Karen Renfro

One of the best stories ever--perfect for reading aloud to your family, especially children.

First of all, I must disclose that I collect cookbooks. Old cookbooks or classic cookbooks. The first one of this genre that I purchased was "Old Cookbooks" for $5.00 at Safeway, and I think the oldest written recipe was from the Roman Empire, a stew with a very long list of ingrediants meant to disguise the decayed quality of the meat. My father gave me my next cookbook--"Native American Food and Lore" which is a fascinating fount of information. I think my next one was "Harrod's Cookery Book" which I wanted because my husband and I are Anglophiles who love the BBC series "Rumpole of the Bailey" which features the iconic London landmark from time to time when Hilda Rumpole and Margery Featherstone have lunch there, and what a treasure it has been! When I bought this book I had no idea what the Feast of Santa Fe was, or what kind of cuisine this was about, or how it would factor into my life in the way that it has. It is not only one of the very best histories I've ever read and one of the best cookbooks I've ever used (everything I needed to know is included in the text and clearly explained, and easy to follow), it helped me understand the unique cultural traditions of the diverse population that makes up present-day New Mexico, whose cousins have fanned out all over the world to many places--including my own neighborhood a thousand miles away. I remember how exciting it was for me to embark on this culinary adventure. The first recipe I tried was for Spanish Rice, which was easy and tasty and not greasy at all--in a covered pot in my gas oven. It would have been even better if I'd had one of those outdoor wood-fired ovens. I learned how to cook the most delicious pinto beans I've ever eaten. I learned how to make one of the easiest, most versatile meat dishes and have been enjoying it ever since--and we have a long list of variations, I don't think we've ever prepared it in the same way twice. I even almost learned how to make tortillas--I think I lacked the most important technique...patience. You have to let the dough rest awhile before you start rolling them out. I did not try Tamales because back then we had friends whose ancestors came from New Mexico and they would always supply us with the best Tamales we've ever had. And I stupidly gave my copy of the cookbook away to someone I thought would appreciate it, not realizing replacing it would be such a difficult challenge. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to eat good homecooked food, who likes the food of our ancestors--anybody's ancestors--authentic cuisine, historical cuisine, who likes the geography and culture and agriculture of the Southwest, who likes the Old Spanish Trail--now a National Historical Trail from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. Bon Appetit!