What I Found At The Market / Lo Que Encontre En El Mercado

Wild Strawberries/ Fresas Salvajes

Strawberries / Fresas

Sunflowers / Girasoles

Blood Orange / Naranja Sangrita

Figs / Higos

Rosemary / Romero

Basil / Albahaca

Carrots and Squash / Zanahorias y Calabazas

Carroats / Zanahorias

Sea Urchins / Erizos

Crabs / Cangrejo

Cherries / Cerezas

Yellow Plums / Ciruela Amarilla

Nectarines / Nectarinas

Grapes / Uvas

Homemade Cheese / Queso Casero

Cheese is a food derived from milk, produced in a wide range of flavors, textures, and forms. It consists of proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. Wikipedia

There are hundreds of types of cheese made around the world and I love them all, or almost all. In fact, cheese is the number one thing in my grocery list. I love it so much, I can’t live without it! 

Here in San Diego, we have stores like Assanti’s who has a great variety of Italian style cheese, like fresh mozzarella and smoked scamorza.  Venissimo Cheese sells many kinds of European style cheeses. At La Jolla farmers' market, we have Spring Hill Cheese Petaluma Creamery who offers numerous types of aged cheese. And let’s not forget the many Mexican shops that sell freshly made queso fresco, a ranch style cheese, one of my favorites! All these places have fantastic cheese.

Long time ago, my cousin Rosa taught me how to make queso fresco which I made every now and then. I also learned how to make yogurt cheese. Recently, I learned how to make two new varieties; paneer, an Indian cheese, and goat cheese. I’m so excited to show you how incredibly easy preparing homemade cheese is. Here is a recipe for goat cheese; I will show you how I made paneer in a different post.

Homemade Goat Cheese

1 quart of goat milk

¼ cup of water

1 hipping teaspoons of citric acid

Sea salt to taste

Dissolve citric acid in water. In a heavy bottomed pot, combine milk with citric acid mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously. When the milk reaches 180°F, remove from the heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Invert the mixture into a kitchen towel draped over a bowl - I suspended a strainer between the bowl and the towel - let it drain for several hours in the refrigerator - I drained mine overnight.  Transfer the cheese to a bowl and season it with salt to taste. Form into a log with the help of plastic wrap or spoon into a container and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour before serving. Enjoy it spread on bread or crackers or marinate it like I did in the following recipe.

Marinated Goat Cheese

4 oz goat cheese 

2 sprig rosemary

2 sprig thyme

2 bay leaves, broken into pieces

½ Tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely crushed

½ Tablespoon white peppercorns, coarsely crushed

2 garlic cloves, pealed

Extra virgin olive oil as needed

Cut cheese in medallions and form balls the size of a large marble. In the bottom of a clean jar, place half of the herbs, garlic and spices. Add the cheese, the remaining herbs, garlic and spices, and cover with olive oil. Let the cheese marinade for several hours. Store in the refrigerator but let it come to a room temperature before serving. This will last for several days in the refrigerator, if you can stand it. Mine did not last; we ate it all in one sitting!

A Mexican Cultural Fiesta / Una Fiesta Cultural Mexicana

As it has become a custom in my office, cultural festivals have been held throughout the years. However, ever since I started working here, I have never seen anyone organize a Mexican cultural fiesta. This year my co-workers suggested we should have one and so we did.

On this blog, I have posted about the African-American celebration, Black History Month; Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, and more recently I posted some pictures of the Cambodian and Laotian New Year celebration. Now I have the honor of sharing with you a little bit of the culture and traditions of Mexico through photographs and a short narrative of how this event evolved in my office.

We were inspired by beautiful events from other cultures. At first, we talked about celebrating Cinco de Mayo but we quickly voted against it because Mexican people don’t really celebrate this date. We wanted to put together a different celebration, one that would prove a different panorama of Mexico to our co-workers in the office. So, as good old Mexicans who did not need any reason or special day to throw a good party, we picked any old day - May 23rd.

We carefully planned the menu and chose chicken and beef tostadas with all the trimmings. We picked Mexican arroz (rice) as the side dish and aguas frescas for beverages; espinaca (spinach), horchata (rice) and jamaica (hibiscus) to represent the colors of our Mexican flag. Dessert was rice pudding, flan and Mexican fruit gelatin. Our office is promoting healthy food and we thought this was a nutritious and satisfying meal that everyone would enjoy - it had everything - carbohydrates, protein, dairy, vegetables and fruit. Of course, we prepared this meal with authentic Mexican ingredients of the highest quality. It was a delicious meal that everyone liked!

Next were the decorations, exhibits and games. We planned exhibits that showcased the arts and crafts of Mexico as well as some clothing and textiles from the different regions throughout our country. We had an exhibit with Frida Kahlo’s paintings and artwork from the artist, Vic Herman, and a display showcasing influential people of Mexican descent which was very educational and inspirational to us.

We also had an exhibit to show the wine, olive oil and cheese from Baja, which are gaining in popularity every day. We had a tortilla-making demonstration with la tortillera (lady who makes tortillas)! In addition, we played loteria, a fun Mexican game similar to Bingo, and we organized a salsa contest. We invited everyone in the office to participate by contributing a salsa or by being one of the testers. People in the office really got into this; we counted entries not only of Mexican employees but also Cambodian, Vietnamese, African-American and Anglo co-workers who submitted excellent salsitas.

The ceiling and tables were decorated with papel picado and piñatas which we later raffled off. We all wore our beautiful Mexican attire with pride and we were eager to show off how beautiful our traditional vestments are.

The music was selected with the utmost care making sure it was tasteful and exquisite; we did not have any problems there because Mexico has an extensive repertoire of amazing music. A beautiful video was shown so that our co-workers could see the beauty and magnificence of Mexico’s landscapes.

We ended our celebration by handing out little bags filled with Mexican sweets to thank each guest.

All in all, our Mexican cultural event was a lovely one. I enjoyed not only the actual event and how beautiful everything was, but also all the planning. I got to work with my compatriots who work in the office with me but who I don’t always have the opportunity to talk and mingle with as much as I would like. We are all very busy with our work and sometimes it is hard to get to know each other.

During the planning of this event, I was pleasantly surprised by wonderful paisanos in the office that are very proud of our country and Mexican heritage as much as I am. Many thanks to all my beautiful, talented co-workers; you made this celebration a memorable one for me!

*Thanks to my co-workers who provided some of these pictures, you know who you are.

Honor Whom Honor Deserves / Honor A Quien Honor Merece

Most parents would agree that raising a family is a challenge. Being a family of 1, 2 or 13 children, like mine, parents have a huge task on hand. But, most parents would also agree that seeing their children grow up to become great people is equally rewarding.


The teaching method my parents most often utilized was teaching by example. With 13 children a year and a half apart from each other, my parents did not have much time to sit down with us individually to help with our homework or to read our favorite bedtime story, they were always very busy. Nevertheless, they found ways to teach us the important lessons that would carry us through life, and they did this by example. So, throughout my life, I have been observing people and benefiting a great deal by “experimentar en cabeza ajena”, which means to learn from other’s experiences.

This time, I learned from Savanith, a beautiful Cambodian lady that works with me. She’s this excellent person who, with her actions, has taught me the value of being able to accept and adapt to new circumstances in life with graciousness and happiness.

Savanith

Savanith was born and raised in Cambodia in a very honorable family. Most people don’t know this but Savanith’s ancestors, on her mother’s side, held the Lordship title which means they were members of the nobility including, in descending order, duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. When this title is given it stays in the family for life, therefore, she feels very proud of her ancestors in general and her family particular. Her grandfather, Mr. Um, was the first Supreme Court Judge in Cambodia and his son, Savanith’s father, was an Ambassador in Laos, Burma, North Korea and a Council in Thailand and Indonesia and in USA (during Kennedy’s Presidency). Savanith and her 3 siblings were raised with honor and privileges enjoyed by the elite but you wouldn’t know this by looking at her because she is an unpretentious and humble person.

She told me that in Cambodia, she used to have a maid just for herself; “I never had to move a finger”, she said. There were many servants who maintained the home as well as chauffeurs, cooks and gardeners but her maid’s job was just to play with her and entertain her. She said people used to tease her by saying she could order her maid to fly and it would happen, but she never gave such order. She used to live on a huge property with several homes for the family and relatives; they had lots of land with rice fields and many peasants that worked for her family. Savanith’s home was a compound of several houses and she lived in the main mansion built by her grandfather. Her father and his siblings, children and many grandchildren were born in that house. Nowadays, her house is one of the most luxurious hotels in Cambodia, The Pavilion Hotel. She showed me pictures of it on the internet and she pointed out a balcony that came off the second floor where her bedroom used to be. The balcony in the hotel is now overlooking the pool which used to be where the main driveway leading to the main entrance was. Her aunts’ houses were to the right and left sides of the mansion. From the balcony, she was able to spot the boys coming to visit her so she had a chance to tidy up before coming down to meet them.

Artifacts from Cambodia and Laos

Some of her siblings were sent to study abroad but it was not customary for girls to be sent abroad to study so she, instead, went to a French-Catholic boarding school by the shoreline in Cambodia - only the rich and famous, and even princesses studied there. The Um family was very prestigious so Savanith was among the selected. She has told me many fascinating stories about her life in Cambodia. She talks about her years in boarding school learning French and other languages (she speaks 5 different languages!). Her favorite part about school was that it was on the shoreline and she had a lot of chances to go swimming. It is not a surprise she became an excellent swimmer, her pool was the open sea. She was also a very joyful and fun-loving girl then and she’s still very funny now. In the office, she is always coming up with the funniest things and expressions to say that make us laugh. I can always count on Savanith to help keep the morale up and she makes my job so much more enjoyable.

Savanith and her family came to the United States in April of 1975 as a result of the falling of her country. She said she left Cambodia on April 10th to go on vacation in Burma where her father was stationed. When the Regime in Cambodia fell on April 17, 1975, the embassy in Burma was closed and the officials were ordered to go to Thailand. This included her father. Shortly after, he made arrangements and sent for the family. Mr. Leng, Savanith’s later-to-be husband, was the pilot who flew them out of Burma to join her father in Thailand. They were in Utapao, a military based where people who escape Cambodia came. They stayed there until the whole family was admitted into the United States as refugees on May 8, 1975. All 13 of them (parents, siblings, aunts and cousins) arrived at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Onofre, CA, where they stayed until June 12 of the same year.



Here is Savanith sharing her culture at a recent event in my office

During the time Savanith was in Camp Pendleton, she together with other family members, served as a translator, helping people that did not speak English. The family was assisted by the refugee agency but, because most of them were labor ready, they found jobs and worked for Catholic Charities and for International Rescue Committee as case workers and translators. After holding a part time job as a teacher aid with IOEP and a full time job as case manager with UPAC, Savanith started her career with the County of San Diego on November 28, 1978. She was a translator and she is currently a Health and Human Service Specialist who works in my office, serving refugees. She said sometimes clients recognize her as being the granddaughter of Cambodian Supreme Judge, Mr. Um, and had been told by clients that they had the honor of serving her grandfather and now they feel honored to be served by her.

As with many families, hers was adapting to their new life in the USA. They all got jobs doing whatever necessary to keep the family going. Her siblings graduated from Universities, her sister obtained a PHD in Political Science and is currently a Professor at UC Berkeley. Her brother is a Council for the USA State Department and is currently stationed in Thailand. In addition to fulfilling her job with the County, Savanith married Mr. Leng in 1980 and they raised four kids. She also took care of her elderly parents until they passed away in 1994 and 2003 respectively. For many years she tended to her sick husband who passed away last year. She practices Buddhism as her religion; very often I heard her talking how she needs to go to the temple to serve food for the monks. She is undoubtedly a well respected member of her community.



Celebrating Cambodia and Laos New Year

I know other people from Cambodia and I have heard from them sad stories about the hardships they had to overcome since they were forced to flee their country, and of the difficulties they encounter adapting to their new life in America. Savanith doesn’t talk much about this. She went from having it all to not having much. From leaving the life of a princess to a life of service – I have never heard a complaint from her about this. I met Savanith in 1999 when I came to work for the County. Since then, I have been admiring her ability to adapt to new circumstances. She sometimes looks tired but I have never seen her mad or bitter. She lives her life with gusto and loves to share her Cambodian traditions with others. I love listening to her talking about anything and everything because she always has something interesting to say and she brings humor to her conversations. I asked her if she misses her old life. She stopped to think for a moment and said, “We were always taught to be flexible with life circumstances, maintain your traditions as who you came from but don’t rely on that because now all the doors are open but they can close at any time.” Then she said, “We were always told to be proud of who we are and where we came from and to be proud of the family but, to maintain what’s in the family, you have to work hard. And wherever you are and whatever you do, remember who you are.”

Savanith is obviously proud of her heritage. She shows it every day in the way she conducts herself and when she shares her culture with us in the office, and in the way she teaches by example, to accept and adapt to new ways with grace and happiness. I’m sure her parents would be proud of the great person she is. I feel privileged to have met and work with such a wonderful person.

Tet Year of the Snake / Tet Año de la Serpiente

We have a good number of Vietnamese employees who get together every year to plan and put together a great New Year celebration to share with us in the office. They call this festivity Tet and we celebrated last week.

Tet Nguyen Dan which means the first morning of the first day of the new period is known as Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. This marks the beginning of a new year on the lunar calendar, and the beginning of spring. For Vietnamese, the New Year begins on the first night of the first moon after the sun enters Aquarium; sometime between January 21 and February 19 on the lunar calendar. 

Tet is the most important and popular festivity in Vietnam. Families prepare in advance and they take special care to ensure they start the New Year on the right foot. They clean their homes, people buy new cloths, cook special holiday foods and they try to pay off their debts. People make amends with each other to get rid of bad feelings. Southchay, my coworker, said that cleaning is not allowed during Tet because it would be like sweeping out good luck and you would not want to do that. 

During the first 3 days of Tet, people want to look and feel their best, and also have positive energy. They dress up in their new cloths, control themselves from being angry or sad and display generosity with each other. Everyone is in their best behavior, businesses close for 3 days to avoid negative or angry customers who could interfere with their positive energy. Lai, another coworker, told me that in the old days people did not go to work during Tet but now, people who do not have their own business go to work but keep positive and in good spirits. 

The atmosphere is very festive; everything is decorated and vibrant. The color red is seen everywhere because it symbolizes good luck and happiness. Lucky money is given by adults in little red envelopes, usually to single or young children. Vietnamese believe that giving money to youngsters brings good luck to them and, in turn, someone else will bring good luck to you by sharing their good fortune. I used to have a coworker, Chris Nguyen, who gave me Vietnamese money in red envelopes every Tet. I still have these envelopes and, of course, the money.

This is my friend Christina, she would be the perfect guest to have on the first day of Tet. She is the artist who painted our sign for this year's celebration

Tet is also time to share with family and close friends. The first visitors who come to your home are very important. You hope to invite people that are happy and bring good energy to your home because this will sustain good energy and happiness for you and your family throughout the new year. Lai said that people usually invite a relative or a special guess that they feel will bring them good luck. If you are not very fond of someone, she said, don’t invite them to your home during the first 3 days of Tet.

Food is the star of this celebration; anything is available when it comes to goodies, and you are allowed to eat as much as you can. You could eat your face in Tet and no one would care. This sounds just like in my Mexican feasts! There are special fruits like banana, mango, young coconut, papaya, chirimoya and rambutan that, when served together, they mean you would have enough to succeed, not too little and not too much but just enough – this is good luck in the Vietnamese culture. A traditional food is Earth Cake (in reference to the planet), a special packet made for this occasion. It is a square cake made with rice, beans and pork and wrapped in banana leaves. Both Southchay and Lai told me this is one of the foods people share with their relatives and friends during the 3 days of Tet. But Lai said that when the cake is made in a rectangular or elongated shape, you don’t suppose to share this during Tet. You could share these cakes before or after Tet but not during the 3 day celebration. The reason, she said, is because they have a shape similar to a coffin and this symbolizes death so it is bad luck to give or received Earth Cakes made in this shape. However, my friend Christina who is a native of Vietnam, told me that Earth Cakes are an important part of this celebration. They are called Banh Chung in the North of Vietnam. Banh Tet is a variation of this cake in the South. The shape of Banh Tet is cylindricul not square or round. People prepare and exchange them during the celebation of Tet.

 

At the office, I always have lots of fun learning about different cultures and their celebrations – this time, Tet’s traditions. I enjoyed the excellent food and fine entertainment. Thank you to all of my coworkers who put together this beautiful celebration to share with the rest of us, I loved it!

Source: Wikipedia and my coworkers