Oaxaca Cultural Navigator

This is a delicious alternative to the standard Margarita mix you buy from the store. Perfect for a summer refresher, and even more perfect when the cantaloupe is less than ripe–and refuses to ripen, because now you can use it for something other than the compost pile. Add a sprig of mint, it you please, and it becomes a Melon Margarita Mint Julep — we’re in the south now, honey.

1/2 cantaloupe, seeded, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes

1/2 cup simple syrup

3-4 T fresh lime juice (juice of a large lime)

1 cup water

12 ice cubes

3-4 shots of good quality Tequila

Combine all ingredients except the liquor in a blender and puree until smooth on high speed. Add the Tequila and blend for a second or two until mixed in. Pour into Margarita or red wine glasses. If you like a salted rim, rub the rim with lime, then turn it over and dip the rim into a cooled simple syrup, just enough to coat the edge, then dip the rim into plate of Kosher salt until the rim is coated. Invert and pour in the liquid.

Serves 4.

Simple syrup: Put 1/2 cup of sugar and a 1/2 cup of water into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar melts and liquid is clear and begins to come to a simmer.

I’m also going to try this with a honeydew melon!

There are about 40 rugs piled up in various corners of my house — in the entryway, the living room, my office, and a few packed away in the attic waiting for Eric’s return in October. We’ve decided to take photos of them and display them on the website: www.oaxacaculture.com

When you get there, just click on “Rug Gallery” to take you to the page. These will be offered for sale, too, and I’ve also included several beautiful decorator pillows in the offering. Keep checking back, because I’ll be adding more to the gallery this week and next. And, let me know if you have any questions.

All, except a few pieces, are dyed with natural materials or are handwoven using the undyed natural color of the sheep wool.

The traditional patterns express Zapotec mythology, iconography and interpretations of animals, insects, and other elements of the natural and mystical world. If you look closely, you will see a butterfly, lightening, mountains, rain, birds, stars, the eye of God, a cactus flower, the sun and moon, the caracol snail symbolizing communication, numerology, and more. Some of the designs are innovative and much more contemporary, and take elements of traditional designs as their foundation. The Chavez family are artists and every great artist continues to explore and develop their art form.

Do you think green builders and interior designers would be interested in knowing about these rugs for their clients, since all the materials used in their creation are natural?

It will be a busy time for Eric Chavez and his sister Janet when they return to the U.S. in October 2008. They will be demonstrating natural dyeing techniques at Cloth Fiber Workshop in Asheville, NC, on the evening of Thursday, October 2.  They will explore cochineal, moss, and pomegranate and the color variations achieved using alum and baking soda. Then, there is a possibility for them to present dyeing techniques using cochineal at a weaving class already scheduled at Penland School of Crafts after that. Penland has already discussed inviting them to teach a two week workshop in summer 2009.

I have just completed writing a Grassroots Grant in partnership with the Arts Incubator in Siler City, NC, to the Chatham Arts Council, for Eric and Janet to do a series of arts in education teacher in-service trainings, classroom demonstrations, artist workshops and public exhibitions with demonstrations in Pittsboro and Siler City, NC, from October 15-26. Then, Eric and Janet will travel to South Bend, Indiana, where they have been invited by the Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame to participate in their Day of the Dead program in early November. At Notre Dame, they will construct an altar that represents the village of Teotitlan del Valle and Oaxaca, and interpret it for this exhibition. The Snite Museum is purchasing one of the Chavez rugs woven by Eric’s father, Federico, in their permanent collection. I’ll be writing more about this, but wanted to give you advanced notice so you can attend an event if your schedule permits.

Elsa Sanchez Diaz, who lives in Oaxaca, has been visiting us. She loves to prepare desserts and one day I came home to find this delicious treat sitting on the kitchen counter, ready to cut for an after dinner delectable. If you’re calorie-watching, think twice! This recipe uses sweetened condensed milk.

Ingredients:

1 - 12 oz. can evaporated milk (I use low-fat or non-fat)

1- 12 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

the juice of 4-6 fresh limes

2 tubes of Marias (approximately 24 cookies)

In a blender, combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and lime juice. Blend until the mixture is very thick. The next instruction is counter-intuitive: if the mixture isn’t thick, then you need to add more lime juice. It should be the consistency of cake batter.

Layer a base of the Marias (cookies) in a large rectangular glass baking dish. Spoon the batter over the cookies to just cover them. The cookies should be touching. Add another layer of cookies, then spoon more batter to cover. Continue layering the cookies and spooning the batter until you reach the top of the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 7 hours. Bring out and let sit for five minutes before cutting into squares. Serves 10-12.

Note: You can find Marias in the Mexican food section of the supermarket or at a Mexican specialty grocery store. If you can’t find the Marias, then you can substitute vanilla wafers.

Topping Options: Sprinkle with chopped nuts, banana slices, canned peaches or fresh fruit.  I might make a gelatin using the canned peaches including the juices they’re packed in, and when it is semi-firm, pour it over the cake as a topping and freeze until it’s set up.

One and Two-Day Workshops in Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico

If you are a weaver, a knitter, interested in cloth and textiles and you want to explore the world of natural dyes, you are invited to the famous rug-tapestry weaving village just outside of the city of Oaxaca. We offer this hands-on workshop for one or several people working with the master weaving family of Federico Chavez Sosa, his son Eric and daughter Janet. All instruction is in English.

Day 1: Explore the World of Cochineal

You will learn traditional Zapotec dyeing methods to prepare three shades of cochineal color – red, orange and maroon, learning the chemistry of color and the use of mordants. The Chavez family will explain the history of cochineal, and how it is cultivated and processed. You will see experiments with the “bug in the rug” and then practice using the color yourself to prepare glorious colors with hand spun wool from the Mixtec highlands of Oaxaca.

On the first day you will prepare three skeins of wool (200 grams each), wash it, assemble the cochineal and mordants, grind the cochineal on the traditional mortar, cut and squeeze limes that are used to adjust the color. During this time, you will come to understand the differences between natural and synthetic dyes and the mordant (fixing) process, dye with a neutral Ph to produce a maroon color, dye with an acid Ph to yield an orange, and dye with an alkaline Ph to achieve a purple or pink color depending upon the natural color of the wool selected.

This is a six-hour workshop. The cost is $160 per person including instruction and all materials.

Day 2: Explore the World of Indigo

You will learn the history of the indigo plan and how it is used to dye wool with traditional Zapotec recipes. As with the cochineal workshop, you will prepare the wool and the dye stuffs. We will use the Muicle plant that grows in the dry valley of Oaxaca, prepare the solution and dip the skeins until we reach the desired level of color intensity using the oxidizing method. You will also learn the theurea dioxide process, a different dyeing method.

This is a four-hour workshop. The cost is $130 including instruction and all materials.

You can enroll in a one or two-day workshop. Workshops are custom scheduled according to your availability and travel plans. Each participant will prepare and take home three skeins each of cochineal dyed wool and indigo dyed wool.

We also offer weaving workshops! and can refer you to great lodging in the village.

To Register: Contact normahawthorne@mac.com or (919) 274-6194.

Route 1:  The Ocotlan Highway — Friday Market, Santo Tomas Jalieza and San Martin Tilcajete

Discover the beautiful market town of Ocotlan, home of famous painter Rudolfo Morales, as you depart from Teotitlan del Valle at 9 a.m.  This 10-hour journey through the heartland of the Oaxaca Valley takes you to the bustling Friday market that spreads out across the square and down every main street of this lovely village.  Center stage is the Rudolfo Morales museum, housed in a former convent that is adjacent to the church carefully restored by the master artist himself.  Across the square and down the block is the family home that is now occupied by the widow of Morales’ brother who is the caretaker.  You will have time to explore the market, the Morales museum, church and home, plus the workshop and studios of the Aguilar Sisters – famous for their hand formed and painted clay figures, before setting off for Santo Tomas Jalieza where you will meet two famous sisters known for the intricacy of their backstrap loom weaving and featured in the Morales museum.  Next stop is lunch, then a visit to several famous woodcarvers in the village of San Martin Tilcajete, include Jacobo and Maria Angeles.

This is a packed, full-day tour, departing at 9 a.m. from Teotitlan del Valle and returning at about 7 p.m.  Total time is about 10 hours on the road.

Route 2:  The Secrets of Monte Alban, Arrazola & Atzompa

Come along with your personal Chavez Family guide to visit Monte Alban, the center of Zapotec cultural, civic and political life in the Oaxaca valley for hundreds of years.  You will have time to explore the mountain top city of warriors and kings who controlled a vast and powerful region that was regarded as one of the most advanced and successful nation states.  From Monte Alban, you will travel to Santa Maria Atzompa, renown for its pottery and the skill of its artisans.  You will visit the town market, and then meet two of the most accomplished and famous potters working today.  Then, you’ll have lunch in Oaxaca City before going on to Arrazola, the famous village where artists carve copal wood figures that are extraordinarily whimsical.  They then paint them in bright, fantastic colors.  We will take you to of the most talented carvers who are working today – Hector Martinez and Berta Cruz — and make a stop at the village market where you will see a good example of the range of work created in the village.

This is a full day trip.  The total time for this excursion is about 9-10 hours.

Route 3:  Always on Sunday: Tlacolula Market, Mitla & Matatlan

Travel with your personal Chavez Family guide from Teotitlan del Valle to neighboring Tlacolula for the famous Sunday market.  Here you will wander the town streets that are transformed into one of the greatest shopping adventures in Oaxaca – only on Sunday!  You will depart from Teotitlan at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning and arrive in the neighboring town 10 minutes later.  You’ll have plenty of time to explore the market, shop for handmade woven baskets, locally made chocolate, hand sewn and embroidered fancy aprons, pottery, alebrijes, wonderful woven table linens and huipils.  The town becomes the market as all the streets become vendor stalls filled with flowers, fruits, vegetables, meats, household goods, and incredible spices and cooking ingredients, clothes, tools, and all sorts of paraphernalia.  Don’t be surprised to see a farmer selling piglets at a corner intersection. Catch a look at the famous church and eat nieves (ice cream) at the nieveria.

Next, you’ll go on down the road to Mitla, the town that is renowned for it’s incredible archeological site, where the Zapotec temple ruins have been restored.  Hear about the pre-conquest history of the Zapotec people and the impact they had on meso-American culture.  You’ll visit a family studio where fine cotton cloth is woven into table linens and dresses.

Then, you will continue on to Matatlan, a beautiful village known for its fine handcrafted mescal, the liquor made from the maguey cactus.  Some mezcal is still made by the traditional methods of crushing the cactus pineapple with a grinding stone pulled by a burro, then distilled in small batches.  You will see this, then visit the beautiful white and blue church in the village center. Your last stop of the day will be to Yagul, a partially excavated Zapotec archeological site.

This is a full 8-hour day.

About the Tours:
All low impact, small group day tours start and end in the village of Teotitlan del Valle.  We can arrange to pick you up and drop you off in Oaxaca City for Route #1 and Route #2 at no additional charge.  If you’re staying in the city, we’ll show you the easiest way to get to the village by taxi or bus.  Day tours include your personal guide – either Eric or Janet Chavez, both fluent in English — all transportation as described above, cultural history and anecdotal information about the region.  You will have lunch and snacks together, but this will be a personal expense.  A feature of each tour is that we will take you on the back roads, off the beaten path to meet the artists and artisans who create the most desirable, highest quality pieces.  Be sure to dress comfortably, including sturdy shoes, since there will be walking.  Always pack enough sun screen, too, even in the winter, and wear a wide-brim hat!

Cost:
$  75 USD for one person
$120 USD for two people
$150 USD for four people

Call or email to make your reservation:
Norma Hawthorne, in the U.S. (919) 274-6194 or normahawthorne@mac.com

Now, I love to cut corners and figure out ways to prepare and eat healthy food — quickly.  Once, I cooked with heavy cream, butter and flour to make buerre blanc and sauce meuniere.  Now, salad and fresh fruit are the mainstays.  Once, I learned to make a chocolate hazelnut torte — a three-layer extravaganza with chocolate ganache, shaved chocolate curls adorning a chocolate whipped cream frosting, all perfectly turned out for the ooohs-and-aaaaahs.  So, as I give you these cut-the-corners recipes, know that I’m translating from the difficult to the simple for your dining pleasure.  Buen probecho!

Elsa and I were in the kitchen together last night. It is wonderful to have her and Eric with us in the house. Each day, they get up in the morning, drop me off at my office, and take my car out to the destination of the day …. usually to the mall, or Target (tienda favorita), or TJ Maxx or Marshall’s. There is no Target in Oaxaca and it is a mesmerizing experience. For them, these outings are like my yearnings to search out San Martin Tilcajete or Santa Maria Atzompa on a quest for the perfect piece of pottery or alebrije. Clothing, electronics, and daily essentials are less expensive in the U.S. and discount shopping for my Oaxacan friends becomes a cultural adventure. Last night, they take a respite from eating cheese burgers and fries to helping me make Mole Coloradito. Here’s how it goes.

I have a jar of ground chile chocolate paste in my refrigerator that I brought back from Oaxaca six months ago — a purchase I made at Mayordomo on Calle 20 de Noviembre, south of the Zocalo — and keep in a glass canning jar, tightly covered. It is a standard mix of almonds, Oaxacan chocolate (spiced with cinnamon) and pasilla peppers. (If you want or need to make your own paste, consult the Food Network for a scratch recipe.) You may be able to find a jar of the paste in a Mexican food store, too. So, here is what you will need.

For the Mole Sauce — This Has a Big Bite Flavor:

16 oz. — mole colorado paste (this is a very thick mixture that has the consistency of almond paste)

2 or more cups of beef broth

1 - 12-oz. jar of Paul Newman Tequila Lime Salsa

In a blender, add the mole paste, the beef broth and the jar of salsa. Pulse until smooth. The consistency should be like heavy cream. That’s It. Muy Delicioso!

For the Carne (beef):

1-1/2 to 2 lbs. good quality beef stew meat, cut into 1″ cubes

3 T. fresh parsley, chopped

1 large onion, diced

6 cloves of garlic, peeled, left whole

3 dried pasilla chiles, seeded and chopped

2 c. water

salt to season

In the morning, before you go to work or go off for the day, put all ingredients into a crock pot, stir, cover, and set on highest temperature. When you return at 6 or 7 p.m., the meat will be perfectly cooked. Use the liquid beef stock from the crock pot to make your mole sauce.

For the Arroz (rice):

2 cups of regular white rice

4 cups of water

salt to taste

Combine the rice, water and salt in a 4 quart sauce pan. Bring to the rolling boil. Cover. Turn heat down to low and continue to cook for 10 minutes at a low simmer. Turn the heat off. Let rice sit for 20 minutes as it continues to steam cook.

Oaxaquenos traditionally serve the Mole Colorado over the rice, and serve the meat next to this. Serve plenty of tortillas that have been warmed on the griddle (flour or corn). As accompaniments, serve with sauteed zucchini or crooked neck yellow squash and black beans.

This is the second year that East Carolina University has invited Eric Chavez Santiago to exhibit at the Youth Arts Festival in Greenville, NC. He will be demonstrating weaving and natural dyeing techniques, too. The exhibition and sale will be held on-campus all day on Saturday, April 5. Eric and Elsa packed the car this morning and are driving from Chapel Hill to Greenville, which will take a couple of hours. Tonight there is a special dinner for exhibitors and they are excited about attending. They are taking about 40 rugs with them and will offer these for sale, along with hand-loomed shawls, embroidered blouses, baskets woven with agave and palm leaves, handwoven and naturally dyed decorative pillows, and a few wonderful handbags.

The preparation begins days, even months ahead. A few days before, the party truck pulls up to deliver hundreds of chairs and raise the huge red and blue striped tent that will cover the courtyard. The wedding celebration is about to begin. On the morning of the wedding, the couple welcomes their relatives in the altar room of the groom’s parent’s house. First, the men from the two families line up and, one by one, walk in to give their blessings to the couple, any advice they have for a good marriage, and any regrets about their relationship that they want to express. Then, the women line up and take their turn. After this, all assemble and form a parade walking around the streets of the village before going to church for the wedding mass, the band leading the way, the priest following, then the couple and their parents, and then all the guests – stringing out for several blocks.

The woman’s relatives do not pay for the wedding. In Zapotec tradition, the man’s side of the family covers all the costs: the mass, the band, the food and drinks, everything. People never rent a party house or hotel for the reception like we do in the U.S. Teotitlan del Valle families use their own house, rent the tent, hundreds of chairs, and provide food to feed all the guests. Everyone is invited (or so it seems) — all the close and distant relatives, aunts, uncles, godparents, cousins, nieces, close friends, and MORE. Anyone who has ever had an association the family is included on the guest list. You will see town folk lingering at the tall entry gates to the family compound where a wedding is taking place, waiting for an invitation to come in – which will always be extended. A wedding celebration could include hundreds of people. For example, Eric’s parents were recently invited to the wedding of the daughter of the man who delivers their drinking water. The man didn’t know Eric’s parents very well, but liked the way they acknowledged him when he delivered the water, so they were sent an invitation.

The woman’s family is responsible for giving the presents and money to the couple. The man’s relatives would customarily take a bottle of mezcal and flowers, but nothing more. Gifts could include major and small appliances, the size depending upon the closeness of the relationship. In wealthy families, gifts could be a car, a washing machine, a chest filled with gold coins, refrigerators, stoves, television, closets, and dishes. These are delivered to the girl’s house to store until the wedding day. At the end of the mass, the guests form the second parade of the day, the band plays and all promenade to the boy’s house for the reception. A truck or two, filled with the gifts, bring up the rear. Guests will take seats and watch as the trucks are unloaded and the gifts displayed in the center of the patio for all to see. Before cars and television, Eric thinks his people probably gave gifts of rugs, blankets, food and clothing, plus goods traded with other villages.

Guelaguetza: A System of Mutual Support

Weddings cost upwards of $15-20,000 USD. The groom’s family pays for about 60 to 70 percent of the expenses. This is a substantial sum for a weaver, whose annual income might be about $10,000 USD. The bride’s godparents always buy her wedding dress. That is the expectation when agreeing to become a godparent. Many families cannot afford to give a wedding but they feel an obligation to do it according to custom regardless of one’s means. A wedding party can last up to three or four days. When a family doesn’t have enough money, they will ask a relative or close friend to help them cover the costs, and promise to repay it later. This loan is known as the guelaguetza. There is no contract or written agreement. The spoken promise is honored regardless of how long the time passes. It could be one, five or 10 years later before repaying the guelaguetza. The man who made the original gift might say, “my son is getting married now and I would like you to provide the (fill in the blank …. music, barbeque, beer, mezcal, money). The repayment is always in the same form that was given. This is the Zapotec custom and Eric believes this is how his people have learned to honor their traditions, be mutually supportive and get along with each other over the centuries. Every time there is a dance of the feathers, a quince anos (Sweet 15), a wedding, a Christmas posada, or a baptism, there is a guelaguetza – the obligation of giving and paying back.

Eric believes that the women never enjoy the parties. Yet the social fabric of women’s lives are knit together in the camaraderie of life cycle events. Together, they make the fresh tortillas from scratch, starting two days before the event. They are cleaning the chickens, washing dishes, preparing the kitchen, chopping fruits and vegetables. The men are busy, too, trying to get the bull slaughtered to prepare for the barbacoa (goat barbeque), bringing in tanks of propane gas for the cooking stoves, buying the beer and soda, setting up the tent, and also cleaning the house. If the house is small and more space is needed, the men will dismantle the looms and take them out. They might clear out a bedroom or storage room to make more seating and dining space. There are weeks of chores in preparation for these events. Eric feels the women have harder work because they are in the kitchen constantly. That’s the primary reason why he doesn’t want a big traditional party — he is not eager for his mother to work that hard. He is sympathetic to the role of traditional women who prepare and serve the food, give first to the guests and the men, and eat last. And, he also knows that traditions are important to keeping a culture vibrant.

He notes, “When my cousins, the doctors, got married, they rented a party house in Oaxaca. But I saw that the women were bored, they didn’t have anything to do. They waited to be served but were very uncomfortable and didn’t understand this non-traditional practice. There were place cards for seating but in our culture everyone is used to sitting where they want. So, everyone got up and sat where they wanted to. The wedding reception ended after only a few hours, compared with a traditional Teotitlan wedding celebration that continues until 5 or 6 a.m. the next day.”

Some families are leaving the village because they cannot afford to participate in the guelaguetza system. Young people see that there are other choices for courtship and marriage via television and exposure to living in the city or working for a time in El Norte. Family expectations are powerful. Because so much depends upon extended family interaction, acceptance and interdependency, one wonders how these courtship and marriage customs will continue or be shaped by the pressure of external forces that all societies are challenged by.