To start our journey I thought it would be appropriate to describe my cooking mentor. Carmen comes from another era when home economic skills were passed from mother to daughter, not in a high school classroom.
Carmen was born in Granados, Sonora, Mexico, with four sisters and three brothers.
Her house had no running water and so as a child she would get water for the house from the river a block away. Twice, in the morning before school, she would make a trip to the river carrying two pails. Again when she returned home for lunch she would make the trip for a total of four pails of water. Her final two trips would be after school in the late afternoon. Each day she cared a total of 30 gallons of water to her house for cooking, cleaning, and bathing.
Carmen's Mother
In the small town of Granados schooling ended for children at sixth grade. Once Carmen had graudated sixth grade she stayed home with her mother and older sister to help clean the house, while her eldest sister worked in nearby Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico.
Carmen and her sister would rotate the chores of cleaning, laundry and cooking each week. Carmen recalls that her mother made beans, tortillas, enchiladas, and tamales frequently. Her mother’s favorite food was anything with meat, she loved the flavor, said Carmen.
Carmen herself didn’t have any favorite foods. “I ate everything, just not sweets.” But oddly enough, despite her lack of a sweet tooth, she prefers baking to cooking. “I like to bake cookies and cake,” said Carmen.
Maybe if I’m lucky we will get to bake later! Because there has never been a doubt in my mind that I have a sweet tooth.
When Carmen got older she met her future husband and eloped with him. It was very risque because her husband had been previously married and already had two sons, Tony and Mike. So from the beginning Carmen cooked a lot of food.
“When I first married my husband, he ate 12 tacos, rice and beans,” said Carmen.
Fortunately her husband and sons were never picky eaters. “Tony and Mike liked beans and tortillas,” said Carmen. Soon thereafter Carmen had a daughter, Piri, followed by her son (and my boyfriend) Solano ten years later and finally her last child Chacha when Solano was two.
From left: Carmen, Piri, and Chacha
Carmen says that her daughters never really learned how to cook like she did because they grew up in a different world where children were busy with school and activities. Now her eldest daughter has a degree from the University of Arizona, has two sons of her own and works a full-time job. Chacha, the youngest daughter, attends college and works part-time. Neither of them have anytime for cooking, says Carmen.
But I am happy to step in as her apprentice and do my best to share her trade secrets with my readers so they too can enjoy the feel of a warm homemade flour tortilla in their hand and the smell of fresh posole on the stove.
Buen Provecho!
Inside La Concina 