Del Rio Grande 1020

OCTOBER 2020

Spinning Time Fiber Arts French Girl Baking

OCTOBER 2020

$3.99

CRAFTING DURING COVID GRANDE / OCTOBER 2020

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LIFE, HEALTH, HOME AND AUTO VIDA, SALUD Y MÁS “It’s About Family”

1102 N. BEDELL AVE • DEL RIO, TEXAS 2413 VETERANS BLVD • DEL RIO, TEXAS 830.422.3232 ahiadelrio.com 2

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FROM THE EDITOR Make it work!

PUBLISHER David Rupkalvis EDITOR Karen Gleason CREATIVE DIRECTOR Atzimba Morales WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS Brian Argabright Amanda Curtis Karen Gleason Haus of Londyn Myles Jakubowski Atzimba Morales Val Verde County Library ADVERTISING Xochitl Arteaga PRODUCTION Roland Cardenas EDITORIAL karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 247 ADVERTISING xochitl.arteaga@delrionewsherald.com 830-775-1551, Ext. 250 STORY IDEAS karen.gleason@delrionewsherald.com

2205 North Bedell Avenue • Del Rio, TX 78840 delrionewsherald.com Del Rio Grande is published by the Del Rio News-Herald.

No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without written permission of the publisher. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher of this magazine.

Editorial and advertising does not constitute advice but is considered informative.

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We’ve all had to do our share of adjusting over the last seven months, and many of those adjustments will continue on into the foreseeable future.

The novel coronavirus, SARS-Co-V-19 or COVID-19, has upended all of our lives, often leaving us feeling disjointed and disconnected.

Long periods of isolation and physical distancing have led many of us to dust off and pick up hobbies our younger selves once enjoyed.

The more adventurous among us have picked up entirely new activities, learning to cook, learning a new language or new skill.

With this issue of the magazine, we return from our COVID-19 hiatus to pick up the thread of Del Rio’s many stories, and we thought there would be no better place to start than with our makers.

We’ve done a makers issue in the past, but we wanted to go back and take another peek into the lives of those creative souls that make Del Rio and the region such a rich and wonderful place to live.

For this issue, I spoke with my old friend Myles Jakubowski, whom I met in the restaurant at the Ramada Inn shortly after he moved to Del Rio in the mid-1990s to work in a maquila in Mexico.

Myles is my definition of a free spirit, and I was delighted to learn that once he retired, he was crafting extraordinary spinning wheels.

I’ve always meant to visit with him about the how and the why, and in this issue I got to do that at last.

I also spoke to another transplanted Del Rio – well, Comstockian – Isabelle Driel, who came to us from France by way of Houston.

I met Isabelle, who is married to my friend Jack Johnson, the archeologist for the Amistad National Recreation Area, at one of the mini farmer’s markets at the Del Rio Community Garden. One taste of her delectable French pastries, and I was hooked.

Myles and Isabelle are two of the many Del Rioans who continue to create and craft as the pandemic wears on, and it is my hope that you’ll draw some inspiration from them.

Stay safe, y’all!

Karen Gleason Del Rio Grande Editor

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CONTENTS 6

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SPINNING TIME

BRIGHT LOOKS

FRENCH GIRL BAKING

Del Rioan Myles Jakubowski crafts extraordinary wheels.

Colorful fashion fit for change in the season.

Isabelle Driel brings delectable pastries to Comstock.

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FIBER ARTS

‘JEFITA’S SEWING’

CHUNKY SALSA

County library group focuses on knitting, crochet.

Amanda Curtis carries on a family tradition.

An easy-to-make condiment for every occasion.

ON THE COVER: Transplanted Del Rioan Myles Jakubowksi creates extraordinary Wyatt spinning wheels in his north Del Rio woodworking and metal shop. Jakubowksi, an engineer, became the inheritor of the Wyatt Wheels legacy after a four-year-long apprenticeship and is now working to pass the knowledge down to an apprentice of his own. • Photo by Karen Gleason

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Wheels are Turning Del Rioan Myles Jakubowski crafts utilitarian works of art Story by KAREN GLEASON; Photos by KAREN GLEASON and MYLES JAKUBOWSKI

One of Myles Jakubowski’s new projects: A castle-spinning wheel he is designing inside his Wood Troll Studios located in north Del Rio.

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Y

ou might think that hand-spun wool yarn is a commodity not in much demand in this modern day and age.

You might also think that exquisitely engineered and hand-crafted spinning wheels used to create that yarn have no place in the 21st Century.

And you’d be wrong on both counts.

Just ask Del Rioan Myles Jakubowski.

Jakubowski has called Del Rio home since 1996. He currently lives and works in his “Wood Troll Studios” on the city’s northern edge.

“I am an automation engineer, and the company I worked for moved their automated facility across the border (to Ciudad Acuña, Coah., Mexico) and I came with it,” Jakubowski said, explaining how he arrived in the Queen City of the Rio Grande.

He explained an automation engineer is someone who “designs fixtures and robotics to assemble product.”

Jakubowski said his work for the company included designing all of the company’s automation for manufacturing motors for crockpots, clippers, Mr. Coffee machines and Oster blenders.

“Almost any product that you see in Sunbeam or Oster, I had a hand in designing the manufacturing systems to build it. I was a corporate-level automation engineer for the last 12 years I worked for the company,” he said.

As such, Jakubowski said he was able to travel all over the world to the company’s different sites “and design equipment for a lot of different products.”

“It was a lot of fun,” Jakubowski said.

Jakubowksi was born in Michigan and grew up as a tool-and-die maker like his father and grandfather.

His father had his own tool-and-die shop, and his grandfather owned Great Lakes Tool-and-Die, one of the largest tool-and-die makers in Michigan and the Upper Midwest.

“My great-grandfather was a metalworker in Gdansk, Poland, so I’m a fourth-generation metalworker,” Jakubowski said, more than a hint of pride in his voice.

Like many transplants, Jakubowksi took to Del Rio like a fish to water.

“I love Del Rio. Why? I guess the only way I can say it is by comparing it. When I go back to Michigan or Tennessee or other states, they seem homogenous.

They seem bland, if you will, and Del Rio’s got such a wonderful mix of cultures.

“I think it was Stephen Hawking who said, ‘All of the interesting things happen on the interface,’ and Del Rio is an interface, and it just seems more vibrant to me than any of these other towns that you find in the middle states,” he said.

“Who knows? Maybe a border town anywhere would be great, but I really like Del Rio,” he added.

Jakubowksi retired about three years ago.

“And now I play,” he said with a smile.

Engineer and woodworker extraordinaire Myles Jakubowski in his “Wood Troll Studios.”

Jakubowski has called Del Rio home since 1996.

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A “Great Wheel” at a craft show. Del Rioan Myles Jakubowski has crafted a variety of high-end spinning wheels for clients across the U.S., including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A detail of one of Myles Jakubowski’s “Wyatt Wheels,” designed by the late William Wyatt.

Jakubowski apprenticed for four years to learn how to craft the wheels to Wyatt’s exacting specifications.

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A variety of wood waits for Myles Jakubowski inside his Wood Troll Studios on Del Rio’s north side.

Jakubowski said his favorite wood to work in is mesquite.

A whimsical creation by engineer and woodworker Myles Jakubowski. Jakubowski works in both wood and metal, sometimes crafting intriguing art pieces like this one.

One of Jakubowski’s most beloved “toys” is a sailboat.

“I love sailing. I didn’t start sailing until I came to Del Rio, and Hamilton Ham, we called him, he had a Victoria down at the lake, and the first night I was out on my houseboat, he came sailing in on this 15foot sailboat, all by himself, an old, old man, it looked like he was two years older than God, and he sailed into the slip without a single hiccup. No motor, just sailed right in and stepped off onto the dock, and I said, ‘Someday I want to do that.’

“Lake Amistad, is, in fact, one of the best lakes for sailing. It is really a wonderful lake, because it goes east to west and north to south, so you always have good wind, wherever you’re going,” Jakubowski said.

He fell in love with sailing here.

“Since then, I have sailed throughout the Caribbean. I sailed a ship all the way back here from the Virgin Islands. Above the bar, in my home, is the flag from last year’s Mackinaw Race. The captain and crew gave me the flag, so that has a place of honor,” Jakubowksi said.

He said he couldn’t go to the Mackinaw this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he monitored the race from Del Rio. The race begins on Port Huron, Mich., and ends at Mackinaw Island in Lake Michigan.

“It can go anywhere from 30 hours to 48 hours. It’s an overnight, one or two night, race. They had to change it this year because the Canadian border is closed. Before they had to sail into Canadian waters and back, so since we can’t do that, they’re going to go along the edge of Lake Michigan,” he said.

“Next year, I’ll be doing the TransSuperior race with them, and that’s a race that goes from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., to Duluth, Minn., and that will take about a week of racing. It’s going to be a long one,” he added.

Jakubowski has a little boat, christened “Chispa,” a 19-foot sailboat he has slipped at the Air Force Marina on Amistad.

“She is rigged up for these rocks. She is just made for this lake, with a swing keel, so I don’t have to worry about hurting her. I’ve put in very strong, what’s called a gatorskin, all the way to the keel, so I can run her right up on the rocks anywhere,” Jakubowski said.

He said he goes out on Chispa sometimes for 10 days at a time.

Jakubowski said he still also loves to tinker with electronics and play with robotics “on

Myles Jakubowski crafts a part to a new spinning wheel. Jakubowski makes each piece to one of his Wyatt Wheels, whether wood or metal, by hand, to exacting specifications.

Myles Jakubowski works on the wheel portion of one of his spinning wheels in his Wood Troll Studios in north Del Rio.

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One of the many types of spinning wheels Myles Jakubowski creates in his woodworking and metalworking studio.

A completed Wyatt Wheel, as executed by Del Rioan Myles Jakubowski, is a useful work of art.

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the side.”

Another hobby, one that has grown into a parttime business, is the crafting of marvelous wooden spinning wheels.

“It’s a hobby more than it is a business. It’s an obligation,” he said.

“I don’t know if it’s a curse or a blessing, to tell you the honest truth. The gentleman who I apprenticed under for four years made me promise that I’d keep his heritage going, so that’s why I ended up with the shop. Everything I owned was on the boat up until he passed away. I inherited his equipment, and then I needed a shop,” Jakubowski said.

Jakubowski said there is a commonality among tool-and-die makers.

“We used to make fun of people who couldn’t hold tolerances. We called them ‘carpenters’ and ‘woodworkers,’ and I found out that if you’re going to curse something, you’re eventually going to become that,” Jakubowski said with a chuckle.

“I ended up being an engineer, and I also ended up getting into woodworking,” he added.

William Wyatt is the man who designed the wheels Jakubowski began crafting.

“He had gone through seven apprentices trying to find a woodworker that could keep his tolerances.

He was not a normal woodworker. He was also a metalworker, so he tried to treat wood as if it were steel, which means you use micrometers, rather than rulers, you use calipers rather than scales.

The tolerances on his (spinning) wheels are in the thousandths of an inch. You don’t do that with wood.

Wood is not that forgiving. Wood wants to move. It wants to do things,” Jakubowski said.

“Trying to hold tolerances of a thousandths of an inch is very, very difficult, and Wyatt came up with the processes and the design of a wheel that was so exceptional that they’re considered the best in the world, and when I’m bragging on it, I’m bragging on him. It’s his design work. It’s his processes that he taught me, and I’m just carrying on his tradition,” Jakubowski added.

Jakubowski said he met Wyatt through a mutual friend.

“A mutual friend suggested to him that we talk because (the friend) knew I was a tool-and-die maker in the past, and Wyatt asked if I would be interested in taking a look at his shop, so one weekend I went to San Antonio to look at his shop, and he asked me if I would be interested in making a wheel, and I called my daughter Raven, who does fabrics, and I asked her if she wanted one, and she said sure, so I made one under his direction,” Jakubowski said.

When he had completed the wheel, Jakubowski said Wyatt paid him a high compliment. “He said this is the first time that he’d had someone make a

wheel to his specs, and he said he wanted me to learn how to make all his wheels because he had cancer, and he wanted me to carry it on,” Jakubowksi said.

He apprenticed with Wyatt for three years and seven months.

“I made him several promises. One was that I would always make them one at a time for each customer. He would not let me massproduce them. And that’s the reason why it’s only a hobby. I can only make maybe two to three wheels a year, and because they are so precise and exacting, only people that are real serious about spinning would buy a Wyatt wheel,” he said.

As counterintuitive as it might seem, Jakubowksi said there is still a huge community of spinners in the U.S. and the world, and there are still companies that mass-produce wheels for those spinners.

Jakubowksi said the Wyatt wheels are mainly for fabric artists who make a business with fabric.

“They can get a lot of money from fashion houses for homespun wool, so $90 a skein is a low price,” he said.

He agreed many home crafts have seen a resurgence, and the customers for Wyatt wheels span the globe.

“Most of our wheels are in colder climes. . . Norway, Sweden, New Zealand, because of their sheep, Britain, but a lot in Alaska, Washington, Canada because during the wintertime you can sit and spin, and it’s almost meditative. It’s a lot of fun, and then they can sell what they spin,” Jakubowski said.

Jakubowski has made about eight wheels since he retired from his “regular job” about three years ago.

He characterized each wheel as a labor of love.

“When I finish one, there’s always a sense of amazement that I did that. It’s a good feeling,” he said.

“A lot of first-time spinners come to me, and I tell them, ‘You don’t want one of my wheels.’ You want a low-cost, mass-produced wheel that will give you an idea whether you love to spin. A majority of my customers either work on looms, make their own thread, or they make yarn to sell it to fashion houses,” Jakubowski said.

Several years ago, Jakubowski said he sent a Wyatt wheel to the curator for ancient tapestries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art because she had to spin specialized fibers to match the original materials from which the ancient tapestries are woven.

“Once people spin on a Wyatt wheel, if they’re spinners, they won’t spin on anything else. They are pretty amazing, and again, I’m not bragging on myself, because William is the one who did it, and he cursed me with it, because all of this I have to hang on to, to keep my promise to him,” Jakubowski said, gesturing at his cavernous workshop.

Jakubowski’s studio – a large metal building crammed floor-toceiling with materials and tools – is a wood- and metalworker’s paradise.

“It’s a play room,” Jakubowski said with a grin.

Inside, Jakubowski demonstrates several different types of wooden spinning apparatus he creates, including drop spindles and charka wheels.

The wheels are constructed from a variety of woods – maple, black walnut, Texas ebony.

But Jakubowski said his favorite wood to work in is mesquite.

He shows off a large, Norwegian-style spinning wheel Wyatt christened the Pegasus – “Because he said it was big as a horse that flies” – normally made much smaller.

The wheel took eight months to construct, and when he was done with

Myles Jakubowski spins yarn on one of the Wyatt Wheels he built in this photo taken near Lake Amistad. Jakubowski is also an accomplished sailor who fell in love with sailing at the lake after he arrived in Del Rio 1996.

it, the woman who had ordered it no longer wanted it, so Jakubowski kept it and now takes it to shows.

There is no sound as the wooden wheel turns, no vibration.

“Everything is perfectly balanced. That’s what makes it a Wyatt wheel. It takes about two grams of force to move the treadle because everything is perfectly balanced. We balanced everything individually, first the wheel, flyer, hub, and then we balance it with the weights on, the treadle and with the equipment arms on it,” he said.

He said he also is developing a quality lower-cost wheel.

“I’m trying to design a wheel called a ‘castle’ style, and the reason they call it that is because the flyer is above the wheel,” Jakubowski said.

He’s built a prototype and already has a buyer, a spinner in North Carolina.

In addition to handcrafting all the wood in the spinning wheels, Jakubowksi also makes all the brass hardware by hand.

As a way of maintaining Wyatt’s legacy and yet not carrying it forward in his own two hands, so to speak, Jakubowski said he is in the process of writing everything down, taking photographs and creating a Facebook page to “teach people how to make this wheel.”

“I have already talked to William’s widow, and she is all for it. She has no problem with the idea of passing on his heritage so people can learn how to make them. I think that will help alleviate some of my obligations,” Jakubowski said. •

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FIBER

ARTS County library group focuses on the art of knitting and crochet Story by ATZIMBA MORALES; Photos by VAL VERDE COUNTY LIBRARY

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Various Del Rioans gathered as part of the Fiber Arts group at the Val Verde County Library. Participants brought in their works in progress before they began a service project.

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ome talents aren’t as diversely expressed in groups, compared to others. Yet, sometimes it takes one person to seek others to enjoy a craft or learn a new craft together. It took one person for a group of Del Rioans to come together and share the experience of knitting and crocheting.

Fiber Arts began as a means to teach others how to knit and crochet. Val Verde County Librarian Barbara Galvan explained in the fall of 2017 a library patron asked the library’s thendirector, Graciela Monday, if the library had a knit and crochet group.

Monday put the patron in contact with Galvan, and from there the group was created. Fiber Arts was officially created as an activity at the county library during the start of 2018.

“Our plan was to have the group meet twice a month (taking a break during the summer months) and offer occasional

instruction on crochet. Those who attended the group turned out to be experienced knitters and crocheters and instruction was sidelined,” Galvan said.

Galvan added everyone in the group brought their works in progress, but the group remained hopeful they would be able to incorporate a service project in the program as the group continued.

As that year continued, in the fall of 2018, Cheryl Sanchez, a member of Fiber Arts, volunteered to teach the group knitting.

“Cheryl decided the best way to teach us was to knit squares in different patterns and use the finished squares to create our service project...afghans for local nursing homes,” Galvan said.

An afghan is a wooly blanket or shawl that has been knitted or crocheted, not to be confused with Afghan clothing.

Galvan added Sanchez knitted samples of each square and

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Cheryl Sanchez teaches others how to knit, as the Fiber Arts group was open to anyone in the community interested in learning the skills.

typed up pattern instructions for the group, and they began instruction in January of 2019. When the members returned in the fall with their finished squares, each square was sorted by size, finished off with a border, and sorted in complementary colors to create the afghans.

At time of speaking with Galvan, the group completed six afghans, but the pandemic put the service project on hold. Originally the group was hoping to complete the service project this fall, but as the pandemic continues the library has barely begun to open indoor facilities back up to patrons.

Fiber Arts is one of the programs for adults the library offers. Participants previously met every first and third Saturday of the month for a couple of hours.

The group previously donated yarn to the library, and was available to anyone that was wanting to learn to knit or crochet. The library also contains a variety of books, through the physical collection or the digital collection on Hoopla Digital, for knitters and crocheters of any skill level.

While Del Rioans can pick up this skill at their leisure, Galvan clarified the library does not provide knitting needles, crochet hooks or scissors. •

The square of yarn is one of 16 completed knitting patterns the Fiber Arts group worked on.

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The granny rectangles are sorted by color and size, each square was created by a different member from the Fiber Arts group.

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A cactus print is one of various Hispanic motifs Amanda Curtis uses in her craftsmanship.

‘JEFITA’S SEWING’ Amanda Curtis carries on a family tradition Story by ATZIMBA MORALES; Photos by AMANDA CURTIS

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asic skills such as sewing have become a necessary part of staying busy or entertained while the community continues the ongoing battle against COVID-19. One Del Rioan took those skills to expand her business beyond her original creations.

Amanda Curtis originally learned how to sew through the 4-H classes, but it wasn’t until two years back that she started sewing on a daily basis. As part of the learning process, she also picked up many pointers from YouTube and

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other sources, according to Curtis.

Now Curtis has a small business known as Jefita’s Sewing, with creations she has previously displayed at various markets in Del Rio. Curtis’s creations include aprons, embellished dish towels, quilts with the recent addition of face masks and traditional Navajo skirts.

The name of Curtis’s business pays homage to her grandma, who was known as “Jefa” or boss lady in Spanish

by Curtis’s relatives. Curtis is “Jefita” or little boss lady.

Amanda Curtis proudly carries her first bolt of fabric. Curtis uses the fabric to create various items, such as masks and bags.

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“She was always hustling,” Curtis said in regards to her grandma.

Memories of her grandma trying to teach her crochet as a child were brought up, and Curtis admitted she struggled learning the skill due to her being left-handed.

Curtis is Mexian-American and she explained her husband comes from Navajo descent, and she wanted to help her children embrace the Navajo culture by creating the clothing.

She added her mother-in-law, an inspiration for Curtis’s sewing, makes the Navajo clothing by hand.

Curtis met her husband during a summer internship in Arizona with the National Park Service.

Lately Curtis’s face masks have been a popular item in her store, adding she received some orders from the states of California and Colorado.

One mask takes about 15-20 minutes for Curtis to complete, but that is due to her being meticulous and making sure every portion of the mask is perfect. This process is also applied to her other projects.

“I want to make something that will last. That’s my way of quality control,” Curtis said.

The face masks Curtis creates feature pieces of Mexican culture as much as possible, such as artistic icon Frida Kahlo. “It’s pretty popular here,” Curtis said. She also referred others to the online group Sew for Del Rio when face masks were a high commodity, while providing online resources.

Curtis also orders her own fabrics for her projects.

Yet she is not the only one in the family that knows how to sew. Curtis has been teaching her daughter and son the skill, adding she took her son downtown to pick fabric for a quilt.

“He has a good eye for color combination,” Curtis said.

The older generation knew how to sew and other life skills, which Curtis deemed as essential in this time period.

“The way things are, these skills bring income,” Curtis said. Del Rioans can find Curtis’s creations through the Facebook page - Jefita’s Sewing, Etsy website and Instagram - @ Jefitassewing. •

A personal goal of Amanda Curtis’s was to have her children embrace the Navajo traditions from her husband’s side of the family. As part of that, Curtis has been making them traditional Navajo wear.

Amanda Curtis enjoys displaying Hispanic culture in her work. Catrinas are one the popular motifs she uses to make half aprons.

The fabric Amanda Curtis uses is also used to reinvent current items at her disposal. Curtis added appliques of flowers and a skull to a basic jean jacket.

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These sablĂŠ bretons, a type of salted French butter cookie, are among the confectionary treats created by Comstock resident Isabelle Driel, owner of The French Girl Bakery.

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French Girl Baking Isabelle Driel creates sweet treats in Comstock Story by KAREN GLEASON and ISABELLE DRIEL; Photos by JACK JOHNSON

I

first met Isabelle Driel at a Mini Farmers Market at the Del Rio Community Garden several years ago, where she was selling some gorgeous lemon bars and piles of whimsical, colorful cookies shaped and decorated like dinosaurs at a booth called “The French Girl Bakery.” The bars and cookies were absolutely delicious, and I’ve been on the lookout for her baked goods ever since.

I talked with her briefly and learned that Driel is – as many of us are – a transplant to our area, from France via Houston. I also learned she and one of my favorite people, Jack Johnson, the archeologist for the Amistad National Recreation Area, were a couple, a fact that made me even happier.

Because of the difficulties of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, I spoke to Driel for this issue vie email and phone. I loved her story, and I think you will, too.

GRANDE: The first thing I’d like to know is how a French girl lands in Comstock, Texas, and opens a bakery?

DRIEL: “The story starts in 2008 when, after finishing my master’s degree, I got a position as a history teacher in a French school in Houston. I left France, my family and friends to move to the U.S. and live my American Dream.

“Eight years later, I came to Comstock to visit Seminole Canyon, and that trip led me to meet my future husband, Jack Johnson, the archeologist for Amistad National Recreation Area. After two years of a long distance relationship, I gave up my life in Houston to join him in Comstock.

“The closest French school was five hours away, and I needed

Comstock resident Isabelle Driel, a native of France, shows off a plate of her famous macarons, a sandwich-cookie confection based on meringue.

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Clockwise: • Isabelle Driel prepares for another round of baking in her Comstock kitchen. Driel taught herself to create a variety of luscious French pastries after she moved here.

• Isabelle Driel, owner of The French Girl Bakery, with one of her feathered friends on her property in Comstock.

• Isabelle Driel pulls a fresh batch of macarons from the oven in her kitchen in Comstock. Macarons are a favorite French treat, originally created during the Renaissance.

something else to do. As I missed French pastries so much, I decided to learn how to make them myself. I have always been obsessed with cakes, pastries, anything sweet from my country.

And even though I was inexperienced, I told myself that maybe I could make a side income out of it. I would learn as I’d go!”

GRANDE: Tell me about yourself, where you were born, what you have been doing, maybe what you dreamed of becoming when you were a child?

DRIEL: “I was born in a little village in northern France, very close to Belgium. My passion for books, reading and learning was obvious very early in my childhood. I wanted to see the world and become an archeologist, a teacher or a writer.

“After earning a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in sciences of antiquity, I started a teaching career that gave me the opportunity to travel to about 30 countries.

“I recently started to volunteer for Seminole Canyon State Park, as a tour guide, because I wanted to get back in touch with

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that side of myself.”

GRANDE: How long have you been baking? Tell me how your interest in baking went from making treats for friends and family members to becoming a professional baker.

DRIEL: “The crazy thing is that I have only been baking for two years. I created the bakery at the same time as I started to learn the art of French baking. Before that, I was clueless and couldn’t bake a pie to save my life!

“I think we live in a wonderful time for self-education. With all the resources we now have online, we can learn almost anything by ourselves. What I love the most in my bakery business is the chance to learn digital marketing, graphic design and photography. Any entrepreneur needs to master these skills, these days.”

GRANDE: What types of things do you bake? I can see from your Facebook page that you create macarons and various other pastries. Tell me what you bake and a little about how those

items are made. Also, where did you get the recipes?

DRIEL: “As of today, French macarons are 95% of what I sell. They are colorful luxury cookies made with almond flour and meringue. They are extremely difficult to master and remain finicky little things even after making them every week. I need a few days to complete them.

“I craft my own recipes: I look for ideas in the beautiful baking books I own, and I use Pinterest to research what other bakers have created of the same type, then I come up with my own twist.”

GRANDE: I also see that people really seem to love your baked goods. (I’ve had some of them myself, like the lemon bars and dinosaur cookies, which were both wonderful!) That must make you feel really good. Tell me about that.

DRIEL: “Well, thank you! You know, baking from home can be frustrating sometimes: solitude, many hours in the kitchen for an income that remains quite modest, a lack of variety in my days as I bake batch after batch, over and over… but the moment when I deliver the goodies to everyone makes up for it.

“I believe that the macarons make people happy and it’s so gratifying. I see the smiles, the impatience to eat them, the sneaky ‘I got one in the car before the kids would take them!’ Many customers send me messages to tell me how the macarons made their day, and it warms my heart every time.”

GRANDE: Tell me about your process.

Do you bake every day? Do you have to take breaks?

DRIEL: “The bakery is very young (I created it a year-and-a-half ago) and its success took me by surprise: I evolve, improve and tweak things as I go, and my process is still changing on a bi-weekly basis.

“Right now, I bake two weeks out of four and do two events or pick-ups per month in Del Rio. For these occasions, I create a special macarons box that goes on sale on my website, thefrenchgirlbakery.com, the week before. It usually sells out in less than an hour so if anybody wants one, I recommend to stay on top of the schedule.

“What I like about this business, it’s the flexibility it gives me to organize my time.

Freedom is priceless to me.”

GRANDE: What is the best way for our Grande readers to try some of your treats?

DREIL: “Once a month, I participate to the Farmers market organized by Del Rio Parks Foundation and bring a variety of macarons that can be bought individually. It’s a good way to try them before committing to buying a box.

“I regularly sell boxes of a dozen macarons: My customers preorder them on my website and come pick them up at the date I announced in advance.

“Before the pandemic, I did some great events at the Mesquite Creek Outfitters, my favorite place in town, and at the First Friday Art Walk. Hopefully these will start back soon.

“I work from home, as I don’t have a brick and mortar store, so it’s not necessary to look for macarons in Comstock… they will be hidden in my fridges!”

GRANDE: What are your plans for the future?

DRIEL: “I have so many goals for the future, it’s overwhelming! I want to be able to start a new career as a graphic designer or a branding specialist, but I also want to finish the book I am writing (a guide to American dating for us Europeans!), and I am hoping to get— one day— a teaching position at the college level in Del Rio. While I am happy and grateful of the success of the French Girl Bakery, my ambitions lie in the academic or artistic world.”

GRANDE: I’m sure I’ve left something out. Is there anything you’d like to add?

DRIEL: “I’d recommend the readers to follow the French Girl Bakery on Facebook because it’s my main channel of communication. That way, they will know the dates of the sales. They could also check my website thefrenchgirlbakery. com where they can read the store policy (what I do, what I don’t do…), the pickup information and see a gallery of what I made.”

GRANDE: Finally, is there a simple recipe that you could share with our Grande readers?

DRIEL: “Yes, before the pandemic, I did few markets where I sold a French cookie called ‘sablé breton,’ and the customers loved it. Imagine a shortbread, but with a ton of butter and a tiny touch of salt. It’s so simple that if you made sugar cookies before, you already know the techniques for the sablé.” •

Sables INGREDIENTS FOR 10 SABLÉS: - 200 grams of salted European style butter (around 84 or 85% fat like Vital Farm or Kerrygold) - 120 grams of sugar (1/2 cup and 1 Tbsp.)

- 3 egg yolks (2+1) - 4 milliliters of almond emulsion (1 tsp.)

- 4 milliliters of vanilla extract (1 tsp.)

- 280 grams of all-purpose flour (2 cups plus 2 Tbsp.)

METHOD: 1. Preheat the oven at 375° and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.

2. Beat the softened butter and the sugar together, until well incorporated.

3. Add 2 egg yolks and mix until well incorporated.

4. Add the flour. Repeat the mixing process.

5. Collect the dough, recover with plastic and let it rest in the fridge for one hour.

6. Put a large sheet of parchment paper on your counter, flour it and roll the dough (you can choose the thickness, I always go for at least ¼ of inch).

7. Use the cookie cutter of your choice to cut out cookies.

8. Beat the leftover egg yolk with a fork and brush the top of the cookies with it.

9. Bake for 13 minutes, until they reach a golden color.

These cookies are delicious the way they are but if you wish to add some icing like buttercream or royal icing, skip the egg wash at the end.

GRANDE / OCTOBER 2020

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GRANDE / OCTOBER 2020

Home Made

Chunky Salsa Recipe and photo by XOCHITL ARTEAGA

E

veryone loves homemade salsa, there is nothing better than that fresh taste!

This red salsa is easy and healthy, ready in 10 minutes, made with crushed tomatoes and an authentic touch of cumin. It is perfect with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos. It’s easy to adjust this salsa to suit your personal taste hot or mild. Everyone will be happy!

INGREDIENTS:

FLAVOR:

5 Roma Tomatoes 8 oz Diced tomatoes 1 Red onion 2 Jalapeños, chopped 2 Serrano, chopped 2 Habanero, chopped cilantro 3-4 garlic cloves 1/2 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp sugar ( this helps to cut bitterness from the tomatoes ) 2- limes, juiced

A half teaspoon of sugar can also help enhance the flavors beautifully.

Cumin is another great option to add.

(This is actually my secret ingredient).

HOW TO MAKE SALSA: 1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor same order written above.

2. Pulse the mixture 15-20 times, no more than 30 seconds total, or until there are no chunks remaining.

3. Serve and ENJOY!

TIP: * Do not over blend the mixture because it can easily turn into a watery pulp. * This salsa tastes great eaten right away, or stored in the refrigerator for later. I find that it’s best to use this salsa within one week.

FOR LONGER STORAGE: Spoon cooled salsa into freezer containers, leaving 1/2 -inch headspace. Seal, label, and freeze up to 6 months.

GRANDE / OCTOBER 2020

29

Last Look As the year continues forward time seems to be a relative item at this point. The days are blended into weeks and have now blended into months. At this point many would look forward to the beginning of a new school year, but the current situation has students beginning with a brand new experience.

These times have left many wondering what to do with themselves. While many activities such as going to the movies or holding big gatherings will not be the same for a long time, GRANDE staff chose to highlight individuals that focused on honing their crafts for this issue.

There are plenty of local citizens that have honed a skill and created a business out of it. From sewing to baking, there’s a variety of skills put to use to achieve success. I appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into these items, knowing the person put time and effort to perfect their item for the customer.

When I spoke with Amanda Curtis about her craft, I was reminded of the time and effort my grandma put into her cross stitching and sewing; both skills she tried to teach me as a child. I know the basics, but I haven’t been able to commit myself to completing a simple project.

There is so much passion invested into these crafts and it goes back to the saying of supporting local businesses. We live in an environment where learning these skills is easily available to everyone, thus we’re able to reinvent and change our surroundings using those skills.

While things aren’t fully back at capacity everywhere, GRANDE staff continues to look for local people to highlight in the coming months. Readers can follow us online on the official Facebook page and Instagram account - @del_rio_ grande.

Ideas are always welcome and we look forward to hearing from the community.

In the meantime, continue staying safe and we’ll see you next month, Atzimba Morales Creative Director

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GRANDE / OCTOBER 2020

From top: Del Rio News-Herald Sports Editor Brian Argabright, left, and Del Rio Grande Creative Director Atzimba Morales proof the final draft of the magazine.

• Del Rio Grande Creative Director Atzimba Morales reads over a proof of the magazine before it is sent to press.

• Del Rio Grande Creative Director Atzimba Morales, left, and Del Rio Grande Editor Karen Gleason make notes on the whiteboard used to track story ideas and photo angles.

Haus of Londyn would like to thank Del Rio for your continuous support and preference during these unprecedented times. We are delighted to be considered amongst the best of the border. With so many options at your disposal, you all continue to recommend us to your friends and family and that is what’s allowed us to continue growing, learning, and delivering a product that we are proud of.

Thank you all for allowing us to capture your special moments.

STAY SAFE!

• Family Portraiture • Senior Portraits • Birthday Cakesmash Sessions

• Weddings • Quinceañeras • Photobooth Services For Special

Jessy Colossus @Haus.of.Londyn

@Haus.of.Londyn

(432) 934-2299

GRANDE / OCTOBER 2020

31

Dr. David Hernandez, MD, FACOG

Coming to the VVRMC Rural Health Clinic September 14th!

I

Obstetrics & Gynecology

ntroducing Dr. David Hernandez.

Dr. Hernandez will be joining the staff at VVRMC’s Rural Health Clinic in September. He is a long-time Texas resident and has previously lived in Del Rio. We are fortunate to have a physician with his education, dedication and experience. We welcome him to the VVRMC family.

1801 Bedell Ave. Del Rio

Qualifications: • • • • • • •

Over 20 years of Medical Experience Experienced Professor Numerous Published Medical Articles Obstetric & Gynecology Services Military Experience Multiple Community Service Awards Bilingual English/Spanish

Dr. Hernandez is dedicated to serving the health needs of women in our community.

FOR AN APPOINTMENT CALL:

830.282.6020

living our mission, focused on our vision and empowered by our legacy 32

GRANDE / OCTOBER 2020