List Of Native American Cookbooks

Note:  This is a work in progress, so bear with me!  I just didn't want to wait to put it up.

Enduring Harvests

E. Barrie Kavasch (Chickamauga Cherokee/Powhatan/Muskogee Creek/

    Scotch-Irish/English/German)

The Globe Pequot Press, 1995

Pueblo Indian Cookbook

Compiled and Edited by Phyllis Hughes

Museum of New Mexico Press, 1977 (first published in 1972)

Native American Gardening
Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac (Abenaki)
Fulcrum Publishing, 1996

Hopi Cookery

Juanita Tiger Kavena (Muskogee Creek, married into the Hopi)

The University Of Arizona Press, 1992

Fixin' Food:  Ch'iyáán Al'i
Recipes For Native American Foods
Holbrook Seventh-day Adventist Indian School, 1993

American Indian Cooking

Carolyn Niethammer

University Of Nebraska Press, 1999 (first published in 1974)

Southwest Indian Cookbook:  Pueblo & Navajo Images, Quotes & Recipes

Marcia Keegan

Clear Light Publishers, 1996 (first published in 1987)

False Tongues And Sunday Bread:  A Guatemalan And Mayan 

Copeland Marks

M. Evans And Company, Inc., 1985

Pow Wow Chow

A Collection Of Recipes From Families Of The Five Civilized Tribes

Five Civilized Tribes Museum, 1984

Kokopelli's Cook Book

James & Carol Cunkle

Golden West Publishers, 2005 (first printed in 1997)

Arizona Cookbook:  Indian, Mexican, Western

Compiled by Al Fischer & Mildred Fischer

Golden West Cookbook, 1993

Wilderness Cookery

Brad Angier

Stackpole Books, 1970 (first published in 1961)

[Lots of Canadian native recipes.]

The Sunset Farms Cookbook

Rubye Alley Bumgarner

John F. Blair, 1980

[Large number of native recipes, mostly Cherokee]

Baktun 13

Remembering World War II Warriors

Today is the 71st. year since the bombing of Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands. A number a Native Americans, from all different tribes and nations served in the US military all over the globe, though, over-whelmingly, most served in the Pacific Theater. Additionally another 2,000 Native Hawaiians also served Here is the Wikipedia link to an article about Native Americans serving in World War II.  Most well known among those serving in World War II were the Navajo code talkers, a small group to begin with, there are very few of them remaining.  Here is the link to the Official Site of the Navajo Code Talkers.

Other famous Pacific fighters include Ira Hayes (Ak Chin O'odham [Pima] from Gila Bend), who was among the group of Marines who raised the second flag on Iwo Jima in the famous photo by Joe Rosenthal, and can be seen furthest to the left.  Another contribution that is much less known but documented by his famous musician/storytelling son Jack, is that of Wallace Gladstone (Blackfeet), who was a gunner in the US Navy and was highly specialized on the 20 MM anti-aircraft guns, a pretty exclusive group and one that needed to be highly trained, and good with the gun, no easy task.  This chronicle can be found on the recording "Blackfeet Storysmith:  Recollections Of Kút-oy-is (1925-2003).  Several members of my extended family (including in-laws) served, and I have two uncles that are still with us that served in the Navy in the Pacific.  But it is my late father's (a Korean Vet himself) older brother that I would like to dedicate this to.  He too was born in 1925 and was in the naval battle at Guadalcanal.  And though not formerly enrolled in a Federally Recognized Tribe, he was one of hundreds with serious Native American ancestry who served with distinction and got little recognition.  Here's to all the living World War II veterans, and to those who have gone before us, may you all rest in peace!

Some Natives don't believe in celebrating the holiday, I understand where they are coming from!  But, I also think that giving a solidly Native occasion over completely to commercialism is OK either.  Besides, it seems  every year that people of all walks are more concerned with Black Friday than with "turkey day;" I think we all should stop a give a little thanks for whatever we have.  So with that...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Scare Me On Fridays: The Serpent And The Sun

Scare Me On Fridays: The Serpent And The Sun: I'm leaving this 33 day celebration of this time of year with a Aztec medicine documentary.  Teo (God bless be) to all.  Happy Harv...

Double Blog: Food Of The Ancestor's

This is a wonderful video produced by PBS for teaching purposes.  It focuses on the Day of the Dead festival through mostly indigenous foods in Mexico.  It's well worth seeking out.

The Homepage On PBS

Above is the homepage on the PBS host site, within the site are some very interesting links to art, culture, and FOOD (with recipes).

Boiled Devil's Claw Pods or "Unicorns"

Boiled Devil's Claw Pods

As noted above in the titled these are also called "Unicorns" because of the long  "tails" on the pods that resemble a single horn as they grow.  Really, to me, they look like fat elongated okra pods; they are "fuzzy" like okra and can be treat in exactly the same way when cooking (though I'm not sure that they are a good substitute in gumbo).

Very young Devil's Claw pods no more than 2 inches in length

Vegetable Brush

Large Pan Boiling Water

Salt

Butter or favorite nut oil or butter

Lemon (optional)

1.  Wash the pods under cold running water, scrapping with a vegetable brush.

2.  Add a large amount of salt to boiling water (at least 1 tbsp.), plunge the pods in and boil until just tender.  

3.  Toss i melted butter, nut or butter, serve with lemon wedges if liked.

Note:  these pods can be a bit bitter, some people like to blanch them once in plain boiling water and then boil them in the salted water.