Celebrating El Día De Los Muertos (The Day of The Dead) in Southern Arizona and Banana Salsa

by Michelle

"After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."

                                                                                                     —J.K. Rowling

Our sister, Juliette's beautiful daughters, Avalon and Sonora at Tucson's All Souls Procession.

Top Row: Juliette's son, Paul and Sonora. Bottom Row: Avalon and Juliette
We all met for dinner in downtown Tucson before attending the Procession.

   Last year, I celebrated El Día De Los Muertos over the course of a couple of events, beginning with a weekend in Bisbee to attend and photograph an art and altarpiece juried exhibition managed by my sister Juliette and concluding with the All Souls Procession in downtown Tucson.
   The art event was held at Central School Project which is housed in a historical building (and a retired high school) situated just above the downtown area. The former classrooms have wood floors and beautiful casement windows that open to let the fresh air circulate around the high ceilings that are embellished with crown molding.
   The gallery space is not too small and not too big and is flanked by staircases that give the room an air of openness like an Escher drawing. Juliette encouraged me to contribute artwork to the show, and with some nudging, I made canvases from photographs that I captured during the All Soul's Procession of 2012 and 2013 as well as photographs of my visit to Tumacácori. The community altar was decorated with paper flowers made by a small group of women, including my sister, Juliette. I traveled down to Bisbee to photograph the event and to document how the paper flowers are made.

This is one of the images (and my favorite) that I contributed to the Art and Altar
Piece Juried Exhibition hosted by the Central School Project in Bisbee, Arizona. 

   For the last few years our family has made an event of attending the All Soul's Procession. We eat dinner early and then we stay together as a loosely knit group. We stake a claim to territory on the sidewalk where we hope to maintain an unencumbered view of the Procession as the reflective participants meander by in honor of loved ones that have died. Because I choose to shoot the Procession handheld (no tripod) and without a flash, every year I seek to find an area to stand where the road is flooded with light from overhead street lamps. So, depending upon how long dinner lasted, and how thick the crowds have become, we have not yet had the opportunity to stand in the same place twice from year-to-year.
   The 'tarot of photography' is the way I'd describe capturing images at the All Soul's Procession. No two photographers standing side-by-side will produce the same photographs. A bit of luck and skill and perhaps even chutzpah come together for one to quickly capture with the click of a shutter, the fleeting personal moments that rapidly appear and just as quickly disappear. The strolling crowd is constantly moving forward, and past where I am standing. My camera is held at the ready, just below my chin, while my eyes scan the crowds for interesting subjects and compositions. I never really know what I have picture-wise until I download the photos to my laptop and begin scrolling through the images. I cringe at the "just missed" shots, which are usually too blurry. And, I rejoice at the clean captures. That's life... sometimes you just don't know what you're going to get. It's a bit of a game. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win.

All Souls Procession 2014

Art and Altarpiece Juried Exhibition at Central School Project 2014

My sister, Juliette and friend, Carolyn did an amazing job organizing the community event.

The larger-than-life Joker was contributed by Tucson artist, Hank Tusinski.
The textile birds are handmade by Renata González. 

   This year our extended family was thrilled that Juliette's sugar skull was featured on the cover of Edible Baja Magazine. Juliette has been making intricately decorated sugar skulls adorned with brightly hued fondant frosting for a decade. Her festive designs never fail to delight us and we look forward to seeing her new creations in August and September, which are made in advance preparation for numerous celebrations held in mid and late October leading up to November 1st, when Día De Los Muertos is observed.
   To learn more about making sugar skulls, read our blog post how to make sugar skulls at home and then throw the ultimate sugar skull decorating party. And, if you are going to host a sugar skull decorating party, there is no better time to make and serve Juliette's famous Pumpkin Soup. For dessert, what could be better this time of year then baking Dead Man's Party Cookies? Nada!

My daughter Maddie is proud of her Auntie Juliette for making
 the sugar skull featured on the cover of Edible Baja Magazine.

Our sister Juliette built this shrine in the bar area at Cafe Roka in Bisbee. 
Juliette made the skeleton "Sprite" and the loaf of sourdough fougasse-style 
bread shaped like a skull (featured on the left). 

Banana Salsa

   Make this salsa ahead of time by simply mixing all the ingredients together except the banana. When ready to serve, peel and dice the banana and add it to the mix. Double the recipe if needed, but be forewarned that leftovers of this salsa do not keep well.
   Whip up a quick meal of tacos or steamed tamales and top with a large spoonful of Banana Salsa for a burst of fruity, tangy flavor. The salsa is also beautiful and tasty served over steak type fish such as Halibut, or pan fried chicken breasts.

Ingredients:
1 large, ripe, firm banana, peeled and diced
½ red or yellow bell pepper (or half and half), seeded and diced
2 Tbsps chopped fresh mint, cilantro or Italian parsley
1 scallion, trimmed and finely chopped or 2 small shallots, minced
1½ Tbsps fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar or honey
1 Tbsp jalapeño, seeded and minced
1½ tsps minced peeled ginger root
1½ tsps olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients; toss lightly to mix. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve within one hour. Makes 1½ cups.

Crock-Fermented Dill Pickles and May Roses

by Linda

               American households purchase pickles every 53 days.

               More than 67 percent of all households eat pickles.

               Americans consume more than 9 pounds of pickles per person annually.

                                                            —From ilovepickles.org

The Persian cucumbers are washed and ready to become crisp and delicious dill pickles.

   We girls are all pickle lovers from way back. This love of pickles was promoted by our dad, Paul, who has always loved fermented foods. He wrote to me last fall, after I published my post on making sauerkraut at home and shared with me how much he had loved sauerkraut as a boy. This passage from his letter delighted me:

"Grandma and grandpa Beaumont made wonderful kraut which they learned to do in Wisconsin.  Norman actually made a wooden shredding box that held knives made from flat files. He ground the files to a knife edge and secured them in the box. When a head of cabbage was pushed over the knife edges, it had the same effect as cutting with a knife but was much faster. They canned the kraut which probably wasn't good from a nutrition standpoint but it tasted great. As a kid, I would have chosen a bowl of their kraut over a bowl of ice cream. I absolutely loved the stuff. Callie was really good about giving me a bowl of kraut when I'd stop by (which was most every day)."

Our father, Paul, at Maddie's graduation party in May of 2015.

   I can picture him at as a boy in his grandparents' kitchen eating a big bowl of homemade sauerkraut. I wasn't in love with sauerkraut as kid (but then ours wasn't homemade, which makes all of the difference), however we all have always loved dill pickles, and we ate jar upon jar of them when we were girls.

 

 
   Now that it is late spring, baby cucumbers are finally arriving at the Whole Foods Market® where I work. I am particularly fond of the baby Persian cucumbers because they have thin skins and are never bitter. I thought I would make a batch today and enjoy the advent of my May roses, which are abundant in my yard right now. I love preparing food on a large wooden table in the middle of my garden, which this year is home to my first attempt at growing David Austin English rose varieties. They have bloomed abundantly, and their fragrance is subtle yet sumptuous. They layer the air with their sweet perfume while I work.

David Austin Rose—Lichfield Angel 

David Austin Rose—Lady of Shallot

   I feel so lucky to be enjoying a Friday off preparing food in my garden. They only thing that would make it any better was if my sisters were joining me later for a cocktail.

Crock-Fermented Dill Pickles

Equipment:
5L Fermentation crock

Ingredients:
1.5 gallons filtered water
3/4 cup sun-dried sea salt (I use Eden brand French Celtic)

4 pounds baby Persian cucumbers or pickling cucumbers (4-6 inches long)
1.5 Tbsps whole black peppercorns
1.5 Tbsps red pepper flakes
3 large garlic cloves, smashed
1.5 tsps dill seed
1 very large bunch of fresh dill

Procedure:
Combine the salt and water in a large vessel. I used a stock pot. Stir until the salt has dissolved.
Rinse the cucumbers thoroughly and snip off the blossom end and stem as needed. Set aside.

Place the peppercorns, pepper flakes, garlic, dill seed and fresh dill into the bottom of the crock. Add the cucumbers to the crock on top of the aromatic herbs. Pour the brine mixture over the cucumbers and completely cover with the liquid.

Set the crock stones on top of the cumbers and make sure that the brine rises above the crock stones. Place the lid on the crock, and set it in a cool and dry place. Fill the crock channel with filtered water to provide and air-tight seal. Refill as water evaporates from it.

The fermentation is complete when the places taste sour and the bubbles from fermentation have stopped rising—the fermentation time is approximately 7-10 days depending on the ambient temperature. When the pickles are sour, place in jars or tubs with the bringing liquid. Store for up to 3 months in the refrigerator. If the pickles should become soft or begin to take on an off odor, this is a sign of spoilage and they should be composted.

"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today." — Dale Carnegie

Preserved Lemons

by Michelle

 "Lots of cultures, from North Africa to Italy to Asia, came up with the idea of salting lemons as a way to keep them throughout the year. But in Morocco, that necessity really turned into the mother of invention, ultimately creating a culinary phenomenon that had a huge effect on the cuisine, to the extent that the preserved lemon completely displaced the fresh article. Moroccans don't even think of fresh lemons in connection with food beyond garnishing drinks and making lemonade." ~Mourad Lahou

   The new object of my affection is cookbook Mourad: New Moroccan by Mourad Lahlou. The self trained chef is owner of Aziza restaurant located in the Richmond district of San Francisco. I'm gearing up to prepare a Morrocan feast in July, so my first step is to prepare preserved lemons.

   This recipe is adapted from from Mourad: New Moroccan by Mourad Lahlou (Artisan ©2011). If you are even remotely interested in Morocco and Moroccan cooking, this cook book is for you. I devoured it - metaphorically, of course - from cover to cover.

Preserved Lemons

   I highly recommend removing and saving the peel from the lemons that you will be juicing. Lemon peel freezes well. When I find that I have a lot of lemons to juice, and I have a surplus of lemon peels, for me, I gotta make Limoncello. If that plan fails for whatever reason, there's always the option of preparing the best Lemon Cake on the planet. 

Ingredients for a for a 1-quart batch:
About 6 Eureka or Lisbon lemons (avoid Meyer)
About 6 to 10 lemons for juicing
About 2 Tbsps of Diamond® kosher salt per lemon

Wash the lemons in soapy and warm water.

Procedure:
1. Sterilize the jars and lids that you will be using either by boiling on the stove top for 20 minutes or by running through the dishwasher. Keep both lids and jars warm until ready to use.
1. Scrub the lemons really well with soap and warm water. Dry thoroughly.
2. Carefully cut six lemons into quarters, stopping within 1/2-inch from the stem. The lemon will be quartered, but still intact.
3. Spread the four quarters open and fill with as much salt as you can, up to 2 tablespoons. Place the lemon cut side up (to keep the salt in place) in the sterilized jar. Repeat with as many lemons as the jar will hold, pushing down so the lemons are packed into the jar. Put the lid on and let sit overnight.
4. The next day, press down on the lemons and add an additional salted lemon if space is available. If there's only a little rooom, it is fine to add a salted half or quarter lemon.
5. Juice the remaining lemons, a few at a time, pouring the juice into the jar until it is filled to the brim and the lemons are completely submerged.
6. Put the lid on the jar, turning it until it's just finger-tight. Put the jars in a dark spot such as a cupboard or pantry, but definitely not in the refrigerator. For the next week, shake the jar once a day to help dissolve the salt. Add more lemon juice if you notice that the lemons are no longer submerged.
7. Let the lemons rest for a month. If you notice a little bubbling around the edge of the jar lid, don't be concerned. It is a normal part of the fermentation process.
8. After a month, the lemons on top may have floated above the surface of the liquid, and they may have oxidized a bit, which is no problem. The lemon peel might be a little brown, but it is edible.

   "In Morocco, it's usually only the yellow rind of the preserved lemon, stripped of most of its white pith, that's used in cooking. In some long-cooked dishes a whole preserved lemon is sometimes simply thrown into the mix, and it eventually just melts away, but most of the time, the rind is used, and th erest of the fruit is discarded. That said, you may want to use the entire thing - and even they syrupy brining liquid - in various ways, as I often do. It all depends on the lemons you start with and your personal tolerance for flavor intensity." ~Mourad Lahlou