It’s been a minute since I read it, but yes, you pretty much nailed it, which is why I feel more sad than frustrated when people trot out the Cherokee Princess trope. And of course the same thing was used by white people to cover for their “white” ancestors who were mixed and passing.

Just to shed a little light on the Salvi thing for US readers who might not know, there was a distinct ethnocidal element to their civil war. It began with the 1932 Peasant Massacre where the military slaughtered up to 40,000 civilians —mostly the indigenous Pipil— in three days, with order to kill any Pipil they saw…

And here in Mexico, it tends to be if you weren’t born here/have never lived here, you’re not Mexican. Tejano/Xicano/Latino sure, but not Mexican.

I’m really pleased you warm your cream before adding it to your cooked potatoes but as a chef, is there any way I can try to convince you not to make mashed potatoes in a stand mixer?

Obviously mashed potato prep can be one of those deeply personal things so if that’s the way your ancestors have done it forever, keep…

Yes, definitely. A refurbished 5-quart KA was the first mixer I bought when I went pro over a decade ago and it’s still kicking. A replacement motor assembly will cost about 50-100usd plus whatever labor is where you are.

I get the bitterness that comes from being the first person to speak out. I’ve been trying for 20 years to find forgiveness for two of my abusers’ other victims who knew what he was like and yet because they didn’t say anything, not only let him around me unsupervised as a little girl, but when I outed him as an…

I had an American friend get weirdly aggro with me because when I got a burner cell for when I was in the US, the area code was an old school one from her area, as if I had constructed some elaborate ruse to make her supposedly less-desirable area code feel inferior instead of, y’know, clicking on a picture of the…

I do. I wish I didn’t but I do. I’m not even remotely close to being in the know when it comes to most things, but I heard my first Weinstein rumor when I was in high school in the 90's, so the idea this is some New! Shocking! Revelation! is disingenuous at best. I don’t even reeeally think it’ll destroy his…

This is what I’m saying.

Fuuuuuck Banana Republic from the floor up. But then again what do you expect from a store who went, “Hmm, what’s something appealingly tropical but also benefits white Americans to the extreme detriment of people of color? Well, the destabilizing of Central American governments and either supporting or at the very…

It’s entirely possible you’re not at all racist, in which case A+ humaning, keep up the good work. That being said, I trust a white guy who says “yeah, I’m probably a little racist because I grew up benefiting from a racist system and one of the biggest/most insidious benefits was not having to think about whether I’m…

Yes, it’s like a not-quite-chutney and I’m here for it. Actually, I love the idea of a Will It Chutney feature, a sort of eating trash/sous vide combo. My man became king of chutneys after the millionth time his fruit plans went awry. I showed him how to make chutney and now he will chutney/relish anything that stands…

I’m not sure the ice in developing countries thing is still true. I’m a chef in Mexico where tap water is a no-go for the locals and tourists alike and everyone buys ice by the sack, for both home and restaurant use. Most of the rest of the world isn’t ice crazy the way Americans are, so you’re not usually going to…

As much as I hate names like blueberry boy bait and proposal chicken, I think this casserole deserves a similar title for extra retro points. Happy Hubby Hash? Mancatcherole?

Kevin Hart can’t even wait until his wife gives birth.

Please don’t get down on yourself even for a millisecond if your flaky pastry doesn’t have the loft of puff pastry, especially not a puff pastry that’s been through a commercial sheeter. I can’t even remember what my first flaky pastry looked like, but it damn sure didn’t look as good as yours. Also, I love…

No one’s gonna test Blue Demon! Look what happened to El Santo.

I can’t even be mad at non-tender-headed people. Like, if your life is that blessed, then you go on staying blessed.

This adds to my theory that you never get into a fight with the biggest or the smallest guy in the bar. The big dude might not know how to fight but he’s got the numbers behind him and can probably land a haymaker that’ll lay you out, but the little dude has been scrapping since third grade and will fuck your shit up.

If you like soft, creamy beans but still want to use the pressure cooker, or need creamy beans with a shorter cooking time, you can always add 1tsp baking soda per cup of dried beans.