Now that BOOKIN' WITH BINGO has moved to Texas, we are planning to celebrate Cinco de Mayo for sure!With my daughter-in-law's family being part of the actual history of "Tex-Mex" food in Texas, I KNOW where I will be celebrating and eating tonight!
At their newly remodeled restaurant El Corazon de Tejas, I know there will be much fun and great food (as always)!
I am so proud of the Cuellar family as they were recently honored to have their family history added to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. The exhibit on food culture is called FOOD: Transforming The American Table 1950-2000. The section called "Mexican Food Revolution" includes memorabilia provided by the Cuellar family, of the famed El Chico chain, including a stunning sequined "China Poblana" dress that belonged to Julia Cuellar, wife of El Chico co-founder Frank.
"We've been gathering material for over a year," John says.
El Chico's roots date to a taco stand founded by Adelaida Cuellar in Kaufmann County in 1926, giving John and Carmen a wealth of material, which they amassed after El Chico was purchased by Consolidated Restaurant Operations in 1998: historical menus, recipe books, archival photos from when El Chico served Tex-Mex at the White House and more.
But the curators became especially enamored with a colorful piece of clothing that had historical significance to the Cuellar family: Julia's beautiful sequined China Poblana skirt.
"When we used to have El Chico restaurant openings, the five Cuellar brothers and their wives would go to the openings and mix and mingle," John says. "The women would wear their sequined skirts. The China Poblana is the native dress of the state of Puebla in Mexico, usually artfully designed. They became emblematic of Mexican apparel."
I hope you enjoyed my sharing this exciting family news. As for books, there are many of them written on this subject. However, my favorite might just be a cookbook given to me by Susan Cuellar called THE TEX-MEX COOKBOOK: A HISTORY IN RECIPES AND PHOTOS. In it are several photos of the family history as well as many great recipes. It is written by Robb Walsh and if you want some good recipes for your Cinco de Mayo party, that is a great place to look. (Sorry, this is not a giveaway)
Have a fun day!
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