SOUTH WESTERN fOODS

CHILIES

• Columbus took this food back from Mexico
• Filled with vitamin A&C, and capsicum
• Chili peppers were taken from Santa Fe
• Which is now the chili capital of the world
• The background photo is a "Ristras"

EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT

• Settled by the Spanish explorers in 1598
• Though the native Americans lived already
• We're looking for fabled cities of gold
• Found mica roof tops and assumed they were
• Kicked out native Americans on "Santa Fe trail"

CORN AND INDIAN TRIAD

• Southwestern native Americans grew maize, beans squash, tomatoes and chilies
• ...squash, tomatoes and chilies.
• The maize squash and beans were referred as the "Indian triad
• Corn, was soaked,which caused the kernels swell then the were ground into a meal
• They would make dough, and shaped it into circles, to make tortillas

PINON NUTS

• The Spanish brought them along with peach, apple and apricot
• The Native American adopted the nuts to make pastries
• The nuts are found in pine cones of a specific southwestern tree
• Nuts are used in many dishes, including empanaditas
• Which are turnovers with dried fruit, pork and piñon nuts

SOPAPILLAS AND FRIED BREAD

• A common food at Pow-Wows is lamb stew with fried bread
• Neither of those foods were eaten until Spain brought them
• Spain also refined the fry bread to make delicious sopapaillas
• Sopapaillas are hollow delicacies with honey and served hot
• Mostly in New Mexico

RICE AND WHEAT

• Brought to the new world by Spaniards
• Sonora, a northern part of Mexico near Arizona..
• ...was a great place to grow wheat.
• They started to make wheat tortillas
• Opposed to the healthier corn ones

FRIJOLES

• Frijoles are beans, usually red, black or pinto
• Mexicans often eat some type or beans 3 times a day
• Often they are cooked plain and eaten with tortillas
• Cooked, mashed or fried to make refried beans
• They are also used in soups, stews and dips

TAMALES

• A popular Mexican food, which translates to bundle
• A dried corn husk soaked in water
• Then cornmeal with pork is placed inside
• Then steamed.
• South western variation is tamale pie

AVOCADO

• Also known as the alligator pear
• It's actually a fruit, with mild flavored flesh
• When raw is mashed with..
• .. Onion, tomatoes, and peppers
• To make a dip called guacamole

CHOCOLATE

• The cocoa bean, is native to Mexico
• Mexico is a large contribution to southwestern foods
• A favorite Mexican dish is chocolate heated in water, flavored
• With cinnamon

PRICKLY PEAR

• Cactus fruit are very sweet and can be eaten raw
• Right off the plant depending on how ripe they are...
• ...they can taste sweet,
• Or syrupy-sweet

TEX-MEX

• The Anglo influence is more prominent in Texas
• Ranchers who migrated from the south brought they're food with them
• Such as hot bread, and chicken fried steak with them

cOWBOYS AND CHUCK WAGONS

• The first Americans to settle in the SW were cowboys from Texas
• The drive cattle from the rail roads to Kansas
• All the food was kept in a rolling kitchen called a "chuck wagon"
• The box store flour, cornmeal, rice, salt, coffee, brown sugar, pinto beans
• Lard, bacon, pork and bacon

BOWL OF RED AND FAJITAS

• A bowl or red is chili con carne with cubes of meat
• That are simmered unit the meat falls apart
• Fajitas are made with flank steak that has been marinated
• The grilled with onions and chiles
• Both are specialty foods of Texas

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

• The Spanish came early to California
• Though the influence is much lighter
• You can expect a sea-food based meal
• what you would find around the coast of Mexico

TORTILLAS,

• Mexican, many bases of popular dishes
• Tortilla means little cake, made from corn kernels
• Which are cooked in lime and water, until ground
• Then made into circles, and fried. Create enchiladas
• Burritos, chimichangas, and chalupas