Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Watermelon Salad from Tastes & Treaures II

Watermelon Salad from the Wigwam Resort is a popular recipe in Tastes & Treasures II, page 137. Refreshing and easy for summertime parties and picnics, it bursts with flavor. Now that it is available in the book, we are seeing several versions at other restaurants but they don't compare to the Wigwam's  recipes!

Book available at HistorialLeague.org/SHOP.aspx and Amazon.com
The Wigwam Resort salad, on page 137, is bursting with flavors: roasted corn, cilantro, jalapeƱos, limes, red onion, and Cotija cheese. It is the perfect blend of ingredients for a SouthWest salad!!

Watermelon Salad from the Cov in Wayzata, MN. topped with pistachios and Mozzarella cheese, it is a pretty salad to serve.


Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Pinetop dinner party using all recipes from Tastes & Treasures II


Planning a party for over 40 people with all the food based on one Arizona cookbook - that’s what Edie Pearce of White Mountain Summer Homes did this year. Every July 1st for 16 years, she hosts a party for her friends. She cooks and her sister, Peggy, decorates.

This year the theme was Arizona foods from Tastes & Treasures II: A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona written by volunteers of the Historical League. Edie got “excited making all these Arizona recipes.” The book highlights beloved food enterprises and buildings 50 years old or older, and shares recipes and stories from all over the state. “I hope to visit many of these restaurants,” Edie comments. 

Trio Artisan and Sweet Gem Lettuce Salad came from The Garden Cafe in Yuma where all the freshest lettuce in the USA are grown. Cowboy Chopped Salad is a feature of Rancho de Los Caballeros in Wickenburg, while Tortilla Soup is a favorite of the Harvey House Cafe at the Grand Canyon. Charlie Clark’s Grilled Chicken with Poblano Chili Sauce was also served. Edie reflects, “I love the planning and buying ingredients I had never heard of before.” Twenty-seven dishes from this award-winning book were made to feed the crowd.

Acknowledging 50 years of service, St Mary’s Food Bank Culinary Kitchen is in the book. They held a contest to determine which 4 recipes would be submitted. Edie chose Jazzy Jasmine Rice along with Arizona Sonoran Succotash for her party.

Arizona Historymakers also contributed recipes as well as biographies, photos and food memories. Edie prepared Bison Chili from Barbara McDonnell Barrett. A favorite dessert was Eddie Basha’s Chocolate Cake. Historymakers are those who have distinguished themselves with noted achievements in the arts, athletics, business, community service, education and entertainment and have maintained their ties to Arizona. The Historical League has honored 62 Historymakers since it began the program in 1992. Sandra Day O’Connor, Lattie Coor, Erma Bombeck and Elisabeth Ruffner are among those who contributed recipes.

Working for Goodyear in Philadelphia for 35 years, Edie knew she wanted to “Go West” for retirement. She is involved in her community in the White Mountains, especially her church and WM Craft Group. They are happy she chose Pinetop to continue her love for cooking and hosting parties.

Tastes & Treasures II will be sold at the July 29 White Mountain Home Tour with 20% of the sales donated to the Love Kitchen. It is also available at several shops in the Pinetop area, HistoricalLeague.org/SHOP.aspx and Amazon.com













Monday, July 8, 2019

Pinewood Farmers Market and Tastes & Treasures II


Thanks to Norma Jean Coulter for co-ordinating our booth at Pinewood Farmers Market on Saturday, July 6. Patti Goss and Pat Christopherson, Dee Steen and Ruth Ann Hogan also volunteered.
We could not have done this with out the help of Susan Dale's son Brandon and grandson setting up the tent with weights and tables. 
These events are wonderful ways to share the stories of Arizona through the book, inform people of AZ Heritage Center at Papago Park, encourage new members to join the Historical League and raise funds for the museum.
Sharon with Pinewood News included an article about the Historical League and the book.
Organizer Norma Jean Coulter and Patti Goss

Pat Christopherson and Norma Jean Coulter



World Chocolate Day today

Happy World Chocolate Day. Yes. This picture is cocoa beans.
Celebrate by making a recipe from Tastes & Treasures II. How about Eddie Basha's Chocolate Cake page 179 or Terrie's All-American Brownies page 170?
Book available at Zak's Chocolates in Scottsdale or HistoricalLeague.org/SHOP or Amazon.com

Sunday, July 7, 2019

Native foods celebrated in Tastes & Treasures II

Chef Ryan gave the Historical League wonderful indigenous recipes for Tastes & Treasures II. He promotes more of these Arizona-grown grains, beans and more in this dinner concept. Native foods are so important. Kudos to Chef Ryan from Kai at Wild Horse Pass.

'Rarest ingredients in the world': Chef works with Native farm for indigenous dinner

Chef Ryan Swanson from Kai Restaurant collaborates with Ramona Farms on a dinner service featuring a menu full of ingredients from Gila River. Video courtesy of Andrew Gooi, Arizona Republic
Kai's Chef Ryan Swanson is ending the season with something completely new: A dinner featuring indigenous ingredients. 
As a way to celebrate the holiday and Kai Restaurant's last night of service before their annual summer closure, Swanson is collaborating with the Gila River Community's Ramona Farms for a fine dining experience July 5, featuring a menu of products and ingredients from their farm.
Ramona Farms is a family-owned and operated business near Sacaton, Arizona, on the Gila River Indian Community that specializes in traditional indigenous foods.
"I wanted to do something to celebrate their farm and have fun," Swanson said in a phone interview with The Arizona Republic. "End the season on a high note." 
For more stories that matter, subscribe to azcentral.com
Swanson has been working with ingredients from Ramona Farms for 10 years, but this specific dinner is a first.
"This will be the first collaboration with an indigenous farmer," Swanson said. "It's going to be an evening of just learning about the beautiful culture, the farm and the indigenous ingredients."
Swanson said he wanted to showcase the families' life work at Ramona Farms alongside his own.
"The menu is made specifically for Ramona Farms," he said. "We're going to be using almost everything that they got, in some fashion."
Ramona Farms was started in the early '70s by Ramona and Terry Button on a family plot of land. Ramona said she is excited to see what Kai plans on doing with their products. 
Velvet Button, Ramona and Terry's daughter, says Swanson has been enthusiastic about educating himself and his staff about indigenous food growing on their farm, spending hours on the farm harvesting and learning about each ingredient's history and cultural importance.
"Kai has been using and sharing our food and our food story for several years," Velvet Button said. "We've been tasting and sharing recipes over the last few years. Our nutrient-dense desert foods have really unique flavor profiles and incorporating them into a menu that is using all of our products is really exciting."
Some of the crops Swanson will be using from Ramona Farms includes tepary beans, ga’ivsa, pinole, pima wheat berries, black-eyed peas and more.
Swanson said one of his favorite ingredients in his whole career is ga’ivsa, which is mesquite roasted and cracked corn that is ground corse. 
"Their ingredients will be the heart of the dish, but we're going to build around it," Swanson said. "Showcase not only the farm, but the community that provides for it."
The menu will also highlight tepary beans, which are drought tolerant and native to the Southwest. Ramona Farms grows three different types of tepary beans, Velvet said. She is looking forward to seeing how Swanson is going to showcase these beans.
"We have a white tepary bean, which is buttery and sweet.  We have a brown tepary bean which is nutty and earth. The black bean is almost chocolatey, very rich and bold," Velvet explained.
The ingredients are rare, Swanson said, which will contribute to the only-in-Arizona feel of the meal.
"That dinner they will be having on Friday night, no one else will be eating," he added. "You can only use these ingredients in this part of the world."
Kai Restaurant at Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass is located at 5594 West Wild Horse Pass Blvd. The dinner service will take place the same night the resort will have their fireworks display, so guests will get to see the fireworks from the restaurant patio, said Samantha Fink, public relations and marketing director for Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass. 
Dinner service starts at 6 p.m. on July 5 and fireworks begin at 9 p.m. The cost is $140 per guest with an optional wine pairing for an additional $90. For reservations or for more information, guests can call the restaurant at (602) 385-5777.

Reporter Shondiin Silversmith covers indigenous people and communities in Arizona. Reach her at ssilversmi@arizonarepublic.com and follow her Twitter @DiinSilversmith.

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

New store carries Tastes & Treasures II

Thanks to Barb Ziehler, you can now visit Pinewood Olive Oil in Pinetop and meet the friendly owner, Sharon Tukey. 
She will help you find recipes in Tastes & Treasures II that include her olive oils and make your dishes taste even better!