Mitsitam Cafe Cookbook

I won a copy of The Mitsitam Cafe Cookbook from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in a contest they held*. I love to try new food, and I could not wait to see what recipes I would discover in this cookbook. I was absolutely delighted with the variety of recipes in this book. The history presented along with the recipes made this beautiful cookbook even more spectacular. I do not think I could say enough wonderful things about this cookbook. I have been using it for awhile, and thought I would share some of the recipes I tried from it.

Tortilla Soup

This was a tasty soup that was perfect for a first course. The main ingredients were tortillas, squash, tomatoes, and different kinds of peppers. I was able to use some of the tortillas I tried making that did not turn out perfectly in this soup, as you crisp some tortillas and break them into pieces. It had a very good flavor and can be paired with a variety of main courses. It is also an easy soup to make.

Blue Corn Bread

I had never used blue cornmeal before, and I thought it made the bread look very pretty. It is a delicious version of cornbread, and goes well with many different dishes. This is a simple way to change your typical recipes.

Salsa Fresca

I really like fresh salsa, both as a snack and as a topping for different meals. What made this salsa stand out from other recipes was how many different vegetables are in it. There are several different kinds of peppers that give a lot of flavor, as well as tomatoes and onions. The little bit of oils and herbs included enhance the flavor in a very pleasing manner. This is a salsa I would be happy to use repeatedly.

Cranberry Crumble

This was an amazing dessert! It was very simple to make, but had a lot of flavor. I topped it with a little bit of greek yogurt, but a little ice cream would also go well with this crumble. What I liked about this dessert was that it mostly used natural sweeteners such as: berries, honey, and maple syrup instead of a lot of processed sugars.

Other recipes that I have made are: Quinoa Salad, Guacamole, and Salmon Cakes. I am looking forward to making many more recipes from this book, but a few that are top of the list are: Red Onion and Herb Fry Bread, Chicken Tamales with Spicy Peanut Sauce, Smoked Pork and Quinoa Soup, and Buffalo Chile.

Some of the things I like most about this cookbook are the beautiful pictures it provides of the food, historical information about who would make this food and what area it was from, historical pictures, a guide on the techniques needed to make some of the recipes, and an excellent glossary of terms for some of the ingredients, and where you can typically find the ingredients. I loved the combination of history and food that is beautifully presented in this cookbook.

I highly recommend this cookbook!



*The Smithsonian Museum did not require a review of the book won or stipulate what type of review should be given if the winner was inclined to review it. It was merely a chance to give more people a chance to know about the museum and this cookbook. This review is my own after reading the book and trying out some of the recipes, and is not changed because I received a free copy of the book. It simply provides me with a book I might not have got to as soon as I did or heard about otherwise.