When you cook, make sure to taste, smell and above all share, says MariaElena Cuervo-Lorens.
She ought to know, the Brentwood woman has authored two books and taught many a course sharing her cultural culinary history.
“When we moved to Canada, what we saw called Mexican food was horrifying to us,” Cuervo-Lorens explained. “It was Tex Mex California things. Good as they may be, they’re not Mexican by any means.”
At that time, 30-plus years ago, many ingredients like chiles, avocados and cilantro weren’t readily available in local grocery stores. Even the often main ingredient, tomatoes, grown in a different climate created a different flavour.
“Everything tasted different, so I started experimenting,” she said.
She loved to cook (and eat), and had a number one fan in her husband, who suggested she put together her recipes to share with the region. Her number one fan suggested she put together something like a cookbook.
“I thought that would be easy to do, but then I encountered the terrible task of measuring,” she said with a chuckle. Now an enthusiastic measurer, the avid chef has two recipe books under her belt.
“When I published my first book I thought nobody will know who I am,” she said.
She started teaching at Camosun in the late ‘80s. She has been a guest instructor of Mexican cuisine at the Dubrulle International Culinary Institute of Canada and at the Market Square Cooking School in Vancouver. Today she teaches at community schools, the French Mint Cooking School, and Thrifty Foods Cooking and Lifestyle Centre in Victoria. She holds classes in kitchens from Courtenay to Toronto.
Her first book, published in 1989 by General Store Publishing House, is much like a primer. Mexican Cuisine, Authentic Mexican Dishes Made Easy, offers a simplified version of many a varied Mexican recipe.
“I thought at that time, nobody’s going to do this,” she said, gesturing to the second book. Among the pages of Mexican Culinary Treasures: Recipes from Maria Elena’s Kitchen (part of the Hippocrene Cookbook Library), is a more in-depth look at the culture of Mexican food. A recipe for Pollo en Mole Poblano (Chicken in Mole Poblano) is in both books. But in the earlier book, the recipe calls for a can of mole, whereas the later book outlines the complicated process of making a successful mole.
With the books, she feels she’s completed her task — helping to preserve the culture through cuisine.
The inspiration of French, Spanish and Aztecs shine through in the sophisticated food, said Cuervo-Lorens. Last year the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized the importance of food in the Mexican culture adding it and French cuisine to UNESCOs list of intangible world heritage.
While she’s done with writing, Cuervo-Lorens continues to teach (twice a year through Panorama Recreation) and create cultural concoctions for friends.
“I like food. I like to eat. I think good cooks like to eat,” she said. “It’s not the same to cook for one person, than to cook for others. Sharing is very important.”
Visit www.mariaelenascookbooks.com for information on were to get the books.