the bright side, they don’t stink to bad or appear rotten. They seem perfectly preserved, probably from being irradiated while tripping around the universe absorbing all those cosmic rays and stuff. Voila! I may have found sustenance after all, though they don’t appear to have much meat on them. But check out the head cheese and Survivor-man did say eyeballs are loaded with nutrients, or was it that Bear dude from the UK? In any event this shiny craft has become my cornucopia of survival food. But they do look a little funky with those meatless bony arms and legs.

Gads, I just realized, since they don’t have an ass how do they, umm do their business? Here I am starving to death after a global catastrophe and all I can worry about is how some booty-less space dude craps? I need a life.

Dragging them outside of the ship, I proceed to slice and dice my celestial culinary adventure. Where is their frigging liver and all the normal goodies inside? The blood sort of looked like ours except for those metallic sparkles and that funny yellowish red tint. Gads, I hope they don’t have jaundice, granted my liver more resembles a jar of strawberry jelly so I should not snivel. Besides, it’s not nice to talk bad about your food. I must be more thankful and should not feel guilty since I did not whack the dudes and I am starving to death. Now if only I had some wood for a fire, I could have a Texas style BBQ, less the sauce, seasonings & spices and a pick up full of Lone Star Beer. Fortunately, I still have some survival garlic salt in my backpack. I should have backed some Picante Sauce. They just look so funky but crab and lobster never passed any beauty pageants either and I eat the hell out of them or should I say ate?

As I consume my little alien treats from space I am struck by the distinct aroma of sulphur and hydrogen peroxide in the meat and my mouth has a metallic sensation. Did I eat the space suit? Shiza! These boneheads are radioactive but with a little garlic salt they still go down OK. I can’t say they were that delicious because the meat had the texture of vinyl and foam rubber. I believe a red wine is in order but any wine would be OK considering it’s the end of the world. Then I ponder what reptilian space dudes might taste like and imagine they would be more like gator since they are lizards. There is more meat on them too. Cajun style star people sounds good to me. After all, they are not G*D’S, just an entrée.

Moral of the story: Remember to pack Garlic Salt, Mesquite Wood, and Picante Sauce in your survival gear. Yes, extraterrestrials are edible but in a time of extreme hunger and starvation, so are you.

Bon Appetite

Texas Style Extraterrestrial BBQ
8 boneless, skinless alien breast halves (They have no Butt)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 tablespoon thorium
1 teaspoon salt (iodized)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 chopped jalapeños
1/4 cup distilled heavy water
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups tomato-vegetable juice cocktail
1/2 cup ketchup

Your Devil’s Advocate
Buffalohair

Buffalohair: Cookbook for the End of Times

10/30/2015

Buffalohair: Cookbook for the End of Times

Cookbook for the ‘End of Times’

Let’s pretend you survived the End of the World. For some reason you was spared a trip to the hereafter in the latest disaster. You did your homework and built some kind of shelter with all the cool scrap materials lying around, of course the outhouse would be the first structure built. After all, a guy/gal needs a place to think and what better place than the crapper to plot a course for your future existence. Granted the conveniences we once took for granted would be gone with little hope of returning in the immediate future. You have a makeshift pad or abode, water sources and a fine outhouse so what could possibly be missing, other than the Internet? Food….

So much for the 7-11 down the road since it got wasted in the last meteor shower along with its endless supply of textured soy protein burritos; in fact the road no longer exists for that matter. All that remains is a 2 kilometer deep crevasse that belches out hydrogen sulfide gas from time to time. As reality sinks in, the urgency for more sustenance grows greater by the day. Your handy dandy supply of Snickers and Tanka Bars are just about out and the Ice Age is knocking at your front door. Obviously it’s time to expand your culinary horizons and explore new grocery options if all the wild game is kaput. No better time than the present to seek out those once taboo food groups, if you plan to survive till spring. These groups include the bug group and the man group since both are really quite nutritious and if prepared properly can be a delicious alternative to nothing at all.

There are many delicious bugs to choose from provided they were not killed off, though coach roaches seem to have survived many cataclysms in the past. Hopefully you’ll have more to choose from after Armageddon. I prefer grubs and worms though I’ve eaten plenty of other creepy crawlies in my lifetime but coach roaches were not one of them. The big thing about bugs is the fact you don’t want to eat anything that will kill you so you better read up on what is safe to munch on before frying up a centipede or black widow spider, gads! Tarantulas taste like crab after you burn the hair off, mmmm. A little dash of garlic salt also helps to choke down bugs with a horrible after taste so make sure to stock up on the condiments of your choosing in your survival pack. Should you serve white or red wine with insects? Possibly a quality Canadian pilsner beer would be appropriate if the insects were prepared salted and crispy. Chances are you would have to chase down your meal with some murky purified water in all reality but you never know. I’ll leave that option up to you.

So you are tired of eating bugs but for the sake of argument there is nothing else left on your side of the planet to eat, well almost nothing. After all, many people did not make the cut and are simply rotting away where they once stood when disaster struck. Many cultures have ceremonies where fetid or rotting meat is consumed as a right of passage. For those folks rotting flesh would not be the tastiest but it would provide a good nutritious source of protein. And since their bodies have grown accustom to spoiled meat this would not make them sick for the most part. But for those who never enjoined in such rituals in the past there would be some physiological changes that would ensue when we dined on spoiled leg of Larry. Fortunately, after the transition period from fresh to spoiled meat has passed you would be good to go and you could eat to your hearts content.

If a violent cold snap followed your personal end of the world then you might not need to worry about spoilage in your new found food group. They would be frozen solid and ready for dressing out when defrosted, at your convenience of course. For some folks it would take near starvation before they stuck a fork into another human being and that is understandable. I don’t relish the thought of eating one of my dead neighbors but if I was hungry enough I would be the first to chow down on a defrosted filet of Frank. 10,000 year old Wooly Mammoths who were frozen solid in Siberia retained their freshness and are still consumed today. But like any other meat it is always wise to check the liver for spots since you don’t want to eat meat that is diseased. Its bad enough you resorted to cannibalism in the first place so it would be ironic if you died from eating infected meat after all the soul searching in the first place. How far beyond stupid is that?

Long Pork is the palatable name of human meat and according to many cannibals and survivors; man has a distinct pork flavor, sounds like BBQ to me. So it is easy to see the relationship between pork and man taste wise. With this in mind would long pork be Kosher or Halal? That would be up to the Rabbi or Cleric to decide provided one is handy to consult. When survival depends on sustenance then it would be up to you to determine if your culinary escapade is acceptable within your dogmatic principles. Only you will be able to make that critical decision since it would be your life that would hang in the balance of your choice. Starvation would be your other alternative. I knew starvation though not to this degree but my mother did when she was in the orphanage back in the 30’s since native kids were the last to be fed, if at all. Many native kids starved to death in orphanages and boarding schools back then but that’s another story. She told me she simply lost the desire to eat and a deadly calm befell her as the pangs of hunger dissipated. When the sisters finally tried to feed her it was a struggle since her frail young body rejected food and drink. Eventually she managed to hold down the food or I would not be here to tell her tale. And no, my mom did not try to eat anybody.

After you overcame the stigma of eating people then the new world would be a veritable cornucopia filled with new sources of food. If you’re in an area where people were frozen not long after their demise you would not have to deal with rancid meat. Jerky and smoked meats would be the way to go whence you decided to harvest the critical substance you need to survive even the coldest of winters. But for those who lived in tropical regions when cataclysm struck sauces and condiments would be in order to mask the fetid taste. Sushi is a throwback to a time of absolute starvation back in ancient Asia. Fish was preserved in rice back then and was usually cast off as refuse when the fish was consumed. But when food became scarce fisherman and villagers alike would eat the rancid rice to sustain life. The vinegar in the rice of today’s sushi is reminiscent of the rancid rice and a humbling reminder to all Asians of the suffering and starvation their ancestors endured. Maybe in the future there will be a meat preparation that resembles the flavor of rotting long pork as well. It would be served with red wine I would imagine.

For the record; it would not be cool to hunt down living humans for consumption though. Besides, it’s illegal in most states. Only road kill would be conscionably acceptable so don’t start eyeing your fat juicy neighbors as a possible entrée. If that were the case elitists would be on top of the menu since they don’t eat GMO chemically enriched foods like us bottom dwellers and would be labeled organic for the most part…my bad?

Bon Appétit

Your Devil’s Advocate
Buffalohair

Tags: Cookbook for the ‘End of Times’

Buffalohair: WHAT KIND OF FRYBREAD ARE YOU?

10/30/2015

WHAT KIND OF FRYBREAD ARE YOU?

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:35 am

Post subject: WHAT KIND OF FRYBREAD ARE YOU?

Frybread Chronicles

Everything and everyone has outside influences that mold ones character and perceptions in life. So lets just say we are a piece of Frybread, Bannock or Sopapilla. Right off the top, frybread shows the white influence in our lives. After all if you recall the history of flour you will remember that many Native’s died from eating this weird white mans food. The People were starving to death on the rez as it was. They would eat it as it came from the soldiers in sacks, raw flour. I hear many stories about Frybread but so old timers tell a story about how people died from eating this white flour that would turn into a rock in peoples bellies. Then how the soldiers taught The People how to use and prepare it. After all we did not have flour mills or fields of wheat. So get over the “Traditional Foods” angle, it was traditional AFTER conquest. This is supposed to be a “Fun” article anyway. But our history hurts my heart every time I think about it. It’s that sorrow thing we all carry I think eh.

Hopefully you get my drift about outside influences. I’ll use myself as an example. Since I have Sicilian, Jewish and Greek influences, I’m more a Garlic Pita Matzo Frybread. Though I’m Native I know I’m influenced by these cultures since I lived, ate and laughed with these people a good portion of my life. Many I consider family and would die for them if I had to. They also taught me that there are wonderful and caring white human beings out there. They were a different shade of white in a way, maybe no color at all. I make Calamari to die for by the way. When I’m not around my people I gravitate towards these cultures since I’ve found sanctuary with them in the past. And well, I love the cuisine. Ain’t nothing but a meatball Paisan.

So Eh!
What kind of Frybread are you?
Are you Pumpernickel, Rye Frybread?
Or a Blintz, Garlic Frybread?
Capice?

Buffalohair
_________________
Creativity is the byproduct of a fertile mind

Buffalohair: Adventures In Eating / part III

10/30/2015

Adventures In Eating, part III

September 22nd, 2007 by Buffalohair admin

Adventures in Eating, part 3

Odd foods

My stepfather was my mom’s liberator, he was a minister in waiting. My transition from humble foods to fancy foods was a mixed blessing of sorts. I remember the first time we went to a fancy place to eat. I never smelled so many different foods in my life. It made me very happy and excited to be in such a place, there were people everywhere.

As I looked on in wonderment, I began to feel the sadness, “Why are all these people cross with my mom and me?” I thought. We did not even know them, yet they look at us in a scowl as though we were dirty or committed a crime”. My mom could feel their medicine; I felt it and was saddened even more.

My belly was with no regard for my thoughts though. I just kept my mind busy with excitement for a meal like those around me. We sat in a table with many utensils on it. “Wow”, I thought as I looked at their designs. The book of food they brought was also a wonder; I never saw such a variety of victuals in my life.

When the plate of food arrived, I was curious as to why they put a cream on my vegetables. I loved them as they were, sweet and tangy and full of life. If I did not like its flavor I would not have asked for it in the first place, and this cream was so sharp my mouth would have a convulsion of sorts with funny pains at the corner of my jaw.

My stepfather was always angry it seemed, he scolded me for eating like an animal, but I only tasted this cream and made a funny face. I looked for some fry bread, tortilla or any other familiar foods, and only found this sweet white bread on the table. It was like candy or cake to me, but it was not bad, even this tart cream on my vegetables was not so bad after I got used to it. But it took a while though, holay. Never could figure out why people wanted to mask the taste of vegetables in the first place.

At first this cream had a smell similar to vomit to me. It had an after taste like wise, it was called salad dressing. My mother was eating it so I did the same. I was not to sure of this sweet bread either, but I took a hand full and started to place the vegetables on it when I was severely reprimanded for my actions. The noise of step dad’s words echoed throughout the restaurant.

People began to stare at me with the most hateful expressions. I was being called a pig and an animal, “Why?” I wondered fore it was they that had many plates of food in front of them not I. My mom was sad but said nothing, she did not have to. I felt as though I had disgraced her and my step dad somehow. So I tried to correct my actions even though I did not know what I did. After all this was my first time in a place like this.

I ate as much of this sweet bread as I could, there was plenty. It was like candy, just so sweet and soft. Then this man came to us and took our dishes, in return he gave each one of us a gigantic plate filled with fancy meat and more vegetables. The meat was still singing its death song when it arrived, it crackled and popped. It was enormous and it smelled good.

With excitement and glee I tore off a piece of this massive chunk of meat and placed it into my sweet bread and began to enjoy it’s flavor when my step dad struck me on my head, forcing me to loose control of my food, dropping it onto the table. I was ridiculed in the eyes of all who ate at this place. Was there a right way and a wrong way to eat?

I was made to feel quite sad and ashamed. The people at this place were happy at the sight of me being reprimanded. They pointed to me telling their kids how bad I was, and would call me names. I did not want to eat with people that did not like me so I drifted within my thoughts and ignored them. I could not understand what I did that was so wrong. But this was just one of many changes I had to endure as I came to learn the ways of this new culture I was in. For us suppertime was a time of joy and smiles not a time of anger.

It was queer for these people to poke humor at my action. They showed disrespect and waste and would only take a few bites of their food leaving it to be tossed in the trash when they were through. I was not going to waste this food, so I placed it all in my jacket pocket for later on.

People looked in horror as I did this, but I did not care now. Someone commented to my step dad and I was beaten for this terrible thing I did, he emptied out a pocket and I was made to feel ashamed. But I truly did not know why.

Anyway, I did have the last laugh. When we got home I was punished for misbehaving and sent to my room by my stepfather. In his anger he did not empty all my pockets at the restaurant. I still had this fancy meat tucked away in my jacket pocket. I ate with such delight in private and there was no one around to stare at me either, I just wished I had some of that fancy sweet bread for my Indian butter.

Assimilation was definitely a challenge for me as a child. What was once a time of joy and happiness (suppertime) turned into a challenge as I tried in vane to eat and act like others in this strange new world. Little did I know the challenges of assimilation had only begun and my life would be changed forever. Innocence lost you could say and sadly anger filled the void.

Recently I ate at a place called Châteaux Marmot in Hollywood California at a business meeting. I ordered salmon and it was good there was no question. But holay, they sure were skimpy with their servings though. Maybe I’ll sneak in a Tupperware container full of beans and fry bread next time I eat there. At least I’ll get a full meal without the need to rush to Carl’s JR just to finish filling my belly afterwards. Man, I was still hungry and them trans fatty acids tasted good too.

Ah, I’ll take the triglyceride burger please and a glass of cholesterol on the rocks eh.

Buffalohair

Posted in BUFFALOhair – Somewhere between sanity and dementia, Featured Articles |Hmmmm Someone took over the link Name of old site! NativeVue That retired! Wow!

Hey ! It was an old link from some stories you wrote at the Blog there, at the bottom of each story:) Crazy, why did I leave it on at the time, it was still up and running? But glad I did! Who took over Native Vue and is still writing there in 2015 with no name? They have a new header but same name! I put our old header , then their Native Maiden below:)

Carole:
No, that isn't my site anymore. I paid for the URL until 2012. I suppose they're entitled to buy the name, but it is a bit misleading. What I don't like, however, is that they're not saying WHO they are!

Apple Praline Bread

10/30/2015

Apple Praline Bread

Nothing like bread…especially Apple bread…baking in the oven on a winters day. The house smells wonderful! And this bread is to die for!

SHARE THIS TO KEEP IT!! It is a KEEPER!!!! So tasty!

Apple Praline Bread
Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup nuts (walnut or pecan or a combo), divided
For the praline sauce:
¼ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Set aside. (I used stoneware loaf pan for perfect cooking)

Using an electric mixer, beat together the sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed for a couple of minutes until well blended. Stop the mixer and then add in the flour, leavening agents and salt. Continue to beat on low until well combined.

Fold in the apples and half the nuts into the batter. Transfer the batter into the greased loaf pan.
Sprinkle the rest of the nuts on top and then press them lightly into the batter. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in the loaf pan for about 20-30 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. So it doesn’t get too dark, I suggest using a light colored loaf pan.

For the praline sauce:

In a small sauce pan, place the butter and brown sugar. Using medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower the heat and then simmer lightly for about one minute, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and then drizzle over the bread. Cool completely.

Top 6 Exotic Foods You Must Try Once in Your Life?

10/29/2015

Top 6 Exotic Foods You Must Try Once in Your Life

6. Fugu, Japan
Quote:

Japanese cuisine made it twice in this top 6, and it deserves it. Fugu is equally famous as Kobe beef, but not for the same reason. This fish has a deadly reputation: When not prepared properly, it can kill the one who eats it in seconds. Fugu fish contains poisonous tetrodotoxin in its organs and has to be sliced in a very precise way. But apparently, the risk is worth taking, for the fish’s flesh is indescribably delicious. (Photo: Zordor)

Caroline Simpson is a writer, a translator and a travel addict who’s always looking for ways to make life easier. She works as a freelance blogger for Tourism Montreal.

Buffalohair: Adventures in Eating, Part II

10/28/2015

Adventures in Eating, Part II

September 22nd, 2007 by Buffalohair admin

Adventures In Eating, part 2

My Bread

My staples were squash, beans, corn and flour products for the most part. Sometimes we had meat but not in great quantities. There were some variations, but these were the basics. The flour would glean quite a variety of helpful and tasteful foods, I loved them all, and not only for their flavors, but for the aroma they would produce.
Fry bread was a fine food fore it would not only fill the home with anticipation, its incense was so endearing, but if there was nothing else for supper, it could also fill the void. It was a favorite for the hard times because I would cut it up into several pieces and pretend each piece was a different addition to my plate.

I would do this so as not to cause my mom ma sorrow when she would glance at me staring at my foreshortened plate. I would feel her sadness and would smile hard with delight, and eat the different portions of my supper as if it was a meal fit for kings. She must have known what I was up to, because my actions would always summon a tear from her sad eyes.

The tortilla was a handsome food fore it had many uses. Its aroma was equally as pleasing as fry bread, quite a delight to consume as well. But the most important thing about this wondrous offspring of wheat was it’s ability to form around the foods you would want to consume. It truly was the bean’s companion, surely they must have drank from the same stream, the tortilla and the bean. They fit so well together, and the marriage of their flavors was a celebration unto itself. My ma of Apache and Tarahumara lineage definitely did the Southwest thing as well. Funny how flavor would conquer quantity back then.

With a tortilla in hand, I would not need utensils because the tortilla was so universal and I could pinch a mouthful of any food and clean my plate well also. There was no other champion that made eating more of a joy than the sopapilla though. It was basically the same mend as the a fore mentioned products; it was quick fried and would expand and swell to gigantic proportions. Also, it would garner the flavors of the grease one would use and in turn enhance its wonderful taste.

I would open one side of this food, exposing the hollow insides. The steam would rush to my face as if to greet my excited taste buds. The aroma would be that of pork, or beef and I would pretend that this food was as it smelled. The sopapilla was a great tool because you could fill it up with foods and consume them together in a pouch the sopapilla provided when opened at one end. It was a friend of the bean, but hot meat with salt was my favorite when we had the chance. Like the fry bread, my ma would pour honey or simply sprinkle sugar on it as a desert, yum.

These foods were my companion when it was time to eat. They would keep me happy and my mind filled with imagination. It was good this way since I did not want to feel my mothers sorrow or grief. My mom could feel my thoughts, when I imagined I was eating fancy meat I saw in a book or a picture; my mom would just shake her head. But I still saw the sadness in her eyes.

Buffalohair

Posted in BUFFALOhair – Somewhere between sanity and dementia, Featured Articles |Hmmmm Someone took over the link Name of old site! NativeVue That retired! Wow!

Hey ! It was an old link from some stories you wrote at the Blog there, at the bottom of each story:) Crazy, why did I leave it on at the time, it was still up and running? But glad I did! Who took over Native Vue and is still writing there in 2015 with no name? They have a new header but same name! I put our old header , then their Native Maiden below:)

Carole:

No, that isn't my site anymore. I paid for the URL until 2012. I suppose they're entitled to buy the name, but it is a bit misleading. What I don't like, however, is that they're not saying WHO they are!