Tales of Chiapas - Part 7 - Manuela Cooks! (2) July 2011

CHILAQUILES!!!

  

First step:  Slice stale tortillas into strips fry and drain.

 

Meanwhile:  Cook tomatoes in a little water and puree.

 

 

 Now:  Saute 2 pans of onions and slice a fire- roasted

Poblano chili.

Next: Shred some Oaxaca cheese.

Then:  Start layering in a big pan or cazuela until full.

(Tortillas, onions, chilis, cheese, and repeat.)

Add:  Sauteed chopped onions and crumble some

Queso Fresco.

Now:  Spoon tomato puree over layers, cover,

and cook on low until cheese is melted and flavors

blend.

Manuela also made us Chiapan black beans,

fresh blackberry agua fresca,

and a huge crispy salad with avocados and fresh beets

in a nice vinaigrette.

KILLER COMIDA!

Post Script:

Manuela cooks at Bela's Bed and Breakfast and the 3 of us

are cookin' up an idea of a cookbook of Manuela's recipes.

Sound like a good idea?  Let us know what you think!

Additionally:

Bela and Manuela will be hosting cooking classes at

Bela's Bed and Breakfast.

Contact Bela for more information.

Tales of Chiapas - Part 6 - Manuela Cooks! July 2011

One of the truly great things about staying

at Bela's B and B is Manuela - and her cooking!

And boy can she cook.

Manuela's Bio - By Bela Wood
 

Maunela was born in Chanal, Chiapas - 

which was listed five years ago by the UN as one of the poorest
100 pueblos in the world -

and they don't know exactly how old she is.

She is registered as being 52 years old 

(but that was so she could get an ID - they really don't know).

She came to San Cristóbal when she was about 15,

escaping a guy who wanted to marry her. 

At the time, there were women who went to Chanal to take embroidery

to the women so they could make some money. 

Manuela asked a friend to ask them (she didn't speak Spanish)

if they would take her to San Cristóbal and find a place for her to work.

They did.

She worked for a family, she got up at 5:00 am to take the corn

to the mill and then made the tortillas.  She went to sleep at midnight.

They were not bad to her.

Later she worked for another family who had her baptized,

Dr. Hugo is her godfather. He is cool. 

She learned how to cook by watching the women in the houses where she worked.

It was all by watching!

Then she worked for an American woman, where she met Martín,

and watched the cooks there too.

 She didn't get together with Martín until she was 28.

After a while she was cooking and taking care of the kids and cleaning.

I rented that house in 1997 and she and Martín were like caretakers

- they came with the deal.

At that time she had six kids aged 2 - 12

and she was earning $50 a month! 

She's the next to the youngest of 13 kids - her mother is still alive.

Manuela and her mother.

Thank you Bela, for sharing Manuela's story with us!

Next up we will cook comida with Manuela!

Stay tuned.

Hiking the Rainy Season - Views, Rushing Creeks, Livestock, and Nature's Pornography July 2011

Larry, my hiking buddy, and I picked a muddy road that rose

from the highway into the

southwest corner of the the mountains, hills, and valleys, 

(known as el cerro) surrounding Lake Chapala and

braved the mud, rushing creeks,

road workers, and errant livestock to see what we could see.

We drove until we found a nice big shady

tree to park under, set the nutzo dog free,

and started out.

Larry has already spied something special.

Larry always reminds me of the late - and truly great -

Mrs. T. who lived, and died, not ever far from where I lived

either in Hawaii or in Northern California.

www.wildcarebayarea.org

An early environmentalist, Elizabeth Terwilliger delighted

in dashing from one interesting thing to another shouting

"Something special! Something special!"

as she led kids - and adults - romping through nature hikes.

Having received a rainy-season deluge the night before,

we squished through mud and forged several rushing creeks

as we slogged onward and upward.

 

Until we reached the last gate,

for now, anyway.

Turning around, we headed back while admiring

the stunning views of the lake and the mountains

of south shore Lake Chapala.

SOMETHING SPECIAL!

And back down through the bucolic dairy land

from where we started.

  

At least ONE of us had waaaaay too much fun!

El Andalón - Sergio Castro - Humanitarian Chiapas July 2011

INTRODUCING SERGIO CASTRO!

THE DOCUMENTARY

For more than 45 years, this man has traveled to the homes

of the Mayan people of Chiapas and quietly treated

their injuries and medical needs - on his dime.

Now he needs us.

Please take a moment to look at the documentary trailer

above and click on the links provided here:

SERGIO CASTRO'S WORK

TO HELP

 if you are in my area and would like to donate medical supplies, please leave a comment on this post, or email MexicanTrailrunner@hotmail.com and I will arrange to pick them up and deliver them to Sergio at the end of the year when I return to Chiapas.

¡MUCHAS GRACIAS!

Click here to donate to Sergio Castro's very worthy cause!