By Co-op member and good friend, Michael Lazare
As the crow or the Boeing 747 flies it’s a little less than 6,000 miles from Strasbourg, the capital of France’s Alsace region, to Guatemala City. Sylvie Ryan, the Boise Co-op’s highly talented Culinary Educator, hails originally from Alsace. Guisela Bahruth comes from Guatemala. They are both without equal in the kitchen, and they have become fast friends. For that let us be very grateful indeed.
The thousands of miles melted away on May 5 as the two artists and their two regional cuisines came together at the Pottery Gourmet Teaching Kitchen, and the result was a) unlike any other class that Sylvie has ever taught in this marvelous series, and b) incredibly delicious. I speak French fluently as well as a bit of Spanish and some German. Digging into my multilingual vocabulary I came up with the perfect one-word description: Wow! or, in Spanish, ¡Wow!
A word of explanation: May 5, or Cinco de Mayo, is a major holiday among Mexicans in the United States and around the world, but it is only marginally celebrated in Mexico, primarily in the State of Puebla. While many people think it celebrates Mexican independence, in fact it commemorates Battle of Puebla, which resulted in a victory for the Mexican Army over the French, on May 5, 1862. Furthermore, Sylvie’s and Guisela’s feast contained elements from Mexico, to be sure, and from Peru as well, but the geographical star of the evening was clearly a Guatemalan invention. Just call the cuisine Latin American.
OK, history lesson is over, what’s for dinner?
It was different from any other cooking session Sylvie has treated us to. Let’s use that as a starting point. First, she used no butter, which those of you who are familiar with her kitchen magic will have a hard time believing. But it’s true. She also used no bacon. Second, there were none of the sauces beloved of all French chefs. Third, some of the dishes originated centuries ago along the Mediterranean rim but have become markedly different in their New World reincarnation.
Several times throughout the evening Sylvie invoked the great Julia Child. Julia Child and escabeche? Julia and ceviche? Julia and Enchiladas Chapinas? ¿Porque no? We’re talking about a fusion of tastes and customs, and that is what great cuisine is all about. It shouldn’t be narrowly restrictive or regionally proscribed. Rather it takes a bit from over here, some from over there, mixes them into the local ways of doing things, with local ingredients, and voila! The palate lights up and five neon stars blink on and off. Julia Child is happy, on any continent, in any language.
Consider Guisela’s escabeche. Classically – in Spain, Provençe, and ever earlier in Persia – the base of escabeche was marinated fish, sometimes meat. Escabeche was reborn in Mexico with a base of marinated jalapeño peppers, which is what Sylvie served up that evening. Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and green beans are cooked in water and vinegar. Then you add the jalapeños, bell peppers and onions, and there you have it – the Old World marinade combined with Latin American vegetables. the whole marinated in vinegar and water.
Another of Sylvie’s masterpieces that night was Ceviche del Mercado. Ceviche is a purely Latin American dish, invented here, with no Old World ancestry. Very simply, fish or shellfish is marinated in lime juice. The acid causes a chemical reaction which essentially cooks the fish without heat. Sylvie used halibut, which is in season and readily available at the Co-op. Avocadoes, tomatoes, again jalapeños and onion went into the mix. She prepared a salsa of tomatillos, cilantro, garlic and guess what – a jalapeño. Fresh, lively, spicy, altogether delightful. I’m getting hungry just writing this.
So now let’s get to the main attraction of the evening, a recipe kindly contributed by Guisela, called (drum roll, if you please) Enchiladas Chapinas. Let Sylvie describe it: “This recipe represents the authentic heart of Guatemala’s unique food. I have never tasted quite like it, and I am so happy my friend Guisela Bahruth taught me how to prepare this dish. It is an artist’s palette on a plate, beautifully layered, and it is most certainly as delightful and mouth-watering to the eye as to the taste buds!”
If preparing the dish is an adventure, eating it is equally an experience. You go along a buffet-style table and build your own. You begin with a tostada and place on it a large leaf of butter lettuce. Next you add cubed chicken breast cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic and salt.
On top of that goes a red salad of carrots, red beets, peas, cabbage, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and ground pepper and, I almost forgot, the pepper that begins with j and ends with ño. Layered? Yep, you’re getting the idea. But we’re not through yet. Keep adding: Parsley, a sprinkling of white cheese (queso duro or seco), a slice or two of hard-boiled eggs, and top off with salsa made from tomatoes, poblano pepper, onion, garlic, and either serrano or, yes, yes, of course, jalapeño.
Now comes the fun part: Eating the concoction. The idea is to bite into all layers at the same time, releasing into your mouth an explosion of flavors, textures, freshness and spiciness the like of which I have never tasted before. If you can keep the tostado from breaking you get an extra point and bragging rights. But, believe me, the taste is reward enough.
The personable and talented Guisela was present, quietly answering guests’ questions and keeping an eye on us as we constructed our Enchiladas Chapinas. She contributed the best line of the evening when she noted that cooking need not be complicated. It should, in fact, be simple, which she says she learned when she was rearing her children. “I cooked with one hand, with a child on my hip. If it takes more than 20 minutes and requires two hands, it’s not for me.”
Beer drinkers had their choice of Bohemia, light, or Negra Modelo, somewhat more bitter and darker. The wine was called New Age, a delightfully crisp and fruity Argentinean white, served with a squeeze of lime. As usual, Linda Ledbetter and Aaron Barnett were the perfect hosts, contributing their good humor and their great personalities.
The line-up of future sessions is already making me hungry: Suchi, the cuisine of Provençe, gourmet backpacker, gluten-free delights, Bastille Day (can’t wait for that one!), raw food and “The Sweet Side of Julia.” Please go to boisecoop.com or call 472-4500 for more information or to register.
Haven’t been to one of these evenings yet? You owe it to yourself. Trust me.
