Click here to bookmark this site

Mexican cuisine, like it's North American counterpart, draws from an extensive array of cultural origins. It has been influenced by the underlying cultures of every invading armada, mostly Europeans, and borrowed from other Caribbean and Latino cultures as well.

It has had exchanges with its neighbors to the north as well (they were also invaders), although the exchange seems to have been more south to north than the other way 'round. I.e., you see a lot more enchilada dishes north of the border than Yankee pot roasts on the south side. This may simply reflect that fact that the Spanish and Mexicans settled large portions of the American southwest for a long period of time, and the Gringos never really had anything of permanence south of the Rio Grande.

Within the former Spanish/Mexican portion of the American southwest, which ran more or less all the way from east Texas to the California coast, and north pretty much all the way to Colorado, there have evolved considerable variations. Some are clearly identifiable, like New Mexican cuisine with it's blue corn tortillas and roasted green chile dishes, and the fiery creations of Tex-Mex cuisine. Arizona's southwestern dishes are pretty generic, while California's seems to melt away into lentils and artichokes.

The recipes below are simply placeholders plagiarized from the Hayward-Woodward Family Cookbook and Historical Reference – disregard them. The real stuff will soon appear.

Artichoke Heart Dip

Lu Schell

I can picture Mom and Dad, a few other guests, and Lu, always the gracious hostess, on the front porch of the Duffield-Grippen-Schell place at the Lake, with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres and quiet conversation. A nice scene. Nice people.

• 1 lg can artichoke hearts, chopped

• 1 - 4 oz can chopped green chiles

• 1 cup best foods mayonnaise

• 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

All there really is to this is to mix the ingredients together in a casserole and bake it for 1 hour at 350° F. Serve it with crackers or tortilla chips. Or both. Or maybe with some cheeses on the side.

Mom says that Kathy Woodward has a similar recipe, but leaves out the green chiles and adds 1 tsp. garlic powder and a few grinds of black pepper. Also good.

Clam Dip

Dee Hayward

Mom was not what you’d call a real party animal, although she socialized well and always managed to come back with a new tidbit to try. She garnered this interesting appetizer somewhere out on the Buzzards Bay party circuit.

• 2 - 8 oz pkg. cream cheese

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1 - 6 1/2 oz can minced clams, drained

• 1/4 cup minced green pepper

• 1/4 cup minced green onions

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Use mayo to soften the cream cheese, then thoroughly mix all ingredients. Cover with stuffed olives and serve in a dip bowl with corn chips, potato chips and pretzels on the side.

Shrimp Dip

another Buzzards Bay party dish

Here’s another that Mom picked up somewhere. One of my personal favorites, for that matter.

• 1 - 8 oz pkg. cream cheese

• 1 small can jumbo shrimp

• juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tbsp ketchup

• 1/2 tsp horseradish

• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

• cream to thin

Use the cream to soften the cream cheese, then blend in the lemon, ketchup, horseradish and Worcestershire. Mix in the shrimp and serve in a dip bowl with chips.

Please send any comments or inquiries about this site to webmaster@buzzards-bay.net

©2003-2006 Buzzards Bay Press. Last modified: April 13, 2006.

Web Design by e-write