Latina Pride

Watching the Puerto Rican Day parade on television yesterday made me smile. It’s fun to watch everyone dance around with pride for their culture and represent it in a very distinct way.

So I started thinking what makes me proud to be Latina? What makes me proud to be a woman? And then Former Miss Universe and Puerto Rican, Denise Quinones (she was giving commentary on the parade), made a comment that made me think…food.

Quinones says that she can’t cook at all, so my tip for her is to learn because I think women…and especially Latinas, should know how to cook.

Why? Well…ladies, imagine a guy saying to you, “I can’t defend myself.” He would sound like a pansy right? Well, it’s the equivalent of a woman saying, “I don’t know how to cook.” 

Now I’m not saying you need to learn how to cook so that you can spend your days at home cooking for a man, but I’m sure he would appreciate a few meals made with love by you, every once in a while. After all, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right? That’s definitely a true statement.

Of course, there’s another important reason why Latina’s should learn how to cook—it’s part of our culture. Who would make the tortillas? The rice and beans? The enchiladas?  Mofongo? Ropa Vieja? Tamales? I can keep going…

I know men can learn to cook too, but it’s just not the same. I always think about the dishes that my grandma makes…and that my mom has waiting for me when I go home to New Mexico. If women aren’t cooking, then what will our kids and grandkids eat? And look forward to having when they go home?

So here’s a basic recipe that’s important to me—green chile stew (I miss chile every single day). I would love to hear what recipes are important to you as well.

Green Chile Stew
Serves 8
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin or pork butt, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 cups chicken or beef broth
1 pound red or white potatoes, cut in 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes
2 to 3 teaspoons salt, to taste
3 cups roasted, peeled, chopped green chile or to taste
3 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, to taste

Heat the oil in a 6-quart pot over high heat and brown the meat in
batches. Set aside. In the same oil, saute the onions until golden.
Add the garlic and saute 1 minute. Return the meat to the pan along
with any juices that may have accumulated. Add the broth, potatoes,
salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for one hour, un-
til the potatoes are tender. Add the green chile and the red bell
pepper, and cook 15 to 20 minutes more. Add the cilantro, stir and serve.