New Mexico's Real Dishes by Ruth Paget

New Mexico’s Real Dishes by Ruth Paget 

I have been eating spicy Tex-Mex food since I was a teenager in Detroit (Michigan) and still love it. 

However, I would like to try some of the Hispanic food I read about in Dishing Up New Mexico: 145 Recipes from the Land of Enchantment by Dave DeWitt in restaurants. 

I would like to order the following dishes from Mexican restaurants and they might interest other restaurant goers, too: 

-chilaquiles en salsa chipotle 

I have eaten this dish once and liked the fried tortilla chips coated in spicy tomato-pepper-onion-cilantro salsa topped with melted cheese. The chilaquiles I ate at Norma’s Diner in Salinas (California - now the 31st Restaurant) came with two over-easy eggs and sliced avocado. That was breakfast fit for a king, and it tastes great with piping hot coffee. 

-creamy green chile chicken soup 

-Anasazi refried beans made with bacon not lard 

-jalapeño – cheddar cornbread 

-summer squash with red serrano peppers 

-chile con queso de cabro (goat cheese chile dip) 

-green chile and goat cheese muffins 

I make this with cheddar and jalapeño peppers as a home cure for colds. 

-chicken braised in white wine, garlic, and green chiles 

This is a short list of recipes, which I can make at home, but it is fun to get some exotic cuisine for take out once a week, too. 

There are many good recipes for familiar and new dishes in Dishing Up New Mexico: 145 Recipes from the Land of Enchantment by Dave DeWitt; I recommend it for home cookbook reference shelves and take out orders. 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Virginia's Colonial Cuisine by Ruth Paget

Virginia’s Colonial Cuisine by Ruth Paget 

Virginia’s modern-day survival cuisine was born out of its disastrous first years of colonial existence where gentleman farmers died of starvation in cold, damp winters. 

My Pennington family had a gentleman farmer at Jamestown, who died of starvation, so when my husband Laurent was stationed at Norfolk (Virginia) when he was in the Navy, I researched recipes that Virginians eventually developed to allow English settlers to survive and thrive in a hostile environment.

The cookbook Dishing Up Virginia: 145 Recipes that Celebrate Colonial Traditions and Contemporary Flavors by Patrick Evans-Hylton preserves many pantry recipes that the entire United States can enjoy to add variety to their daily fare and manage grocery budgets. 

The following recipes are some of my favorite colonial recipes from Virginia that allowed my family to eat well on a budget: 

-hoe cakes – these pancakes are mostly made with cornmeal and very little expensive white flour which still has to be imported into Virginia from wheat growing states. 

-cornbread – my grandmother Pennington from Pennington Gap (Virginia) used the same recipe in this cookbook to make cornbread, which I ate with buttermilk, strips of bacon, and tomato and cucumber salad dressed with cider vinegar and sugar 

-sweet potato pancakes – vitamin-rich sweet potatoes are cooked and mashed with flour, a little white flour, eggs, butter, and milk in this pantry winner recipe. I like sweet potato pancakes with a thin honey-lemon syrup. 

-mashed potato pancakes – Sir Francis Drake brought potatoes to Virginia from the Caribbean (originally from the Andes) in the 1600s. 

-clams with leeks and white wine – leeks are cut into strips and sautéed in butter in this recipe with clams and wine added in once the leeks are translucent. Mussels can also be prepared this way. 

-apple smothered pork chops with molasses melted on top. Virginia has a multitude of apple trees. 

-porter beer batter fried shrimp – porter beer tastes like chocolate and almonds which enhances the sweet flavor of deep-fried shrimp. Virginians also know that chunks of saltwater or freshwater fish can be made this way. Beer drinkers would probably like porter beer with this dish. 

-oyster stew – this recipe calls for oysters and their liquor (juice), cream, and milk. This recipe is super easy and tastes great with crumbled crackers. 

I made all of these recipes when I lived in Virginia and thought my family lived well on a budget, because we made use of local products. 

If seafood, freshwater fish, sweet potatoes, beer, and wine dishes appeal to you as a cuisine, then Dishing Up Virginia: 145 Recipes that Celebrate Colonial Traditions and Contemporary Flavors by Patrick Evans-Hylton might interest you. 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Minnesota's All Weather Cuisine by Ruth Paget

Minnesota’s All Weather Cuisine by Ruth Paget 

I learned as a young child that if you like eating freshwater fish Minnesota is a land of plenty. My father took me on canoe fishing trips in several of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes as a kid. 

I thought gliding along in a canoe in cold, damp air that smelled of pine tree resin was fun. My dad caught fish. My job was to gather damp twigs to start a cooking fire. Dad gutted, scaled, wrapped the fish in foil with onions and carrots, and cooked it right on the flame, which I thought was cool. 

There is a recipe for cooking fish in foil this way including folding directions in Dishing Up Minnesota: 150 Recipes from the Land of 10,000 Lakes by Teresa Marrone along with many other fish recipes including: 

-a freshwater fish chowder that uses no dairy products.

-salmon or trout mousse – this is a great catering recipe as it can be prepared ahead of time and used over several days 

-smoked fish spread made with chive-onion sour cream, mayonnaise, fresh dill, and lemon juice 

Minnesota has foraging treasures that make ordinary dishes shine when combined with them. Some of these delicious recipes include: 

-morel mushroom cream sauce with roasted shallots and garlic – this sauce goes well with roasted chicken and pan-fried fish 

-Minnesota wild rice sop with celery, carrots, onion, cubes of turkey, rice, heavy cream, and turkey broth  

-sherry-mushroom cream sauce – goes well with roast chicken or mashed potatoes 

Minnesotans are very inventive with their alcoholic beverages, using them to flavor everything from main dishes to desserts such as: 

-porter beer and spice cake with porter flavored icing 

-beer and cheese soup using ale beer and cheddar and Swiss cheese 

-pork loin braised with apples and hard cider 

Immigrants through the centuries have made contributions to surviving in Minnesota’s harsh winters with many comfort foods including: 

-pheasant baked in cream sauce 

-Swedish meatballs 

-Danish open-faced sandwiches 

-spicy Hmong chicken larb stir-fry 

-spicy Somali lamb or goat stew Surprisingly, 

Minnesota’s cuisine works year-round thanks to ice fishing and Friday night fish fries available to everyone.  (Beer drinkers know that deep-fried fish tastes great with ale beer.)  Iron skillet pizza is a big homemade favorite as is Norwegian lefse potato bread with butter. Coffee with baked goods is another meal tradition Scandinavian and German immigrants brought to Minnesota that is supported by farmers’ markets, bakeries, grocery stores, and home cooks alike. 

Fish lovers might enjoy reading about how Minnesota has set up a self-sustaining food economy in Dishing Up Minnesota: 150 Recipes from the Land of 10,000 Lakes by Teresa Marrone. 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Maine on the Menu by Ruth Paget

Maine on the Menu by Ruth Paget 

It is hard to think of Maine as a state with thrifty food when you think of buttery chunks of lobster tail or pepper steak, but Maine residents can afford these items, because they eat economical and healthy dishes most of the time. 

Recipes for Maine’s delicious everyday fare can be found in the cookbook Dishing Up Maine: 165 Recipes that Capture Authentic Down East Flavors by Brooke Donjoy. 

This book’s no-nonsense recipe titles should encourage readers to make grocery lists and fill their pantries.

Good transportation and distribution have made the following dishes from Maine available to everyone in the United States: 

-Jalapeño Johnnycake (cornbread) with smoked fish on top 

-Pastry-wrapped baked Brie cheese - Quebec, Canada is next to Maine making many French products available in Maine

 -Pan-fried haddock sandwich with jalapeño mayonnaise 

 -Dandelion greens with bacon and vinegar 

 -Oven-roasted asparagus 

 -Green bean, walnut, and feta salad 

 -Smoked salmon pasta salad 

 -Down East haddock chowder  - Recipe for a chowder using no dairy 

 -Split pea soup with smoked ham 

 -Potato, cheese, and broccoli soup 

 -Baked beans with rum and brown sugar  - All of New England stays rich eating this and selling the lobster tail, pepper, and other spices to the rest of the United States. This recipe is made with canned beans to cut down on time. 

 -Roast pork loin with apple-sage gravy 

 -Chicken breasts with morel mushrooms, leeks, and cream 

 -Lemon-thyme chicken 

 -Chicken roasted with potatoes, turnips, and carrots 

 -Slivered raw asparagus salad 

 -Puréed parsnips and carrots 

-Maple-painted baked winter squash

 -Pumpkin-walnut bread 

There are many treasures for living well on a budget to afford luxuries on a regular basis in Dishing Up Maine: 165 Recipes that Capture Authentic Down East Flavors by Brooke Donjoy. If that sort of lifestyle appeals to you, then this cookbook might be a good one for your home reference shelf. 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Quesadilla Appetizers $ Food Hack by Ruth Paget

Quesadilla Appetizers $ Food Hack by Ruth Paget 

Quesadillas (pronounced kay-sa-dee-yas) are delicious, inexpensive, and healthy depending on what you put in them. 

Basically, a quesadilla is a warmed flour tortilla that is folded over to make a half moon shape with warm stuffing inside. You can eat a quesadilla whole as a meal or cut them into thirds to make appetizers. 

To make a filled quesadilla, place stuffing on half of the flour tortilla. Then, fold over the part without stuffing on top of the stuffing. Warm in a microwave for 3 minutes. Usually, you only put pre-cooked items in a quesadilla to warm up like steak or chicken. 

Three of my favorite stuffings follow: 

-cheese with a generous sprinkling of Southwest seasoning on top 

-scrambled eggs with melted cheese and salsa 

-black beans, melted cheese, and a topping of canned jalapeño peppers (I use canned black beans for the filling.) 

-peanut butter and jelly 

You can make all of these quesadillas in less than half an hour and a bag of flour tortillas is pretty inexpensive. The real secret of appetizers, though, is that you can mix and match them and turn them into a complete dinner pretty easily. 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Homage to Las Brisas Restaurant in Detroit, Michigan by Ruth Paget

Homage to Las Brisas Restaurant in Detroit (Michigan) by Ruth Paget 

I learned to appreciate Mexican food at a young age when my mom took me to Las Brisas Mexican Restaurant in Detroit’s Mexican Village Neighborhood on Vernor Highway. 

My mom always ordered what Las Brisas called a botana (today’s super nachos). I just loved the mountain of botana food – warm tortilla chips covered with ground beef, black beans, melted cheese, spicy peppers, chopped green onions, and sour cream. I thought that tasted like a crunchy garden burger. I still like crunchy food. 

I walked to school in Detroit’s Siberian winters, so I had no problem polishing off the botana and not gaining any weight. I still had room for a chimichanga, which I ordered just because I liked the name of the food item. 

A chimichanga is a deep-fried burrito. I would order a chimichanga with beans and cheese, because that was the kind of burrito I ordered at Jack in the Box. (There was a Jack in the Box near our house in Royal Oak, but that is another story.) 

I loved the crunchy chimichanga with gooey cheese inside. I topped it off with hot sauce and sour cream and thought that chimichangas should be sold at Jack in the Box, too. (Hint! Hint!) 

I also loved going to Detroit in the 1970s for restaurants even if places like Las Brisas had to have security in the parking lot. I still do not mind paying to park in a garage today for security when I go to restaurants.  

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books

Interning with a Dutch Accountant by Ruth Paget

Interning with a Dutch Accountant by Ruth Paget 

When I moved to Detroit (Michigan) from the suburbs (Royal Oak), I attended a private Friends School (Quaker) my freshman year. 

The Quakers wanted Detroit’s nomenklatura kids (“We’re going to live on the parents’ auto stocks”) to do vocational training that would lead to jobs. We first took the Myers-Briggs Interest Inventory to find out what kinds of work skills we already had. 

I scored highly in quantitative and analytical skills with accountant listed as a good profession for me. I was mortified. I wanted to be an anthropologist, travel writer, and art historian. My smart Quaker teacher said, “Use math and analysis when you do all of those.” 

We next did informational interviews with people doing jobs we thought we like to do. One of the people I interviewed was an accountant at Coopers and Lybrand, who worked in the Renaissance Center downtown. (I liked the office location and wanted to live in the hotel there.) The accountant’s job was very busy, but interesting. She noted that communication skills were just as important as math skills to be an accountant. 

When it came time to do our internship, I worked for the school accountant, who was Dutch. I wanted to be compatible with a Dutch boss, so I put on my anthropologist’s hat and did some research. 

One of my friends in Royal Oak was Dutch, so I did know some things about Dutch culture: 

-The Dutch eat lots of casseroles made with sliced vegetables, shredded cheese, and cream. Casseroles are a delicious food $ hack. 

-The Dutch also eat pancakes at any time of day. These are made with eggs and milk for a hidden source of protein and calcium. 

-My friend’s mom worked part-time selling Amway cleaning products. 

-My friend’s dad was an engineer with Wayne County and was probably waiting to get a job at an auto company. 

-The family’s religion wad Dutch Reform. I went to vacation Bible School with my friend several summers and won Bibles for memorizing Bible stories. 

-The kids and I all went ice skating after school like little Hans Brinkers. 

That was my ethnographic survey of second-generation Dutch in Michigan. I also read about the importance of maintaining dikes to keep below-sea-level Netherlands from flooding in a Time-Life book about the country. 

I thought my Dutch boss would be a stickler about maintaining order given her cultural background for my analytical part of internship preparation. 

My boss told me I would be helping her organize “Accounts Payable” – bill or invoices the school had to pay. The “Accounts Receivable” – tuition payments and other sources of income – were private. She had a stack of bills piled up on my desk. She showed me a legal date stamp and told me to stamp areas on invoices with no printing on them to not cover up numbers. 

Once I went through those, she gave me a chronological journal to write up the bills I had stamped with the following information: 

-date received 

-creditor name 

-invoice amount 

-creditor invoice number 

Once I had the chronological file done, I was to assign payments to budget accounts. The accountant showed me the Chart of Accounts, budgets allocated for payment. She cut up strips of sticky notes and had me write the account number of which account I thought the invoice should be paid from along with the name of the account to help me memorize the Chart of Accounts. 

Then, I was to put the invoices in order by account number. Once, the invoices were in numeric order. I had to put them in alphabetical order within the account number. 

The accountant reviewed all my work before entering it into the IBM computer. 

I also used a business correspondence reference book to help draft business letters for the accountant and did inventory control (newest items in back of older ones). 

At the end of the internship, I told my teachers I had learned the value of maintaining systems, especially financial ones. 

(Note: I met my Dutch boss at a Youth for Understanding host family orientation several years later where I was volunteering as a former exchange student to Japan. She was going to host a student. I knew she and her family would have a happy, well-organized time.) 

By Ruth Paget, author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books