Eat Well & Prosper RING MY BELL


mountains in Mexico began to crossbreed wild grasses into nu- tritious kernels, we call corn. Ac- cording to their legends, human beings were fashioned from corn by the Gods. Almost everything in Mexico


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begins with corn. It is believed that the taco was born as the ba- sis of the Olmec diet. Anthropol- ogists have discovered evidence that inhabitants of the lake re- gion, in the Valley of Mexico, ate tortillas filled with small fish. Te development of corn coin- cides with the rise of civilizations such as the Mayans and Aztecs. Montezuma, may have used the tortilla as a spoon, to hold his food. Te word taco comes from the Uto-Aztecan word which


by Executive Chef Ron Skaar of Redwing, Mn. ~ ronskaar@comcast.net


round 3,000 BC, inhabi- tants of the Sierra Madre


means “half or in the middle”, referencing the way it is formed. When the Spanish arrived in


Mexico, they found a sophis- ticated cuisine based on native fruits, game, domes- ticated turkeys and the cul- tivation of beans and corn. Hernan Cortes may have thrown the first taco party with a banquet for his sol- ders based on pork dishes served with fresh tortillas. A taco aficionado, Univer-


sity of Minnesota professor Jeffrey Pilcher, believes the taco or Tacquitos started in the Mexican silver mines. He believes the word taco originally referred to pieces of paper that miners would wrap around gun powder and then were placed in holes carved into rock. Tacqui-


tos look similar to a stick of dy- namite and one of the first types of taco was the “taco de Minero”, or the miners taco. Many women


“street food” sold in the border towns in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. Mexican migrants, who traveled to the Los Angeles area in the early 1900’s, brought these foods to California. Te hard taco was not a traditional Mex- ican staple, but became the standard in American Mexican restaurants. Tis was decades before Glen Bell made them famous at his first Taco Bell restau- rant, which opened in 1962. By 1970 his estab- lishments went national.


migrants began to sell tacos in Mexico City and this spawned the development of the Enchila- das, Flautas, Gorditas, Tacquitos and Tostadas. Via Mexico, tacos soon became


Sugar Ray Loves


the Toy Selection at Western Farm Center!


Meet Sugar Ray, a Standard Apricot Poodle. Sugar Ray has been visiting WFC forever, says his owner who lives in Santa Rosa. Poodle fact: Originally bred in Germany as a type of water dog, the poodle is skillful in many dog sports, including agility, obedience, tracking, and even herding. This requires a healthy diet. His owner says, “WFC is great! They have everything Sugar Ray needs, even seatbelts for dogs as well as very helpful staff!”


Western Farm Center (707) 545-0721


21 West 7th Street • Santa Rosa


Since 1967 we’ve been the favorite place to shop for your pets & farm animals!


Open Mon-Sat 8am-5:30pm • Sun 9:30am-4pm www.westernfarmcenter.com My first experience with Mex-


ican food, back in Minneapolis, was at a Taco Bell. Fortunately, aſter moving to San Francisco, I worked with chef Armando, who used his mother’s tradi- tional Mexican recipes in his ca- tering business. Whole chickens would be cooked with cumin and other spices, and the meat was pulled off the bones. Vats of fresh salsa and guacamole would be prepped along with shredded cheese and lettuce. We would pick-up freshly fried mini tacos


what is it you plan to do with your one wild


and precious life?”


Mary Oliver “Tell me,


TM


March 2019


EW & P Recipe


Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, minus innards Cumin, Coriander and pepper corns


CHICKEN TACOS


Cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, Salsa, Guacamole and sour cream for serving Crisp taco shells


Directions: In large pot, im- merse chicken in water and add spices. Bring to boil and then simmer until meat starts to fall off bones. Cool and Shred chicken, moisten with a little cooking stock and keep warm. Shred cheddar cheese and lettuce, make your own fresh salsa and guacamole or use store bought. Display warm chicken, surround with condi- ments, the crisp taco shells and let your guests build their own tacos.


shells from Las Palmas on Army Street while watching the women workers patting out the masa into thin corn tortillas. Tousands of those little tacos


were served at events throughout the Bay Area. March 21st is our National


crunchy taco day and I leave you with this simple recipe.


Factoids TACO


Americans Consume Over 4 Billion Tacos Each Year


“Taco” Translates


Literally To “Plug” or “Wad” In Spanish


The First Taco Truck Was Operated In New York By Two Housewives In 1966


Ensenada, Mexico Is Said


To Be the Birth Place of the Fish Taco


Taco Bell’s Founder Invented the Preformed U-Shaped Crispy Taco Shell


Pg 4 • March 2019 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC. “I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.” ~ Sarah Williams


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