Munch Magazine - Issue 6 - Summer 2014

MUNCH SUMMER 2014 - ISSUE 6

FEATURES P6 ONE POUND - dining thrifty in the UK P 18 MVC - profile on KD’s private chef P 36 CATCH A FISH - advice from novice fishermen P 36 CANTINA IN MEXICO - travel to cantina kitchen’s in Guadalajara P 42 THE MULBERRY TREE - learning to love what’s in our backyards P 48 OPENING NIGHT - a sweet story behind Roxy’s Ice Cream Social

RECIPES P 14 barbeque ribs P 16 chinese ribs P 10 jicama salad P 33 catfish tacos P 35 radish relish P 35 creamy cilantro P 41 beer cocktails P 46 mulberry cobbler

C O N T E N T S

EDITORS Kimberly Hickerson designer/editor

Lacey Elaine Tackett photographer/editor

The heat this summer seems to have come early, with temperatures reaching into the 90’s as early as April, and with the heat has come a rush of cliche summer activities. Until this past month, the last time I went camping I was 14, the last time I fished I was 13, and I last floated the river at the age of 12. Back then most of my summer activities were done either to please my parents or to to avoid them, not really for myself.

This week I’m turning 33 and it’s undeniable at this point that I’ve reached adulthood, kids or no kids, I still have a mortgage, a husband, a cat and, someday, I’ll be responsible enough to own a dog. The fact is I’m responsible enough to know I shouldn’t have a dog right now. When I watch films like Stand By Me, Now and Then, and The Sandlot whilst I’m whole-heartedly embracing some childhood nostalgia, but I find I relate much more to the narrator these days then the main character.

I still have a lot growing to do. You never stop changing. Whether I loved something when I was 10, 15 or 20 doesn’t matter. What matters is my willingness to embrace it now, to remain open-minded and realize that at 33 I’m still clueless about what old and new experiences I might enjoy until I give them a chance.

If this issue has a theme, it has to do with embracing that chance, whether it be a mulberry tree in your back garden, a preconceived hatred of catfish, a fear of fish hooks or hot grills, or even a fear of speaking to professional chefs. We ask that you keep your arms open and get ready for this issue to hug you back.

Callum Bird From Gloucester in the UK. Primarily a fashion photographer who uses his controlled lighting to bring big and bold colors into all of his work, including food. www. callumbird.co.uk - photo series starts on page 6 Melissa Jacobs Artist and mother, now residing in the Cleveland neighborhood of OKC. Melissa is a fantastic hobby baker who starts with what is in her own backyard. www.melissaisland.com - mulberry love begins on page 42 Joel Schierloh Illustrator and Designer located in Oklahoma City. Offered up his doodling services to add some character to Oklaoma fish. www.dribbble.com/joelowen - his fishy drawings are on page 28 -

Copy Editing: Hal Moncrief Thanks to: Cameron Epley, Chef Ryan Lopez, Lucas Dunn, Brent Hodge, Matt Logan, Harry Brown, Jenni Calton, Luella Gray as well as all of our readers!

CONTRIBUTORS

£1.00 FOR EVERYTHING: a photography and cooking series on what to eat on a budget This photography series is inspired by my experience as a student at University; living on a small budget, I had to carefully watch what I was buying and the prices at which I bought it. I shortly became addicted to buying reduced food, heading straight to that section as soon as I stepped into the supermarket. Even now, after leaving University, I still buy all my meat reduced, most of the times at 90% off the original price.

I find that food is a great way to express yourself - it allows you to create ‘art’ on a plate and experiment with flavors and appearance whilst putting a smile of the face of those that you cook for.

Although the food was reduced, it looked the same and tasted the same as full priced foods. Discounted food can save you money and help to create amazing dishes.

All of the dishes in this series are composed largely of discounted ingredients. Each dish costs no more than £1.00 for everything, and is a great alternative for eating well on a strict budget.

The theme is Summer, and all the food has been cooked on a barbecue. The desk is designed as an old, flaking wood which represents the rustic feel of a good summer barbecue.

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Barbeque Chicken Legs With Grapefruit and Mint

Credits: Photographer - Callum Bird Cook - Harry Brown Food Stylist - Jenni Calton

Courgette and Asparagus with Pomegranate, Radish and Mint

Gammon (Pork) Steak with Fried Egg, Radish and Salad

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Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs with Sesame on a bed of Rocket and Watermelon.

Minted Lamb with Rosemary, on a bed of Cucumber and Pomegranate.

Peppercorn Chicken Breast with Five Bean Salad

Sirloin Steak on Spring Mix with Red and White Onions

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EASY BARBEQUE RIBS

by Lacey Elaine Tackett

2 lbs. country style pork ribs 12 ounces barbeque sauce 1/4 cup of brown sugar, packed 1/4 cup of ketchup 2 tablespoons hot sauce 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

12 to 16 ounces of pearl onions 4 to 6 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour

Start with a hot grill and a good barbeque sauce. I prefer Head Country Hickory. Mix barbeque sauce with brown sugar, ketchup and hot sauce. I recommend Valentina as a good vinegary hot sauce, but any substitution will work. Add paprika and mix.

in an ice water bath for 5 minutes. At this point the skins of the onions will easily pop off with a little pressure on either end.

Dump the sauce into the foil or loaf pan and submerge the pork ribs, making as much meat to sauce contact as possible. Tight fit! Place on the grill and move on to the pearl onions. Check on the ribs after 30 minutes, turning the ribs to re-coat in sauce.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add all the pearl onions. Boil for 5 minutes, drain and submerge 14 - MUNCH

1 loaf-sized disposable foil pan, or 9x5 loaf pan

Skewer the skinned onions and salt and pepper liberally, try smoked salt if you like. After 20 minutes from the last grill check, 50 minutes total, turn the meat in the sauce and push the pan to a low-heat area. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for 10 minutes, turning frequently.

Remove skewers and ribs. Move the pork ribs to a platter and cover with remaining sauce. Serve with the grilled onions and dill pickles.

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EASY CHINESE-INSPIRED RIBS

2 lbs. country style pork ribs 10 ounces hoisin sauce 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 tablespoon sriracha 1 tablespoon ground white pepper 1 inch long piece ginger, peeled

3 or 4 small asian eggplants 1/2 cup tamari 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Remove the leaves and stems from the eggplants and slice in half lengthwise. In a large plastic bag, mix the tamari and toasted sesame oil, leaving to marinate until ready to grill.

all fit. Place on the grill and check on the ribs after 30 minutes, turning the ribs to re-coat in sauce. Check at another 20 minutes, 50 minutes total, and push the pan to a low-heat area.

Place the eggplant on the grill and cook for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Mix the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and siracha. Add the ground white pepper and mix.

Lightly pound the ginger to break apart and add to the sauce.

Dump the sauce into the foil or loaf pan and submerge the pork ribs, trying to make as much meat to sauce contact as possible. Don’t worry, it’ll

1 loaf-sized disposable foil pan, or 9x5 loaf pan

Remove eggplant and ribs from the grill. Move the pork ribs to a platter and cover with remaining sauce.

Serve with the eggplant sprinkled with sesame seeds and cucumber slices or asian pickles.

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photo provided by Chef Ryan Lopez

MVC

MOST VALUABLE CHEF

by Lucas Dunn

The clock is winding down.

Not much time left, and the room has a sense of urgency, expectance. There is a strong hunger for greatness, and the next few seconds will determine success. He takes a deep breath, evaluates the situation, all that is at play. Everything is on the line, and will be determined by skills that have been developed over a lifetime. The passion that blossomed from childhood, the hard work put in while at school, and the finesse and technique that came from many seasons in the professional ranks- all of this is culminating right now, in this final moment of the act, and although it is something that must be done night after night, the importance has lessened none. Despite the rush and pressure of it all, he knows this is what he is paid to do, hell, born to do, and his mind goes to autopilot, like a trained sniper.

The timer sounds.

Moments later, a fine white dish is placed on a table.

Atop it lies a thick loin of sea bass, cooked to delicate perfection, and a colorful interplay of steamed vegetables and moist rice. Dinner has been served for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, Kevin Durant, and the dinner is good.

Oklahoma City has been experiencing a renaissance of sorts in the last decade, and a significant reason for

that has been the acquisition of a National Basketball Association franchise. Since majority owner Clay Bennett brought the team to Oklahoma (much to the continued dismay of diehard Seattle Supersonics fans), the city has gained a sort of ‘big league’ legitimacy to the rest of the country. After just four seasons, the team played against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals in 2012, bringing in a national media frenzy the likes of which OKC has not seen since the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building in 1993.

What many journalists noticed was that Oklahoma City was actually a pretty nice place. It may not offer the same kind of opulent nightlife or exotic dining as a place like Miami, but the people are friendly, the economy and culture are on an upswing, and the food is good.

There has been a sort of reverse-‘Grapes Of Wrath’ lately. Instead of Okies fleeing this godforsaken place for better opportunity, people are moving here in order to chase their dreams. There are many opportunities to pursue in Oklahoma City these days, and they can be had at a cheaper price than the typical breeding grounds for success such as LA or NYC. The Oklahoma City Thunder is but one facilitator of said dream-chasing, and Kevin Durant’s personal chef Ryan Lopez is a beneficiary.

Kevin Durant is a busy man, to say the least. This is a guy who lives, sleeps, and breathes basketball, and works very hard to be successful. He is the 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player, a five-time All-Star, four-time Scoring Champion, and an Olympic gold medalist to boot. On top of that, he devotes a lot of his personal time to charity work. This is a guy who has a lot on his plate, and not much time to prepare food to put on it.

Enter chef Ryan Lopez.

After a chance meeting with Durant and having the opportunity to cook for him, Ryan was offered

the gig being his personal chef. Originally from Westland, Michigan, a suburb about twenty minutes from Detroit, the chef was born into an appreciation of food. “I lived with my dad and he loved to cook, he loved to go to the markets and all that, and he would fill the fridge with fruits and vegetables. He would make a show out of it. It wouldn’t always be the best food, don’t get me wrong, but he had a love and enjoyment for it. He just had fun doing it, and I saw that and wanted to figure it out. My mom also had a passion for baking and she had a huge influence on me and my career path.”

Although Ryan was raised in the Great Lake State, his father originally hailed from New Mexico, and he brought that southwestern flair into the kitchen.

“He makes a good guacamole. He’s from New Mexico and moved to Michigan when he was 20 years old.

He carried that guac with him. He’s got a little of my grandpa’s roots to him.”

In addition to admiring his father’s work in the kitchen, Ryan grew up playing a lot of sports, and the physical activity built a constant hunger which makes him admit to being “a little chubby as a kid.”

Looking at Ryan now, it’s hard to see the chubby kid from the past. He stands square-shouldered and fit, and his ever-present goatee scruff is one of the few indicators of his youth. In conversation, he can often have a no-nonsense attitude, but when the talk turns to food, a smile spreads across his face and his tone turns suddenly relaxed and jovial. His hard demeanor and intensity, while common amongst seasoned chefs, belies his age of only 23. He started working in restaurants as a line-cook and busboy in high school, then attended the Schoolcraft College in Livonia, MI where he trained with Chef Shawn Loving and received a culinary education that left an indelible mark on his life and career. “Chef Loving taught me how to be a professional in the kitchen. His passion

and work ethic rubbed off on me. That’s what really drove me and gave me [the direction] I needed at that time, and I’ve learned to go with it, and now I just have that passion for food that will never leave me.”

His first year in college, he took work at a fish market where he got experience that doesn’t come easily, even in culinary school, learning to butcher whole fish as large as tuna and swordfish, and learning about the vast world of seafood. “In our industry, some of the most expensive things to buy are fish. You really have to train people and yourself how to take care of those products, because if you don’t, that’s a big investment you just lost in your restaurant.”

Ryan then had a few stints working in country clubs and gastropubs before finishing school and finding serious work. Roast, a restaurant in downtown Detroit owned by James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef Michael Symon, is one of the most acclaimed restaurants in Michigan, serving New American cuisine – “real rustic style- suckling pigs, homemade pastas, cooking with garlic”- is where the chef honed his craft. “I met a lot of great people there, and started to get more into it and understand about chefs and cooks and how to learn from one another, how to feed off one another. That was a restaurant that was huge for my progression. When I come to Francis-Tuttle or Platt College, I still like to collaborate with another people and pick their mind. You never stop growing.”

While learning the ins and outs of roasting succulent meats and preparing savory dishes at one of Detroit’s trendiest hotspots, the chef’s mind wandered into the world of more private cooking, such as being a caterer or private chef. Eventually, he caught a lucky break. “I ended up meeting Kevin and cooking for him. Things went really well. I decided to come out to Oklahoma and try it out to see if this was the direction I wanted to go. Not only in my career, but in life, to be in Oklahoma. It’s been great out here, and I feel blessed every day. If I hadn’t come out here, I wouldn’t have

met some of the people I have. I think there are pros and cons to every job, every situation. Right now, I’m very happy in life and career-wise. Working for Kevin has been great.”

To replace the collaboration and team-effort of cooking in a restaurant, he had to reform his approach to cooking when learning to be a personal chef. “In a line, it was fast-paced, you sweat a lot, you have to be on your A-game or else it’s going to snowball. It’s all on your preparation. If I go into a kitchen and I’m all prepped well for the day, my staff is prepped well, on top of the game, that night is going to go smooth. It’s the same as what I do now as a private chef. If I prep well and make sure that things run well for that day, then there won’t be issues.

You control the food, you control what goes on in the kitchen, you can’t let other things control that.

For example, I might not have a certain ingredient , and have to recreate, rediscover something- that’s okay, you can do that. I think preparation is key for both aspects- cooking in a restaurant or cooking in someone’s house. It’s all about how you prepare for that day, and work towards your final outcome, which is your dish.”

Cooking for one individual is different than composing a restaurant menu. Instead of curating a list of dishes to please a multitude of customers who come and go day-by-day, you must learn the tastes and idiosyncrasies of your client, and how to best serve their desires. Keeping a world-class athlete like Kevin Durant nourished, but also satisfied, would seem imposing for most chefs, but Ryan has it on lock. It falls onto striking a balance between what is healthy for the body, tasty for the eater, and aesthetically pleasing for the cook.

“His roots is that American, rustic food- soul foodand there’s nothing wrong with that, I don’t shy away from that at all. I like cooking that style of food.

Everybody relates to southern food. I don’t want to take away your roots, I just want to come and show you something else to fuel your body that might help you out in the long run, or something different you may not have had before. I approach it as what I like to cook, but what you like [to eat]. I wouldn’t serve him something he doesn’t like. If you don’t like eggplant, I’m not gonna serve you eggplant. At first, if I was cooking some eggplant, he doesn’t like eggplant- or, I can remember serving him some Brussels sprouts, he doesn’t like Brussels sprouts. There’s certain things with every person that they don’t like. If you met them you wouldn’t know, so you have to grow with that person, learn with that person. But I’ve come to that point where I know what style of food to cook, and make it presentable and tasty “I try to incorporate lots of protein and carbs on gameday. When it’s not gameday, we can eat the food we like to eat, within moderation. I like to cook lots of carbs, things like spaghetti, maybe using soba noodles, something different, outside the norm. I use a lot of fish. Fish is light and really healthy for you, it’s not gonna weigh you down when you’re out there, [but it will] fill you up. I like to use lots of fish, lots of carbs, some nice bread.”

Over the years of his experience, there are many styles of cooking Ryan is trained in, but his roots are where he feels happiest. “I travel to New Mexico a lot, so I love New Mexico chilis. I enjoy Mexican style food and New Mexican style food. It’s a different style of cuisine.

The green and red chilis, the hatch chilies, I’ve grown accustomed to those styles of cuisine. A lot of people think it’s all heat, and chilies are so vast these days.”

Like most people living through the sweltering Oklahoma summers, the chef is a fan of grilling outdoors when the weather calls for it. “I love to grill.

We’re talking steaks, sausages, fish is good on the grill.

Smoking out here is great. I like to use pecan or maple

woods, it depends on what I’m smoking. I may mix it with some mesquite. Even if you just smoke something for half an hour, it still imparts a lot of flavor to your food, that smokiness that you can’t find anywhere else.

It adds that touch that you need in the summertime.”

When he’s not obsessing over food (which is rare), Ryan has many charities he spends time with. “Some of my go-to charities are the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank, they do really great work. Everywhere I go, churches, foster homes, they all use the Food Bank.

Boys & Girls Club, that’s another non-profit that I’ve done work for. They have great people out there, and that’s what makes them so great with their kids.”

As someone who has moved here fairly recently, and spent a good deal of time traveling around the country, Ryan has become very comfortable calling Oklahoma his home, and is quick to defend the local food scene, offering some inspiring parting words.

“There is some great food out here, great chefs doing great things, organic local markets and produce...

A lot of people give Oklahoma a bad rap because ‘there’s not ‘new wave-style food,’ it’s stuck in the past, it’s steak-and-potatoes.’ I understand that people do gravitate towards that, but there’s a lot chefs out here putting in a lot of work to try to give this place a name and revamp its style of cuisine and identity.

A lot of foodies put in work, too. There’s good chefs in Oklahoma doing food that is tasty. I have met a lot of chefs here from New York, from LA, from Texas, I’m from Michigan. They should be commended in Oklahoma for putting in the kind of work they are, and putting up with this bad rap. Because they’re not doing gastronomy in Oklahoma doesn’t mean they’re doing bad food. Stand up behind this food, and stand up behind Oklahoma. A lot of these chefs could go to New York, or could go to LA, or Chicago, and open up a restaurant, but they choose to live in Oklahoma and revamp the food scene here, so a lot of respect to them. As Oklahoma City grows, as Oklahoma grows, the food will grow with it.”

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JICAMA SUMMER SALAD

with grilled shrimp

by Chef Ryan Lopez

1 small jicama, thinly sliced into strips 1 small carrot, thinly sliced into strips 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage 1 grapefruit, peeled and sectioned 2 to 3 mint leaves, slice into chiffonade 1 tablespoon candied pecans 1 lime, for juice 3-5 shrimp peeled and deveined

Thinly slice jicama, carrot and mint leaves.

Section the grapefruit and add to salad.

Toss salad with the juice of 1 lime. Top with grilled shrimp and candied pecans.

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CATCH A

FISH

advice from novice fishermen Brent Hodge and Matt Logan illustrations by Joel Schierloh

What Oklahoma fish are good for eating?

“I would say Largemouth Bass and Channel Catfish are my favorite Oklahoma species to eat though.

Either fried or grilled, you can’t go wrong!” - Brent

“Trout! But my all-time favorite is Redfish, with a kind of chili and lemon seasoning.” - Matt

Where do you fish?

“Locally there is Dolese Park or Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge. Around the state I like places in the eastern portion, like the Illinois River or the Lower Mountain Fork. Otherwise I’ll fish ponds on land where I know the owner.” - Matt

“There are so many beautiful places to fish in Oklahoma that have a multitude of fish species and each of these places offer something unique compared to the others.” Brent

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What is fly fishing like?

“I didn’t start fly fishing until about 5 years ago, but I’ve been “hooked” ever since. It was a completely different type of fishing I had ever done before and the challenge and complexities of it made it even more interesting to me. Fly fishing also teaches you an incredible amount about the ecosystems you are fishing. The best thing you can do as someone who fly fishes is to study the habits of fish and their environments. The more you understand where you are fishing and what you are fishing for, the better. It’s also quite therapeutic!” - Brent

What is a good introductory fishing rod & reel?

“Any medium action rod should work, there’s no need to get too spendy. As for the reel, there are two options: bait-casters and spinning reels. I personally prefer spinning reels, as they have fewer complications.” - Matt

Where can I purchase a fishing licence?

The OK Wildlife Department website has the licenses and regulation, information available online just go to wildlifedepartment.com Another good resource is oklahomafishingguides.com

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Any other advice for someone looking to make fishing their new outdoor passion?

“If you aren’t going to keep the fish to eat, please use good techniques in handling. Fighting is stressful for the fish, so if you can minimize the stress when releasing, they stand a better chance at survival. Handle them with wet hands, try not to keep them out of the water longer than you can hold your breath, and support them in the water until they swim away on their own. Holding them up by only their jaw is also bad, you can dislocate the jaw, so hold them horizontally with two hands if you’re getting pictures!” - Matt

catfish tacos with radish relish and creamy salsa

by Kimberly Hickerson

1lbs Catfish cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste 1 cup beer (the rest for drinking) oil for deep frying Mix dry ingredients together and then add 1 cup of beer.

Dredge the fish in the beer batter mixture and coat well. Fry in oil between 350-375 degrees. I prefer to use a cast iron pot filled half way with oil. Use a slotted metal spoon to gently drop the fish into the oil being careful of splash back. Cook the fish about one minute till perfectly fried, I did this in 6 batches and had to take a break to let the temp come back up once.

Lift out with metal spoon or strainer and place on brown paper bag to drain.

Heat flour tortillas on pan till a little crisp Then fill 8 tacos evenly with fish and top with creamy salsa and a spoonful of radish relish (recipes follow.)

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quick radish relish 10 sliced radishes 1/2 cup white wine vinegar 1/2 cup water 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon whole black pepper 1 teaspoon sugar Mandolin or thinly slice the radishes and garlic, toss in a glass bowl with vinegar, water, salt, pepper and sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to one week, but realize you will lose a bit of that that radish crispness everyday it sits.

creamy cilantro 1/2 cup Cilantro 1 Avocado 1/8 cup Basil 2 Roasted Tomatillos 2 Roasted Serrano Peppers 1-2 tablespoons of water 1 Lime Mix everything together in the blender until smooth and foamy between 30 seconds and a minute on medium speed should get you there and all the juice of your lime and the pulse a few times and chill before you serve.

Cantina in Mexico

or how i learned to stop worrying and love Mexico

by Cameron Epley

The afternoon had devolved into a daily war between speeding taxis providing morse code with horns and swerving all over the roads with hazards on and those trying to park without ending up in neck braces like the many whiplashed people I saw. We were like magnets forced together until the last moment when science-magic forces us apart causing the drivers to curse or gesture. A trio of us parked in front of what I understood to be a very famous, somewhat traditional cantina in South Central Mexico. Goddamn outdoor markets constantly undulating the smell of the vomit they made me produce while working my way through a hangover.

I’d been ham-fisting sleep crusts out of my eyes, my wet-brain calculating

which more important the faculty to direct full attention. The oppressive heat cluttered my abilities as it does.

Nissan never realized the Mexicanbuilt Tsuru was designed as the perfect oven to transport shitty foreigners like myself from A to B. The female voice coming from the drivers seat was perfectly between adorable and irritating. “sangre, sangre!” she shouted, as our eyes met in the rear view mirror. There was no register on my part. My “learnedin-the-bar” survival Spanish didn’t do shit to win me favor with the unimpressed locals.

Yoga-ing my ass out of the back of this car was only compounded by the coagulating blood on my cleanest, dirty shirt which had been happy to

create a tight bond between the lower left hip and the Tsuru’s grey velour of the highly-spacious and comforting back seat of the large go-cart. My stabbing wounds were reopened while I was folding myself into the car.

“Sangre!”, I heard again as my appointed amiga grabbed my shirt in horror more bothered by the peso-sized blood spots now nearing a burnt sienna in the Zona Centro Guadalajara heat. She was right. The blood or “sangre” as was loudly repeated were the results of a complete misunderstanding.

My desire to document a larger than recreational cocaine deal with photographs outside of a bad-ass sex club and some black metal

acquaintances who were delighted to give this seedy gringo the dark adventure he had been trying to pry from them some how went awry.

Wherein minutes a faceless man who smelled like Hugo Boss cologne was prying a piece of sharp metal in and out of my upper left buttocks/back and at one point, literally, from my hip bone. But I digress...

I felt like a gringo-bastardo about getting “sangre” on the seat and even more so with the fact we were wading against a conversational current through which I had no words or idea. What the fuck was really the problem and why the fuck were we not inside drowning our sorrows about it in the cantina already?

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“That’s right, stay here and drink cheap beer and eat damn good food without extra charges.”

After apologies in the language of the people around me, the hostel workers who had been incredibly kind to give me work for Maslow’s hierarchy, we’re now taking me into the real Mexico I had lusted after. (I feel the same way every time I go into any forsaken health hazard half-looking for “good timin’” it and half-looking to channel W.T. Vollmann.) A real life Mexican Cantina with real life Mexicools.

The name of the place escapes me, but this cantina was traditional in a number of respects. It was like walking into a “beer only” bar in the US at 10 am on a weekday. Old men bull-shitting about the same damn things, complaining or deadly silent. Not tipping the bar keep while drinking their fill. It’s funny, some things are the same the world

over. Cheap beer and free food is common on certain days, like Bali High or The Antique Lady and the Hi-Lo on Sundays amongst some of my frequented locales. Even Mary’s swapmeet serves canned Micheladas, the proper way and with durros, no longer popcorn. The cantinas in Mexico serve QUALITY food with their in-house “clara” o “oscura” , light and dark beers, respectively. So as long as you’re drinking, the bar keep takes your order for the foods on the daily changing menu. That’s right, stay here and drink cheap beer and eat damn good food without extra charges. Why did I ever leave?

I will never understand my witchy ways.

Lest you understand foreshadowing, this cantina saw me at least four days a week for most of my time in the

Guad. affections began to develop, whistling and pointing were the order of the day until (and this is an immutable fact: the best way to learn Español is getting drunk with the locals in the bars) my Spanish increased along with my bravado with the bar keep. Exchanging recipes for drinks and learning more about the people of Mexico and their traditions and cuisine. As my days neared the end of my “vacation” I requested that I be given the opportunity to provide a face-to-face compliment to the chef. My Spanish was much improved at this point and it compelled me to ask. I was granted permission and instructed to trail Claudio, my new friend and Continental to the kitchen. Led down a stall width white stucco hallway I trailed half drunk and swollen hearted to meet the chef. Claudio pointed me the rest of the way as we exchanged positions and he returned to his post. A deceptively long distance towards the naturally lit kitchen, sunlight beaming from the approaching end of the hall a futbol match was blaring with increasing noise. I could smell cumin and

chocolate and onion. Then tobacco smoke and light poured over me and my eyes adjusted to find the chef. A woman in her late 100s it seemed.

Half my size perched on a stool left leg atop the right crossed tightly. A cigarette, perhaps a Delicados, clung to her lips somehow burning slowly behind an inch of ash. Left-hand on a long handled wooden spoon half-assed stirring god only knows what and with the focus of an air control agent watching soccer on a sony Walkman tv from the 80s. In awe, I stood without her notice and watched without breathing. Almost tearing at the beauty of this moment wondering how long this was her toscale edifice. Turning slowly without ruining the scene, I walked out of the cantina for the last time, without paying only to greatly summarize one of my life’s greatest recuerdos.

The following recipes are what I remember to be true and some slight tweaks which I have found to be an evolving style, such as those at Crudoolandia on the southside, of micheladas or chelas here in the Red, White and Blue.

Beer Cocktails

with tamarind, clam juice and stuff

by Cameron Epley

This recipe is solely my interpretation of simple drink, designed to custom fit your liking with a few essential ingredients.

Dark or Light Mexican Beer Clamato or Camaronazo Valentina or Tapatio or El Yucateco Pulpadip tajin, habanero, salt For the Rim: Pulpadip, Tamarind Candy, Tajin, habanero or flaky salt and lime juice Grab a chalice, goblet or pint. It really doesn’t matter just as long as it can hold large amounts of liquid, for short amounts of time.

Rim the glass with pulpadip, lime juice or tamarind candy. I use pulpadip and a combination of tajin habanero salt, mango klass (like Mexican Kool-Aid) or just basic flaky salt. So liquid first then roll the glass lip in the powder.

Fill the vessel with ice and ½ to 1 whole lime.

Add Valentina or Tapatio or El Yucateco. (No Pace because not only does Pace taste like shit it also has the wrong consistency for this beverage.)

Fill ¾ with your choice of Mexican beer. Cantinas I went to had their own beers in house referred to as “clara” or “oscura”, light and dark beers respectively. The dark Mexican beers are what I enjoy most.

The rest of the glass should be topped with Clamato or Camaronazo. Haven’t tried Zing Zang or McClure’s with this but they’re damn good with everything else.

A dash of Maggi and a splash of tequila round out my recipe.

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The Mulberry Tree

by Melissa Jacobs

Years ago a friend of mine, a landscaper, told me a story; during an afternoon of mowing and trimming in the back yard of a well-to-do client, he stopped and grabbed a handful of ripe grapes off of an abundant vine. His client, who had apparently been watching from inside, rushed out to stop him.

He said, “Don’t eat those grapes!” My friend was confused and asked why not. To which the man responded, “You buy grapes at the grocery store!”

It is true, you can buy grapes at the grocery store. What astounds me is that someone would continue to buy something from a store when they could eat it fresh out of their own backyard. My grandfather always joked about how silly it was for any Oklahoman to go out and buy pecans when almost every home owner he knew had a pecan tree in the yard and would love help picking up the fallen nuts. I’ve heard so many times about when my grandparents were first married... they would drive out to the country and pick pecans for Sunday picnic dates. Aside from that obvious cuteness, there is something I find romantic about using what grows in abundance around you.

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It is that sentimentally which forces me to do something with the heaps of mulberries from the two trees I have in my own yard. That, and the alternative, which is to ignore their presence, leading to hundreds of rotten berries covering the ground. Red Mulberry trees with their dark purple berries that stain like wine are being cut down all over the central and eastern United States. The (compliment) trees are common natives in these places, and to some are now considered “weed trees”. But there are many times throughout history when this was defiantly not the case. In the U.S. it used to be a common gardener’s practice to plant a Red Mulberry tree as a gauge for spring planting schedules. When the tree bloomed it was an indicator that danger of frost had past.

I didn’t plant my mulberry trees in that traditional way, but I have been using these berries to make treats. Compared to other berries, such as blackberries, mulberries are lower in sugar and taste less sweet which makes them perfect for wine, pies, jams, and cobblers.

These trees are on the streets all around us...in all of our neighboorhoods. In Oklahoma, Red Mulberry trees produce abundant fruits between May and June.

This June, my daughter and I harvested our mulberries by laying down a sheet underneath the tree and then shaking its branches. After we gathered them up, we made this cobbler together. It was easy, free, fun and so good.

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MULBERRY

COBBLER

1 cup all-pupose flour ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons butter, cold ¼ cup water, boiled 6 (1 cup) ramekins

2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup sugar ¼ cup cold water 1 tablespoon lemon juice ½ teaspoon cinnamon 3 cups fresh mulberries 1 cup fresh blackberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Transfer fillng to saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Place ramekins on a baking sheet.

Mix flour, ½ c sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in cold butter in a large bowl.

Stir in ¼ cup of boiling water.

In a separate bowl, dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Add 1 c sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and berries.

Distribute filling evenly into ramekins. Top each ramekin with a spoonfull (or more) of dough.

Finish with a sprinkle of sugar on top.

Bake 15-20 minutes until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown.

OPENING NIGHT

by Ryan Walters

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Opening a restaurant is a crazy, stressful experience. Our

soft opening at The Mule was On September 8, 2012. After weeks of preparation and planning, and hours of working in the kitchen making free sammies, I was beat, hungry and tired of cheese.

I stepped outside to find a bright yellow and pink food truck parked right in front of The Mule, with two smiling faces and the answers to all of my problems.

but what makes Roxy’s Ice Cream Social so special is the way Raena and Shane great every customer with a smile and treat them like a long-lost friend.

Raena and Shane Mutz are the brains (and smiling faces) behind Roxy’s Ice Cream Social. They owned and operated The Munch Box food truck before they debuted Roxy’s in April of 2012. They began by driving around neighborhoods but have since become a fixture at events and storefronts around the city.

Recently, it has been announced that Roxy’s Ice Cream Social is building a storefront location in the Plaza District, right down the street from the Mule.

Their ice cream is also sold at several local restaurants, and I am proud to say The Mule is one of them. Other than the test batch of blue coconut ice cream that dyed my mouth bright blue for three days, I can honestly say every spoonful I’ve eaten has been amazing, and even the blue coconut tasted great.

Not to discount the ice cream at all,

The plan for the Plaza location is to serve over 20 flavors of ice cream, sorbet, milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches, and plenty of other treats.

Currently, they’re aiming for an opening date in September, but whenever they get to their soft opening – that crazy, stressful night that leads to countless more crazy, stressful nights – I’ll be waiting outside their shop with an order of fried cheese curds, conversation that’s not about ice cream, and a smile on my face.

MUNCH - SUMMER 2014 - ISSUE 6 www.munchmag.com

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