Category Archives: Salvadoreños
El Desayuno Universitario – The University Student Breakfast
While we were in El Salvador we ate breakfast a couple times at a restaurant in Metrocentro called San Martin’s. One day I ordered something called “El Desayuno Universitario” (The University Student Breakfast). It was made of humble ingredients – french bread, cheese, beans, and a fresh salsa. I loved it.
Since coming back to the United States, I make this often – though usually for lunch or dinner. The entire family loves it, it’s affordable, healthy and easy to make. Here’s my version!
El Desayuno Universitario (The University Student Breakfast)
Ingredients:
French bread or bolillos sliced in half
Frijoles Molidos (refried beans)
Mozzarella cheese cut in slices or shredded
3 simple ingredients: bread, beans and cheese - ready for the oven!
Method:
1. Place bread slices on an ungreased baking sheet.
2. Spoon frijoles molidos onto the bread and spread to the edges with the back of the spoon.
3. Top each piece of bread with cheese.
4. Bake in the oven at 350 F until cheese is melted and bread is slightly toasted.
Optional: Put under a broiler to brown the cheese.
Serve with chunky-style salsa to spoon on top. I like to dice tomatoes with fresh basil and then add a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, so it’s kind of like a Salvadoran version of bruschetta.
Eat like this, or add fresh salsa for a balanced meal!
Have you been whipped by the devil today?
El Salvador is home to some traditions which can seem funny even to native Salvadorans. This week marks “Semana Santa” (Holy Week) in the Catholic faith, and so today is Lunes Santo, (Holy Monday.)
In a small town called Texistepeque in the department of Santa Ana, Lunes Santo means it is also “El Día de Los Talcigüines” – The word “talcigüines” means “deviled men” in the native language, Nahuatl. Like many traditions in El Salvador and throughout Latin America, the holiday is a result of the mixing of Catholic and indigenous beliefs; this occurred with the arrival of the Spanish and their desire to convert the native people to Catholicism by introducing their religion in ways that would seem familiar to the people.
On “El Día de Los Talcigüines” men dress as devil-like figures and whip people on the streets to absolve them of their sins.
Just make sure that if you ever visit Texistepeque on Holy Monday, you take measures to protect yourself…
dónde cuenta.
____________
Read more: History of El Día de Los Talcigüines and how to take part on Official El Salvador Tourism site.
See more: Slideshow of El Día de Los Talcigüines – La Prensa Gráfica
Image source: Images are still frames taken from video by La Prensa Gráfica.
La lección de un boleto equivocado
Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. English translation below!
Esta foto está circulando en las redes sociales – ¿pero qué es? Esta es una foto de boleto de avión, pre-comprado para un jugador de fútbol del equipo estadounidense. CONCACAF compraba los boletos antes del partido, con la suposición errónea que los Estados Unidos van a ganar y ir a las finales en Kansas City. La realidad? El Salvador ganó el partido y ahora ustedes pueden ver que el nombre de un jugador estadounidense (Joe Corona), está tachado, y el nombre de un jugador salvadoreño, (Juan Rodas), está añadido en bolígrafo azul.
A CONCACAF, una lección: No vendas la leche antes de comprar la vaca.
Y a “La Azulita” (equipo Sub 23 de El Salvador) y todos leyendo esto: Crean en ustedes mismos, aunque otros les digan que sus metas no son realistas. Sueñen, trabajan duro y pueden lograrlo. Todo es posible.
[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
This photo is circulating on social networks – but what is it? This is a photo of an airline ticket, pre-bought for a player on the US soccer team. CONCACAF bought the tickets before the game, wrongly assuming that the United States would win and go on to the finals in Kansas City. The reality? El Salvador won that game and now you can see that the name of the U.S. player (Joe Corona), has been crossed out. The name of a Salvadoran player (Juan Rodas), has been added in blue ink.
To CONCACAF, a lesson: Don’t sell the milk before you buy the cow. (Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.)
And to “La Azulita” (the Sub 23 team for El Salvador), as well as to everyone reading this: Believe in yourselves, even when others tell you that your goals aren’t realistic. Dream, work hard, and you can achieve it. Anything is possible.
When Pandilleros Attend Mass and Other Life Lessons
I went to ElSalvador.com to check out photos of El Salvador’s momentous win last night against the U.S., but as is my habit, I became distracted by something else.
A still image in the sidebar of a tattooed marero (gang member), taking communion, made me pause. The story title: Pandilleros piden una oportunidad. I clicked through to the video and found it too moving not to share.
I don’t consider myself religious, but something about this video touched me. Looking at those faces, behind the tattoos, I see young men who were once little boys, and for whatever reason, they made mistakes that led them to where they are. Many of them come from poverty or abusive homes. Neglected by parents or orphaned by war, they sought to “belong” and that is a big attraction to gang life – it’s the family one never had.
“Siempre han dicho que nosotros somos la escoria y lo peor del mundo. Nosotros crecimos en un época de conflicto y en ese época tapamos nuestros valores con cosas negativas, pero estamos dispuestos a cambiar, si nos ayudan.” – source
["They've always said that we're the scum and the worst of the world. We grew up in an era of conflict and in that time we covered our values with negative things, but we are willing to change, if you help us."]
“Nosotros estamos de buena fe, queremos seguir adelantes. Estamos consciente de que les hemos fallado a Dios, y a la sociedad, y aquí en nombre de toda mi pandilla, la MS13, quiero pedirle perdón, a la sociedad, y que nos dé una oportunidad de poder cambiar… nosotros también somos salvadoreños, nosotros también somos seres humanos.” – source: MS13 gang member in the video
["We are of good faith, we want to move on. We are aware that we have failed God, and society, and here, on behalf of my gang, MS13, I apologize, I want to ask for forgiveness, from society, and ask that you give us an opportunity to change ... we too are Salvadorans, we too are human beings."]
What would happen if we always believed the best about others, rather than the worst?…Maybe people live up to expectations.
Image source: Both images are screen captures from the video by ElSalvador.com
More images worth seeing: Informador.com
Frijoles
Frijoles de seda from El Salvador
If you didn’t grow up cooking your own frijoles, (or eating them for that matter), the process can seem intimidating. The closest I came to frijoles growing up was baked beans with hot dogs, or beans from a can for bean salad – an experience far different from Carlos’s, which was eating home-simmered frijoles in some form almost daily.
Beans are a big part of most Latin American culture and cuisine – so much so that there are many Spanish “dichos” (proverbs) that mention them.
Dichos about Frijoles (Beans)
• “Estás como los frijoles: al primer hervor se arrugan”. (“You’re like beans: From the first boil, wrinkled.” Said of those who are easily intimidated.)
• “Comes frijoles y eructas jamón”. (“You eat beans and burp ham.” Refers to people who are of humble origin, but presumed to be rich by others.)
• “Prefiero frijoles con amor que gallina con dolor.” (“I prefer beans with love than chicken with sorrow.”)
• “En política hay que ser como frijoles de olla, a veces abajo, a veces arriba…pero siempre dentro.” (“In politics you have to be like a pot of beans, sometimes down, sometimes up … but always inside.”)
• “A la mejor cocinera se le queman los frijoles.” (“Even the best cook burns the beans” – meaning we all make mistakes.)
• “Con esa carne ni frijoles pido.” (“With this meat, I don’t even ask for beans.” – This is a “piropo” or flirtatious saying a man might say to a woman.)
Learning to Cook Beans
All those beans may have put Carlos off because he isn’t crazy about them – and so, for the first few years of our marriage, I got away with canned beans. Eventually, with Suegra always telling me the canned beans were a “pecado” (sin), I knew I had to learn to cook them.
It took awhile for me to get the hang of it. There were pots of beans that burned, pots of beans that never softened, pots of beans that were tasteless, and even one I forgot I had left soaking that ended up fermenting. While this doesn’t sound encouraging to bean amateurs, it really isn’t that difficult if you know what you’re doing.
While I still keep the “sinful” latas de frijoles in my pantry, I make a pot of beans about once a month and they last as a compliment to several meals. We usually eat them as frijoles molidos or mixed with rice in a Salvadoran dish called “casamiento” (“marriage” in English. Cute name, right?) Sometimes I make black beans but more commonly it’s frijoles de seda – the small red beans loved by Salvadorans. Here are a few Salvadoran dishes that require beans:
"Gallo Pinto" is a Central American bean and rice dish similar to "Casamiento."
Image source: Lee Cohen
There are many varieties of pupusas - Pupusas de frijoles is one of them.
Image source: Andrew Griffith
Other Salvadoran dishes that use frijoles:
• Frijoles Molidos
• Sopa de Frijoles
• Platanos con Frijoles y Crema
Ready to make your own pot of beans? Here’s my method.
RECIPE: Frijoles Salvadoreños (Salvadoran Beans)
You need:
• 1 lb. frijoles de seda (it will say on the packaging. These can be found at Latino markets and look like small kidney beans.)
• 2 green onions, (roots chopped off)
• a few cloves of garlic
Method:
1. Pour beans into a large heavy bottomed pot. Sift through and remove any tiny pebbles or shriveled looking beans. Heat beans on stove with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, remove from heat. This is known as a “quick soak.” Leave the beans in the hot water for 1 hour. After the beans have finished soaking, drain the water.
2. Add fresh water that comes an inch above the beans. Return pot to medium heat. Add the green onion ripped into large piece and garlic cloves, (these give the beans flavor.) DO NOT ADD SALT. Adding salt before beans have cooked will keep them hard.
3. Bring to a boil then cover and lower heat so beans simmer. It may take 3-4 hours before beans become sufficiently tender and you must make sure to add water when needed so pot doesn’t cook dry. Remembering to check on the beans is the hardest part for me. If you’re afraid you’ll forget, (and believe me, you don’t want your house to smell like burnt beans), consider setting a kitchen timer for 30 minutes each time you check them. When they’re tender you can add salt to your taste.
Image source: Lee Shaver
If you want to try some variations, know that every family cooks beans differently. People add all kinds of things to the water while the beans simmer: green pepper, chiles, onions, ham, bacon, sausage, tomatoes, garlic, and cilantro seem to be the most popular ingredients in various combinations. Here are a few of the variations my friends use:
“My grandpa used to add patitas de puerco and lots and lots of garlic!”
- Leslie / Cocina de Leslie
“After they are done, I re-fry them with chorizo. Well soyrizo now but the flavor is still there.”
- Ericka / Nibbles and Feasts
“We usually just throw in garlic and maybe a piece of pork.”
- Monique / Blogs By Latinas
Once the beans are cooked you can eat them as is or you can make a lot of other dishes. Here is my recipe for Frijoles Molidos and in time, I’ll be adding more!
How do you make beans?
Pupusas en la Escuela
Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. English translation below!
Mi hijo mayor está tomando clases de español. A veces su libro de texto de esta clase me recuerda el libro de texto que yo utilize cuándo tomé clases de español, pero en unas maneras es mucho mejor. Por ejemplo, no recuerdo aprender nada de El Salvador en mi libro de texto, pero el libro de texto de mi hijo es más diverso – La semana pasada me enseño esta página que habla sobre El Salvador y las pupusas!
My son's Spanish class textbook
Mi hijo estaba super orgulloso cuándo sus compañeros tuvieron que aprender sobre su cultura.
[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
My older son is taking Spanish classes. Sometimes his textbook fro the class reminds me of the textbook I used when I took Spanish classes, but in many ways, his is better. For example, I don’t remember learning anything about El Salvador in my textbook, but my son’s textbook is more diverse – This past week my son showed me a page that talks about El Salvador and pupusas! My son was super proud when his classmates had to learn about his culture.
Image source/Copyright: ¡Avancemos! Level 1 – McDougall Littell
Carlos el inventor
Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. English translation below!
En las últimas semanas, los pájaros se han vuelto locos. Cómo es primavera, los pájaritos están peleando, enamorando, y buscando lugar a dónde pueden hacer el nido. Bueno, uno de los pájaros es más tonto que los otros, y sigue tratando de entrar a la ventilación del horno que está en el exterior de la casa. Cada mañana escucho unos sonidos de rascando y de alas furiosas del pájaro tratando de entrar. Cada mañana salgo de la casa gritando, “Nooo! Vete! Vete ya, pájaro bobo!”
Un día tuve la idea ingeniosa de dibujar un búho, y coloque el dibujo con cinta adhesiva cerca de la ventilación. A la mañana siguiente, el pájaro estaba haciendo la misma cosa – no tuvo miedo de mi dibujo. Tal vez no es tan bobo como pensé. Mi siguiente idea fue colgar cerca un carillón, pero eso tampoco funcionó.
Carlos me había visto luchar con este problema y me preguntó si quería ayuda. A veces puedo ser terca y quiero hacer las cosas solita, pero esta vez acepté. Carlos se quedó mirando la ventilación, pensó por un momento y luego entró a la casa. Segundos más tarde regresó con la bolsa de los limones que es una malla de plástico. Sin herramientas, con no más que sus manos, sujetó la malla cubriendo la ventilación.
Gracias al ingenio de los salvadoreños, no he oído el pájaro desde entonces.
[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
Carlos the inventor
In recent weeks the birds have gone crazy. Since it’s spring, the birds are fighting, falling in love, and looking for a place where they can build their nest. Well, one of the birds is a little stupider than the others, and it keeps trying to enter the oven vent on the outside of the house. Each morning I hear the sound of scratching and the beating of furious wings as the bird tries to come in. Every morning I run out of the house screaming, “Nooo! Go away Go away, stupid bird!”
One day I had the idea to draw an owl and tape the drawing near the vent. The next morning, the bird was doing the same thing – not at all afraid of my drawing. Maybe it’s not as dumb as I thought. My next idea was to hang a wind chime nearby, but that didn’t work either.
Carlos watched me struggle with this problem and asked if I wanted help. Sometimes I can be stubborn and prefer to do things by myself, but this time I agreed. Carlos stared at the ventilation, thought for a moment, and then went into the house. Seconds later Carlos returned with the bag from the lemons which is a plastic net. Without tools, with nothing more than his hands, he attached the plastic net around the vent.
Thanks to the ingenuity of Salvadorans, I have not heard the bird since.
Salvadoran salsa dancers come to Q’Viva!
I was contacted many times with the opportunity to interview any of the contestants of Jennifer Lopez’s and Marc Anthony’s new show, Q’Viva The Chosen. I responded that if they had any contestants who were Salvadoran, I’d be interested.
Well, I got my wish! Junior and Emily are half-Salvadoran salsa dancing siblings from California. Check out my exclusive interview with Junior below!
Latinaish: I saw your auditions with Marc Anthony in Q’Viva and it’s very clear that you guys are professional dancers and that you love to dance. At what age did you start learning to dance?
(See Junior and Emily at minute 2:25)
Junior: We love what we do! We have been dancing salsa for 12 years together. Emily started when she was 10 years old and I started when I was 14 years old. It’s an incredible feeling to do what you love and to do with your sister. To be able to travel and share amazing and unforgettable moments with family.
Latinaish: You guys dance salsa but do you like other types of dance as well?
Junior: We love all types of music and dance. Our specialty is salsa but we also do other types of social dances.
Latinaish: What are your favorite songs to dance to right now?
Junior: We love to dance to everything! As of right now we have been very into doing music by Rodrigo y Gabriela.
Latinaish: You guys are siblings and you have a lot of chemistry when you dance together, but siblings have a tendency to argue and annoy each other. What does your brother/sister do that annoys you more than anything?
Junior: We have learned to work together. We have learned to separate the personal and the professional. We have been dancing for 12 years together so like everything else, it’s a learning process. The thing that we try and focus on most is pushing each other past our comfort zone and constantly pushing limits. We always have to keep each other positive and motivated when things get really tough because for us it’s a never-ending process to create new limits and continue to innovate.
Latinaish: Your biography says that you’re from San Francisco, California – but I also heard you’re Salvadoran. My husband is from Soyapango, so I’m curious – who in your family is from El Salvador? Your father? Mother? (From what part?)
Junior: That’s exciting to hear that your husband is Salvadorean as well! We were both born and raised in San Francisco, California, but we currently live in Los Angeles, California. We are both half Salvadorean and half Korean. Our father is from Santa Ana, El Salvador and our mother is from Seoul, Korea.
Latinaish: Have you visited El Salvador?
Junior: We have been invited to perform in El Salvador before, but unfortunately we have never been able to go because of schedule conflicts. We would definitely love to visit someday!
Latinaish: In the Q’Viva competition, you guys represent the United States, but do you also feel like you represent El Salvador?
Junior: Yes, we were representing the USA, but we definitely felt that we represented El Salvador as well. Our parents divorced when we were really young and we were raised by our father. We were brought up knowing only our Salvadorean side of the family. It was such an honor to represent both countries.
Latinaish: What else can you tell us about your part on the show Q’Viva?
Junior: Q’Viva was an amazing and unforgettable experience for us. It was so incredible to see such amazing talent from all over the world and for us to be a part of that was an honor. We definitely were extremely excited and nervous at the same time performing for Marc, Jennifer, and Jamie. It will be a moment that we will never forget!
Nyan Cat aka Pop Tart Cat
My 10 year old recently discovered “Nyan Cat” – also known as, “Pop Tart Cat.”
Nyan Cat aka Pop Tart Cat, created by illustrator Chris Torres
He likes cats and weirdness, so he became a little obsessed. Soon he was playing Nyan Cat games and watching Nyan Cat videos.
The other day, while seeking more Nyan Cat thrills, he came upon the Mexican Nyan Cat.
“Do you like it, Mommy?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s cute,” I said.
“Do you want a Salvadoran Nyan Cat? I’ll find you one!”
I explained to him that because Mexicans are the dominant Latino population in the United States, a Salvadoran Nyan Cat wouldn’t exist, but I appreciated his thoughtfulness. Minutes later he called me back to the computer.
“Mommy!”
“Yeah?”
“If I found a Salvadoran Nyan Cat would you want to blog it?”
“Sure, but honey, I already told you——”
Extrañando El Salvador
Today is Spanish Friday so this post is in Spanish. If you participated in Spanish Friday on your own blog, leave your link in comments. English translation below!
En agosto del año pasado, regresamos a los EE.UU. de nuestro viaje a El Salvador. Hoy en día, aquí estamos en febrero y extraño a El Salvador más que nada – como uno extraña a un amante que quiere acariciar. Tengo un fuerte deseo de tocar la arena caliente por el sol, saborear el sabor perfecto de una pupusa de loroco con horchata bien helada, y estar entre el colorido bullicio de las calles de San Salvador. Tal vez si viviéramos allá, echaría de menos a los Estados Unidos con el mismo sentimiento, pero así es el corazón de los inmigrantes, o uno como yo, que ha tenido la simultánea alegría y desgracia de enamorarse de una tierra extranjera.
The last sign we saw as we boarded the airplane: El Salvador always awaits you with open arms.
[ENGLISH TRANSLATION]
In August of last year, we returned to the U.S. from our trip to El Salvador. Today, here we are in February and I miss El Salvador more than anything – in the same way one misses a lover they want to caress. I have a strong desire to touch sand warmed by the sun, savor the perfect taste of a loroco pupusa with iced horchata, and be amongst the colorful hustle and bustle of the streets of San Salvador. Maybe if we lived there, I would miss the United States with the same feeling, but that is the heart of the immigrant, or one like me, who has had the simultaneous joy and misfortune to fall in love with a foreign land.
