Fresh, hot arepa: Absolutely delicious

On a recent trip to Bogotá, Colombia, I feasted on these tasty arepas almost nightly. Eaten in Colombia, Venezuela and now in a host of other regions and by many people, the arepas we ate at a spot called El Chocolo are thick corn tortilla-like pancakes, stuffed with fresh cheese and grilled. You couldn’t ask for a tastier snack.

Braided heirloom corn from family fields. This corn will continue to dry and be used as a food source.

The answer to this is complex. There is much to be said of popular journalists like Pollan whose work has reached many in the U.S. who otherwise may not have become conscientious about the role of industry in food production, which has had damaging social, economic, environmental and health results. Understanding food sources and processes is undeniably a good thing—to know where your food comes from and to teach others, like your own family and children, to also question and explore.

Harvesting white corn at my family farm in Peru

However, while watching a recent Oprah episode where Pollan was a guest and Oprah staff were challenged to go vegan for a week, I was struck by two thoughts, like little lighbulbs going off above my head. Mind you, these thoughts are tangents that actually have very little to do with Pollan whose investigative approach to some of the biggest diet problems of our time is highly influential. The first thought I had was when Pollan asserted that American tradition has historically included eating meat—“we are big meat-eaters in this country, we always have been”—which is why he believed many Americans struggle with the idea of not eating meat. Pollan’s personal choice was to eat meat provided by sustainable farmers who could offer naturally-raised alternatives to the current standard of hormone-infused, questionably raised animals. While the number of conscientious farmers in both rural and urban contexts grows, hopefully setting a new standard, the notion of any singular American historical tradition begs the question—whose tradition?

A meat rack in Little Italy, New York (I think for St. Anthony's celebration)

The second issue I was struck by was that in making an argument for veganism, Oprah’s guest Kathy Freston pointed out that Pollan’s selection of meat was not affordable for many—to which Oprah responded jokingly that she could afford it. The problem is that many of us, especially those with large families, single-parent households and others struggling with the ups and downs (and waaaay downs) of our economy, cannot consistently afford these options.

In no way is this intended to be a diatribe against Pollan, Oprah or Freston. But what these little lightbulbs intend to point out is that 1) There is a disparity between good food and cost and 2) There is a long history of food practices often swallowed up or marginalized by the notion of any singular American tradition. For example, in the Americas, which include Canada, the U.S., Central and South America, there are long-standing cultural traditions where meat was historically not the staple of daily diets. While we are all impacted in some way (some more than others) to issues of access, affordability and conscientiousness about food, I believe we also need to look for the strengths in all of our communities that are reminders of existing and potential resistance to industrial food monocultures. It’s important to be aware of and open to the understanding that conscientiousness comes in many forms and traditions that are part of the fabric of these lands.

Bison at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Wild bison was an ancestral food source for many American Indian peoples.

For example, many Indigenous communities represent sites where the worst violations of human relationships with food have occurred and where the best practices in food conscientiousness can be found side by side. Working with Indigenous communities in North and South America, and being an Indigenous person from Peru, I have seen how our disconnect from food traditions for various reasons has resulted in our deteriorating physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. But I have also seen food traditions maintained and revitalized where conscientiousness is ingrained in amazing cultural practices. For example, in my community in the highland Andes, we raise animals from birth, care for them, love them, work alongside them. Children in my community are raised with a sense of responsibility for small to large animals and develop empathy as a result. We believe that every living thing merits our respect and attention—from our water sources to our trees and mountains, to the very crops we plant. Furthermore, in my community, eating meat is not a daily affair. We prefer grains, corn, vegetables, legumes, potatoes. Meat is reserved for special occasions.

Anishinaabe fishermen will set out to spear walleye during spring each year, exercising their treaty rights with the U.S. government.

In other parts of the Indigenous Americas, the process of hunting for meat is seasonal, carefully planned and involves various traditions that bring together family and community and where respect is demonstrated through offerings made to the animals. Nothing is ever supposed to be just taken. For example, among Algonkian peoples, stories are told of the beautiful gifts of life that each living creature, from plants to animals, made at the time of creation of human beings. These stories serve as cultural markers for Indigenous people that remind us of the instructions provided to us by our ancestors—how to live well with everything around us.

Amazing artwork by Ojibwe painter Rabbett Strickland. Title: Assimilation. Citation: http://www.rabbettstricklandgiclees.com/artwork.htm

These beliefs were prevalent prior to the subjugation of Indigenous peoples in the Americas, and understanding this history shows us just how deep attacks on food traditions can be. For example, during different periods in history, Indigenous peoples in the U.S. were forced to give up their lands, religious practices, their lifestyles and even their children to make way for settler expansion and domination where Indigenous people were considered sub-human. Starting in the 19^th century, entire Indigenous hunting, fishing, farming and gathering societies were forced onto reservations where they were not allowed to leave and made to be dependent upon government rations of processed foods. Known as commodities, these foods, many of which were given to starving people, were not only often rotten, but also a complete departure from the natural way of living Indigenous people had known for thousands of years.

The proposal for Indigenous people to reclaim their foods has been strongly made by Indigenous scholars, researchers and community members, as instrumental to a process known as decolonization, or resisting, reclaiming and rebuilding Indigenous communities.

Given these histories, it’s not hard to see why the notion of what is American tradition needs a lot of work. We need to understand how diverse cultures, including Indigenous communities, have been impacted by past and present attacks on their food systems, while simultaneously recognizing that “tradition” is made up of lots cultures—European, Asian, Latin American, African, and so forth—that carry histories and lessons that we can all share.

My absolute favorite: Indian pies and cookies made by my dear friend's mother for a Jemez Pueblo feast day

Today, in spite of our difficult histories, Indigenous communities in the Americas still exercise traditions that assert strong beliefs about land and foods. We offer our prayers and our actions to demonstrate that we still remember how to live carefully. Yes, we have been invaded for a very long time by non-foods, Western chemicals and now GMOs, but we also have within our communities generationally-perpetuated ways of nurturing foods. And these ways do not cost a lot, just our time, just our participation.

Wild rice just harvested by canoe by Wisconsin Anishinaabe men. The rice is considered one of the sacred foods of the Anishinaabe and will nourish many families throughout the year.

You may be thinking that regardless, it does cost more to produce real food in the U.S., especially with an organic label. But isn’t it interesting that what is considered normal (as in naturally-produced foods) in Indigenous communities like mine, is so prized now by wealthier post-industrial societies? Just as important as asking how we’ve gotten away from these practices is asking why we’ve gotten so far away. We have only to examine our histories, including both how we’ve been targeted and how we’ve resisted, to start learning some answers.

I would argue that it’s not necessarily about the price tag. Our food issues require more than trying to be conscientious about food through learning about its sources and critiquing unsustainable agribusiness. What is required is a re-examination of our history, our humanity, our cultural philosophies, and our own daily practices where our beliefs are enacted in order to remember that we all have instructions rooted somewhere that remind us how to live well with each other and our earth.

I have this romantic notion of myself as some sort of a wayfarer who floats along effortlessly from town to town, bringing only myself and the essentials—like a yoga mat, Nalgene water bottle and samurai sword. But the reality is that I’m more like a crazy lady who brings random stuff, including papers—A LOT of papers of all sizes, from post-its to flipchart paper all scribbled in what appears to be Sanskrit.

An example of my random stuff: A balance ball, Peruvian wall hanging, envelopes and, oh, yes, flipchart paper.

This is how I move from place to place.

Now that I have found myself in the southwest again after a stint on the East Coast, Midwest and West Coast, I’m finally settling in to a space that I can call my own. Well, at least for a little while anyway. And for a moment, the rush and madness of moving, unpacking, furniture-buying and settling in have stilled.

Beautiful stillness at the Grand Canyon

So I decided to take advantage of this moment by de-flowering my new kitchen with a baking spree. Mind you, I’m not a baker (or a candlestick maker, sorry I couldn’t resist the rhyme). But I do love to eat baked treats and find a sense of inner peace in making them. Oh, who am I kidding? It’s actually very stressful for me to bake—I constantly worry about things like making sure all the ingredients are in and in the exact amount, mixing versus folding, and I often find myself substituting ingredients, which my fiancée loathes. “But it’s healthier to use applesauce instead of butter,” I tell him, while he shakes his head and then punishes my effort to keep him heart-attack free by not touching the vegan-flourless-carob-wheatgrass-cardboard cake I’ve presented to him.

The Quaker Oatmeal man! This box reminds me of my childhood.

Yes, there are many debates on what is healthy and what is not, and loads of opinions on what tastes good and what doesn’t. Personally, I love my family’s alternative recipes that call for things like quinoa or sesame flour, agave nectar or maple syrup and applesauces and veggie purees in lieu of butter. But every once in a while, like my dear Buttah-man, I like something made just the way the recipe calls for it—butter, white flour, sugar and all—such as found in oatmeal cookies.

Mixing together the Crumbs version dough

There is something really comforting about a good oatmeal cookie, not to mention you kinda feel a teensy bit healthier by eating one. However, I could not decide just which oatmeal cookie to make. So I opted to try three different versions and to let the old Buttah-head be the judge of which cookie he preferred. Would it be the Crumbs version, perfected by Mia Bauer and her New York-originated bakery specializing in cupcakes? Would it be the Jessica Seinfeld Double Delicious cookbook version—a healthier alternative? Or the Quaker Oats recipe I remember from my childhood?

Quaker Oats version dough--wonderful and classic

After a couple hours of mixing AND folding, a few mistakes like making huge batches or adding too much salt since I’m terrible at eyeballing, I cranked out batch after batch on my two little cookie sheets.

Double Delicious version ready for the oven

What resulted was a taste test battle. (Drum roll please). All three versions were yummy, but Buttah-beard loved the Crumbs version and I loved the Double Delicious version: The Crumbs cookie is buttery and has a nice crunch to it, but can be somewhat soft at the center, making it perfect for butter-loving cookie enthusiasts. For me, the healthier alternative cookie was tastier, not because it was healthier with only 5 grams of fat per cookie, but because it was moist. And of course, because it involved chocolate chips. The moisture is due to the puree—Jessica’s recipe called for a sweet potato puree, but since I had pumpkin puree available, I used that, and it was awesome!

Crumbs oatmeal cookies: Big and buttery

Double Delicious/JS cookie: Moist, chocolatey and lowfat

Quaker Oats Vanishing cookies: A tasty, salty crunch and childhood favorite

Butter or not, if you are battling different versions of your favorite cookie, we’d love to hear about it! Which one did you pick and why? And by the way, Happy New Year! Wishing you much butter (in moderation), buttah and health in the New Year!

All three versions ready for eating. Mmmmmm!

Crumbs Oatmeal Cookie (Rise and Shine Oatmeal Cookies—by Mia Bauer, Crumbs Bake Shop in a Box, The Recipe Studio Publishers, 2008)

Ingredients:

3 cups of oats
1 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp kosher salt
¾ cup butter (room temp)
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Grease cookie sheets
3. Mix oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl
4. Cream butter, white and brown sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla in mixer
5. Fold in dry ingredients and raisins gently
6. Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, drop mixture onto cookie sheet
7. Bake for 14-15 minutes
8. Remove and cool

Double Delicious (Jessica Seinfeld version, slightly modified—Double Delicious: Good, simple food for busy, complicated lives, William Morrow Publishers, 2010)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups oats
1 cup white flour or whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup raisins
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
6 tbsp canola oil
½ up light brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
2 large egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolates

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray
2. Mix oats, flour, raisins, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt
3. In another bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix oil into the brown sugar until well combined. Mix in the pumpkin puree, egg whites and vanilla. Add chocolate chips.
4. Add the flour mixture in, stir until a thick dough forms. Drop the dough by tablespoonful onto the cookie sheets
5. Bake the cookies until brown around the edges or for about 12-15 minutes

Quaker Oats recipe (Vanishing Oatmeal Raising Cookies—taken right off the box top)

Ingredients:

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker Oats
1 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Beat butter and sugars on medium speed until creamy
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well
5. Add oats and raisins; mix well
6. Drop dough using rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets
7. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden light brown.

Check us out on Hearth and Soul Hop, Real Food Wednesday,  Tip Day Thursday, and Simple Lives Thursday!

Delicious "pan de maiz" or corn bread cookies from Huancayo, Peru, courtesy of my niece

Herminia's strong hands mixing dough

To me, “Baby” is reserved for what moms call their children, from birth to well, my age (no, I will not disclose that information)—and it’s perfectly okay. It’s beyond okay—it’s tender, loving and warm-feeling, sort of like being wrapped in a soft fluffy blanket or like being in a cozy kitchen.

Wrapping the dough to keep it cozy as it rests

“Baby” is also reserved for cookies. Yes, you read right—cookies. We Wanka and Quechua people from the Andean highlands of Peru love our food so much, we do everything short of breast-feed it. That would be weird. But we do love our food, and we do make awesome cookies during Christmas season that we call “wawa” [pronounced wa-wa], which translated from Quechua means quite simply, “baby.”

Masterpieces in the making: My nieces roll out their dough

Wawa are appropriately named because these cookies, like their Euro-American cousins, the gingerbread people, take the form of figures from our daily lives. Wawa cookies can be people, animals, etc, and depending on the cookie-makers like you and me, can be very elaborate, detailed and humorous.

Things that are part of our lives: Birds, donkeys, and dancing men

Making wawas is not as labor intensive as making real wawas. Ahem. Or so I’ve heard—Of course, I wouldn’t know anything about making real wawas because my fiancée sleeps in the bathtub when he visits since we are not yet married. Ahem.

More things that are part of our lives: Cats and fancy round people

Okay, back to wawa-making, the cookies, that is. These cookies are a real treat. They are mildly sweet, baked in big quantities and eaten throughout the season. Children and adults all over Peru adore them, and it’s hard to say what they love most—eating them or making them.

Herminia bakes a first batch

The women in my family got together and made these wawa, and so can you using these simple steps:

1. Make the dough and let it rest
2. Gossip vigorously
3. Haul the dough over to the neighbor’s brick oven
4. Form your wawa
5. Squabble over who’s wawa looks best (remember to bicker until someone cries)
6. Bake wawa and gossip some more
7. Take the wawa out and let cool
8. Eat wawa and make peace by conceding that everyone’s wawa cookies are beautiful (SO not true, but whatever)

Wawa ready for eating!

This article is dedicated to all the moms and dads and wawa in the world. Happy Holidays to you and yours—May you have a generous season filled with love. And cookies.

Wanka Wawa

Wanka Wawas (Brick-oven baked)
(Courtesy of Herminia Salazar Huaman)

Ingredients:
2 kilos of wheat flour
300 grams of vegetable shortening
50 grams of yeast
300-500 grams of sugar
50 grams of salt
10 grams of Anis water mixed with 10 grams of ground cinnamon (see preparation)
Cookie decorations of your choice (e.g. sprinkles, etc)
Beaten egg for brushing on to the cookies (optional)

Preparation for Anis water:
1. Boil anis in water with cinnamon, let cool slightly but keep warm

To make dough:
1. Mix in flour with anis water, slowly
2. Add in yeast, sugar, vegetable shortening and salt
3. Mix to make dough for about 20 minutes or until very smooth
4. Allow dough to rest, covered, for 1 hour
5. To make wawa, form shapes with the dough—be creative!
6. Decorate (or if you choose to brush with a beaten egg, then do so and then decorate)
7. Put into the oven and bake (In a brick oven, this will take approximately 20 minutes. Make sure to watch the cookies carefully as they tend to burn easily in a hot oven.)

Check us out at Hearth n Soul and Real Food Wednesdays and Tip Day Thursdays and Simple Lives Thursday!

Cake: A food for all occasions, wouldn't you agree? Yum.

No one wants to eat boring. So we celebrate colors, robust flavors, textures, scents and the stories that bring them all together. And no time is that more evident than during the holidays. Being from a Latin American country (Peru), we are choc-full of holidays—besides the Christmases and Easters, there are Saint’s Days, Independence Days, Birthdays, you-name-it-days.

Now that American Thanksgiving is upon us, people all over the U.S. are ready to bust out their finest—all in celebration of giving thanks for friends and family. And those of us with origins in other nations and living in the diaspora are no different. In addition to the typical turkey, ham and fixings, each culture brings their own to the table. And for many Latin Americans, this can include distinct versions of none other, than the tamale.

Ground white corn, ready to get all gussied up

In Peru, there are three distinct geographical regions: costa, sierra y selva—the coast, the highlands and the jungles. While my family is Indigenous, hailing from the sierra in the Andes, we love getting together with our coastal friends to exchange recipes and eat each other’s foods, especially since coastal dishes reflect a diversity of cultural integrations, from chifa (Peruvian Chinese) to Afro-Peruvian and Indigenous foods, spices and cooking techniques. The tamale is one such food that binds us together through not only its taste and texture, but also its labor intensive preparation.

Yellow chiles soaking in preparation for their appearance

Varying from region to region, from country to country, the tamale has a distinct local character drawing from common ingredients—generally ground corn, some type of filling and wrapped in its signature corn husk.

Corn husks soaking in water

The tamale can be oven-baked, steamed, and in the case of the Wanka (my people), the tamale, called umita (pronounced oo-mee-ta) is made with fresh ground green corn, sweetened and then baked in the earth with hot stones called Pachamanka (prounounced pa-cha-ma-n-ka). However, today, in honor of our coastal friends, the coastal-style tamale from Peru’s capital city of Lima is featured here.

Tamale filling with chile-covered chicken and Lima-signature egg and olive

One of the things I love most about the tamale preparation, assembling, cooking and eating is the time spent in the kitchen with other women. It’s a time of sharing scandalous gossip, exchanging ideas and stories and of real artistry.

Tamales happily cooking away

So this holiday season or any time of celebration in your life, I wish you closeness with family and friends, remembrance of traditions and origins, and the delicious taste of life in a beautiful meal. Happy Holidays—both here and there!

Peruvian Coastal Tamales

Peruvian coastal tamales (courtesy of our family friend, Zoila Bolívar)

(Makes approximately 3 dozen tamales, depending on the amount of filling and size of tamale)

Ingredients:
4 ½ lbs Dried and peeled corn (maiz)
2 lbs Instant corn masa flour (powdered corn especially for tortillas, tamales, etc) (2lbs)
4 medium-sized onions (purple, white or yellow)
½ lb shortening (and lard)
1 head of garlic
½ lb of dried red chiles (see aji colorado preparation)
6 dried yellow chiles (see aji colorado preparation)
4 lbs chicken or pork
2 tbsp salt (one tbsp when cooking the meat)
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp cumin
6 hard boiled eggs (optional—although this is Lima-style)
1 small jar of pitted olives (optional)
Foil (optional—to wrap the tamales)
String (optional—to tie the tamales)
1 large 8oz package of corn husks

*This recipe may require large and deep pots, depending on how many tamales you want to make.

White corn preparation (It is recommended to do this the night before): Take the dried white corn and soak (2 hours). When the corn is soft, remove the “nose” or hard part of the tip of the corn kernel. Drain and towel-dry the corn, then grind the corn using a blender. The corn will emerge pulverized in powder-form. Put the now powdered corn into a large pot. Set aside.

Aji colorado preparation: Soak dried red chiles and dried yellow chiles for 1 hour or until very soft. Make sure to remove all seeds. Remove any hard particles, like tough or discolored skin. Some cooks prefer to completely remove all skin. This will be your preference. Then liquefy. Set aside.

Corn husks preparation: Soak the corn husks until softened. It does not take long for this to occur. It is recommended that you use the entire package since some husks may be smaller than others and you may have to use two or three husks for one tamale. Set aside.

Chicken/meat preparation: Cut the chicken into large bite size chunks. Boil the chicken in about 6 cups or more of water with one tbsp of salt, as if making chicken soup. You can also add chicken stock cubes if you like once the “soup” starts boiling. Do not discard the broth. You want to make sure you have about 5 or 6 cups of broth that will be added to the tamale mixture for additional flavor. Set aside.

To make the tamale filling using all ingredients:

1. Chop the onions into blendable pieces, add the entire head of garlic and place into a blender to be liquefied until smooth.
2. Heat a saucepan on medium-high heat, coat with a little cooking oil and then add the onion/garlic mixture. Add the white pepper and cumin. Cook for at least 30 minutes or until the mixture becomes more solid and not watery. The mixture will darken in color. Stir, until much of the water is evaporated from the mixture and it is more creamy in texture rather than watery. Slowly pour in the chile mixture and stir. Cook, stirring the total mixture together, for 15 minutes. This is called aji colorado.
3. In the meanwhile, take the powdered corn in the large pot that you’ve set aside and add to it the instant corn masa. Stir the dry mixture together. Then, add the chicken broth that you’ve saved from boiling the chicken, to the dry mixture. Stir. Add in the majority of the cooked aji colorado and stir. Make sure to save some of the mixture to add together with your cooked chicken—enough to produce a chile coating of the chicken. Set the chicken aside once again.
4. The entire corn/aji colorado mixture is then put to simmer on the stove over medium heat. The heat will thicken the mixture towards the final product, which is a thick, gooey (not watery) consistency. When the mixture reaches this consistency, let it cool and set aside. When it cools, it will thicken even more into a final paste-like product that we will use to slather on the corn husks.
5. Now it’s time for the corn husks! Drain the water that the husks have been soaking in and pat them dry. Slather on one or two husks some of the corn mixture, add in pieces of the chicken and if desired, one or two pitted olives and one or two sliced pieces of the hard-boiled eggs, and then slather with the corn mixture again. You can either tie the corn husks together with corn husk strips that you tear off yourself or wrap in foil and then tie with string.
6. In a large pot(s) of boiling water, immerse the foil-covered tamales, making sure no filling is coming out of the foil or the corn husks. Boil for one hour to one hour and half, depending on the size of tamale you’ve made.
7. Drain all water and allow the tamales to cool. Do not unwrap until cooled or else the tamales will be soggy.

Check us out on November’s YBR!

And on Hearth and Soul!

Stored Ojibwe American Indian wild rice, harvested in Wisconsin, that will feed us through the long winter

For example, in my language of Quechua Wanka, we call the moon Mama Quilla (pronounced ma-ma kee-ya, with a double ll sound for the “ya” part)—Mother Moon. She is our grandmother, and farmers in my community use her phases to decide when to plant crops. In the Anishinaabe or Ojibwe Native language, Ojibwemowin, the moon is called giizis (pronounced gee-zis). And each month is named in Ojibwemowin using geezis as a part of the month name. For example, August is Manoominike-giizis (pronounced ma-noo-min-i-kay), or Wild Ricing Moon—the time of anticipated harvest of wild rice.

Artist: Rabbett Strickland, Ojibwe artist. Source: White Earth Land Recovery Project & Native Harvest at http://nativeharvest.com/

Wild rice, manoomin (pronounced ma-noo-min), is one of the sacred foods of the Ojibwe. Bands of Ojibwe people tell a migration story where their ancestors historically trekked far and wide to find the “food that grows on water.” Wild ricing or the harvesting of wild rice takes place in Ojibwe country of Wisconsin and Minnesota generally around August or September. The rice, which is actually not rice but a wild grain, is harvested by Ojibwe people by hand, using canoes and wooden sticks called knockers where the tall rice plants are bent with one knocker while another is used to shake the rice into the canoe. The process is back-breaking, time-consuming and just all-around tough work. After being gathered, the rice must be processed by scorching to remove the hulls, and then finished, leaving a wondrous product ready to be cooked.

Knockers! Passed down from the generations. Courtesy of Cutler-Arbuckle family

So with a fresh harvest of wild rice, chilly Fall days and a striking harvest moon, I decided to heed Nelly’s advice and “go slow.” While this can apply to slow foods, for Indigenous people, it can simply mean being conscientious within one’s ecology. And going slow to me also means taking the time to appreciate some good Northwoods comfort food. Mmmmmm.

I decided to make a wild rice hot dish for my main Ojibwe wild rice harvester, niinimooshe (pronounced nee-ni-moo-shay), or “my sweetheart.” Wild rice hot dishes are a combination of the ancient and the modern, combining tasty wild rice with cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soups. Countless variations on the hot dish are prepared with much gusto for cultural feasts and other community events and vary in complementing ingredients—from chicken to pork sausage to venison, and yes, vegetarian too.

Wisconsin wild rice, freshly harvested, scorched and finished

Preparing wild rice: Boil, then simmer

Being aware of healthier eating, I opted to use a ground turkey and turkey sausage in my hot dish, as well as low-sodium, low-fat ingredients. However, I did top it off with extra crispy tater tots because, well, tater tots are awesome.

Tater tot wild rice hot dish: Just out of the oven!

A big serving, just for you. Eat up! There's seconds!

And, because we had gone to an apple orchard and picked up Honey Crisp apples, I also made an apple pie for dessert. It was the very first apple pie I ever made. In my entire life. For reals.

Honey crisp apples from the orchard

Honey crisp apple pie

So here’s to those who nurture manoomin, to those who do the gathering, to gorgeous harvest moons, to cooking, to eating, and to going slow! Sing it!

Tator Tot Wild Rice Hot Dish

Tater Tot Wild Rice Hot Dish
(feeds

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups of prepared wild rice (see instructions below)
1 lb. of ground turkey
½ lb of turkey sausage
1 can of chicken broth
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 chopped celery stalks
½ chopped white onion
1 large bag of tater tots
1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1. Wash the wild rice thoroughly to eliminate any chaff
2. In a pot, soften the rice (less than 2 parts water, 1 part rice), bringing rice to a boil for 5 minutes, then simmering on low-medium for 20 minutes (You don’t want the rice to have split yet or to be mushy in consistency, so watch it carefully)
3. Brown the meats, drain grease
4. Brown the celery and onion (I use a little of the grease from the sausage)
5. Combine the meats, celery and onion, rice, chicken broth, cream of mushroom and pour into a casserole dish (You’re going to want about an inch and half depth of casserole, so make sure it’s a big dish)
6. Bake covered at 350 for 1 ½ hours
7. Remove from oven, top with tater tots and bake for another 30 minutes, covered
8. Remove from oven and add mozzarella and bake uncovered for 10 minutes

Honey Crisp Crunch Top Apple Pie

Honey Crisp Crunch Top Apple Pie
(modified from Paula Deen’s recipe at www.foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients for filling:
2 doughs for a 9-inch pie
½ cup of sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
5 Honey Crisp apples, peeled and sliced thinly
14 oz unsweetened applesauce
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice

Ingredients for crunch topping:
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 tbsp of room temp butter

Instructions:

1. Line the pie pan with dough
2. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt
3. Add in apples, applesauce and lemon juice
4. Spoon the mixture into the pie pan
5. Top the pie with the other dough, either making your own designs or criss-crossing
6. Make the crunch topping by mixing together all ingredients with a fork until crumbly and then sprinkle over the crust
7. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350 and bake for 45 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown

For more information on Ojibwe wild rice, harvesting and language, please see the White Earth Land Recovery Project, WOJB (of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe), and the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC).

Check us out on Hearth’ n Soul!

*Zomppa does not endorse sites or artists mentioned in this article. They are provided as resources for your information and interest only.

Ramen: Hot noodles on a hot California day

Delicious hot, handmade ramen noodles at a Gardena, California, noodle house. There are many ramen restaurants everywhere, but be sure to judge whether or not you’ll return on a) the quality of the handmade noodles, b) the quality of the soup broth (not too salty, not too bland, and spice level based on your preference), c) the service (friendly, courteous and prompt).

This world is heterogeneous. Always has been and always will be. Living, organic beings cannot be contained, no matter the odds. This applies to people. People travel, they think, they grow, they taste. And they fall in love.

Beautiful kimono with crane images

My bird and fish parents couldn’t agree more. Being from two distinct ethnic heritages, they come from different lands, carry their own traditions and beliefs and speak their own languages. Sometimes, it can get a little bit like this:

Just kidding. It's not really like this. (source: http://www.wildaboutmovies.com)/

Growing up in my household was a multicultural and multilingual experience—and sitting around the dinner table is sure to yield a lesson in global diversity. Four different languages (Spanish, Quechua, Japanese and English) and food choices are often represented with great gusto.

Tasty gyoza pork-filled dumpling dipping in white vinegar, soy sauce and Chinese chile oil

However, food is a great unifier. My theory is that if it tastes great, no matter what nation or culture a dish is rooted in, people of all nations and cultures will eat it. Wanka (Peruvian Indigenous people) love corn, potatoes, soups, stews and other hearty dishes. And when I think of Japanese food, I think of rice, fish (really anything from the ocean), tofu and other soy products, azuki red beans, mountain veggies and roots, and more rice. And despite any hesitation, these two food cultures can and do mingle, flirt and romance each other.

Taiyaki: Japanese waffles filled with azuki sweet red beans

Both cultures share a common thread that also links them with other world cultures and their love of food: There is no shortage of cooperation, devotion, creativity, innovation and tempered pride in the cultivation of ingredients or in their preparation—from earth to kitchen.

Scrumptious Japanese manju (teacakes) at Mikawaya Bakery in Gardena, CA: Exterior made from pounded sweet sticky rice. Filled with azuki red bean or sweet lima bean paste

So, being of Japanese descent for me has also entailed more than awareness of my family history. Especially because I am of mixed heritage, “being Japanese” is about practicing being Japanese. Especially since I am not fluent in the language, I must therefore find additional ways of being Japanese. And I have found that one of the easiest ways to do that is by eating. By eating Japanese food, one can gain tremendous insight into language, history, international relations and contemporary contexts of Japan. Eating, while simultaneously learning about the significance of food is an amazing opportunity for family closeness and personal cultural reaffirmation.

A Japanese staple: The ramen noodle counter at Bistro Miyoda Noodle House in CA

"Ground Meat Noodle" at Bistro Miyoda: Handmade noodles with ground pork in a miso and soy sauce broth

However, it is important to remember that like other food cultures, Japanese cuisine borrows (ramen itself originated in China), changes and shares, all while occupying a growing diaspora—For example, my family members recall that over 40 years ago in LA there were hardly any sushi restaurants. Now, you can get rolls at the mall!

I haven't seen this display at the local mall just yet though: Tasty-looking plastic food at a Marukai Market food booth

In my immediate day-to-day, I’m not always surrounded by crowds of Asian and Japanese people. Going to Little Tokyo or Marukai Market in California re-immerses me in Japaneseness. And it feels good. So my family and I enjoy venturing to Japanese hot spots, no matter how out of the way they may be. The following are some of my favorite items to pick up, several of which are treats.

Item 1. Mmmmmeat! Sometimes, ya gotta have it. And yay for no hormones or antibiotics!

Item 2: Fish and Octopus. Octopus is the other other white meat--For when you like it tough and chewy.

Item 3: Hello, lover! Spongy, soft swiss cake in various flavors.

Item 4: Mochi ice cream of course! Possibly the most awesome dessert EVER.

Item 5: Pretty much anything Hawaiian rocks!

Being a member of a globally conscious and compassionate society means engaging in meaningful discourse with each other. I remember a story from my childhood about a young Japanese girl who tried to make a thousand cranes before she passed away from nuclear radiation. War is “crazy time,” as my wise father says, and too many horrors are committed, too many wrongs that must be righted, for which we are responsible. But I think the point the story was trying to make is that we here have the opportunity to build peace. Somehow.

Origami paper: Simple tools for remembering peace.

How fortunate we are as human beings to have food as part of that protocol—the importance of breaking bread is increasingly crucial, for all of us.

If you are of mixed ethnic heritages or have children of mixed heritage, we’d love to hear your stories of how you merge languages, cultures and of course food traditions, into your lives and how you incorporate other food loves into your home as well!

For more information on Japanese mixed-heritage people, please see the Hafu film information or the Hafu Film Project. For more information about the story of the thousand cranes, search for Sadako Sasaki and the thousand cranes. Or view the Hiroshima International School website Thousand Cranes Club.

*Please note that neither Zomppa nor the author endorse the projects or products linked, but only make mention of them to fuel additional resource searches. A special thanks to my significant other, parents and family for assisting with photos, travel and a lifetime of continuous learning.