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Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Politics Racist Recipes
Posted by on Wed, Feb 14 at 2:40 PM
I got a care package from my mom today—chocolate, some childhood photos (she’s on a scanning kick lately—thanks mom!), and a cancer research benefit cookbook.
Let me explain the cookbook—my dad’s side of the family is from a little town called Wanda, Minnesota. It’s a cute farming town a few hours west of Minneapolis (most of the farms have closed down, sadly), and we used to visit my great grandmother there each summer. Last fall, I got a note from my mom, alerting me that the “Wanda State Bank”—it must be in one of the four buildings on Main Street—was sponsoring a cookbook to raise money for cancer research, instead of doing a walkathon or race for a cure. My dad’s distant cousin was spearheading the project, and emails bounced far and wide, soliciting recipes. There are a few members of my family battling cancer right now—and I collect recipes—so I shelled out the $15 to buy one.
It arrived today, with 329 pages of Midwestern recipes that rely heavily on “one can cream of celery soup,” boil-in-bag rice, ground beef, “a packet of Lipton soup mix,” etc. Very cute, kinda gross, but for a good cause (it seems the American Cancer Society is the organization that got my $—their logo is stamped on the front of the book).
I flipped to the index to see what recipes my mom had submitted—she did one for each of my siblings, and named ‘em for us (“Amy’s Favorite Cookies” are an oatmeal butterscotch concoction that I used to eat by the dozen as a kid). But as I was searching for the recipe named for my brother, I saw this instead:
Umm. What the hell? I flipped to page 158 to see what’s in a “Wetbacks Delight.” (Some lady named Lori submitted it—I do not know Lori, and as far as I can tell, she’s no relative of mine. EDITED TO ADD: I just read the intro to the cookbook, and it seems Lori’s the one who started the cookbook project, in honor of her husband, who’s fighting melanoma.)
Cumin. Chili Powder. “Hamburger.” It looks like a meat and rice mixture, served over Fritos, topped with lettuce, shredded cheese, and sour cream. Sounds like a midwestern riff on Frito Pie… so, um, yeah.
As you’ll note, though, my mom—bless her heart—used correction tape and a pen to rename it “Spanish Delight.”
Comments
Do you think your mom would have made the edit if you were not in a relationship with an actual wetback?
And speaking of this racial slur, I have no idea what the term refers to!
Why is my back suppossed to be wet?
Amy's Favorite Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups quick oatmeal (uncooked)
1 2/3 cups butterscotch chips
Heat oven to 375F. Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, blend thoroughly. Mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Cool one minute on pan, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Makes 4 dozen.
Amy's note: My mom used to freeze half of them for later, and I'd sneak down to the big basement freezer to take a cookie or two. They're really good while still frozen.
Also, I just found the Jello section of the cookbook... Midwesterners are very creative with their artificially flavored gelatin, let me tell you that.
Oh, my God, Amy! That is SO funny!
I bet everyone in the Merc office sat around and shook their heads at how RACIST everyone else in the world can be! Especially Matt! He's so tuned in to these things!
Girlfriend—
I don't know, actually. I first heard the slur just a few years ago, and wondered the same thing. Where it came from, what it means.
And I think my mom named it Spanish Delight instead of Mexican Delight because of you. Really, though, Frito Delight would have been lovely.
Sheilah—give me a call if you'd like to discuss it. 503 294 0840.
Girls, if you're going to be offended by something in a Midwestern cookbook, you really need to know that "wetback" refers to Mexicans swimming the Rio Grande into America.
But keep up the good work, Amy! This is the third post about racism today, and I'm just delighted to see all of you starting the dialogue in Portland. Even if you don't know what the terms mean.
Remember: Words can WOUND, and the work you do here is very important!
You're right Sheilah. People shouldn't point out or discuss things if they don't know the etymology, but simply know that a term used is a slur.
Let's not talk about it. We aren't enlightened enough. I, for one, don't have a Ph.D in slurs and where they come from and what, exactly, most of them mean.
Amy - having spent many a summer in various small towns across Minnesota visiting grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and the like - I can totally see it!
Of course that's also where I learned that Brazil Nuts are also apparently called "n-toes"
There are Brazil Nuts in MN? I never met an avocado or asparagus (or tons of other non-canned fruits, veg and other foods) until I moved west.
P.S.—check out the "tuna noodle casserole" also listed in that index. A few above that: "Triscuits Chicken Hotdish."
A few years ago I went to a family reunion in the rural midwest. I lost about five pounds.
Sheilah sounds hot.
I for one am getting sick of all these illegal Spanish immigrants taking our jobs as Flamenco dance instructors, Tapas chefs and postmodern artists!
I don't think it's right of your mom to confuse the Spanish with those hot-blooded Canadians and their irrational love of hamburger.
Don't even get me started on poutsin.
Viva El Franco-Canadian!
I think "wetbacks delight" is too soggy.
I noticed another mis-print in the scan of the recipes...the upside down pizza should be titled the "grotesquely drunk dago who fell on his face- delight".
taqxn rnaqcfik orhic mcdywia tcgznphjq boqtzi ymuja
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1. Your mom cracks me up. Nice save!
2. What is this oatmeal butterscotch favorite cookie you speak of? My sweet tooth demands details!