Welcome to Cuisine by Kristina! Back in 2000, while I was receiving my master’s in Latin American Studies, I enrolled in a groundbreaking class that explored whether the Internet Revolution would enable Latin America to leapfrog the Industrial Revolution. We were given an assignment to look in depth at a particular Latin American country, and our group had selected Mexico. My classmate said something I’ll always remember, “Instead of regurgitating information, I want to synthesize the data to draw a conclusion that makes a contribution.”
Struck by her novelty, I admired this idea of contribution, of gifting something that only you can gift. It has been my ruling guide for this blog, as I seek to craft recipes that hopefully bring forth an original variety of flavors. It can be seen in my Spiced Citrus Loquat Tea, whose earthy loquat leaves pairs well with mulling spices, like the smokiness of anise and the woody hint of cinnamon sticks. And as my post, Authentic Canned Black Beans, implies, a little-known discovery is that a store-bought can of black beans can taste like they’re straight from the agricultural highlands of Western Honduras, where I volunteered with the Peace Corps. And who knew that allspice would be the secret to good, brewed coffee or Crisco would substitute butter in peanut butter cookies? Or Indian fruit salad would be dressed with cumin, pepper, rock salt, and mandarin juice? Or Swedish meatballs would call for three types of meat? The list goes on but there’s something here for everyone!
Also, this blog has been a blessed marriage of many personal interests, like my passion for writing, photography, photo editing, recipe development, and food presentation and plating. My work experiences have encompassed the editing and publishing of university newsletters and publicity materials, writing my memoir, and optimizing an institute’s collection of 35mm slides and raw photographs. And as a painter trained in the Renaissance techniques of the old master’s, I feel it is my art education that guides the aesthetics of this blog, from the layout to the presentation and plating of food. But it is my love of food and developing new recipes that keeps me energized and up at night. I am always thinking of new food combinations and how to recreate lingering tastes on my palate. I hope that you enjoy perusing this blog and gain inspiration in its posts, as you delve into the contents and cultural significance of these hand-picked dishes!