The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Included on my cookbook shelf is a small well-worn paperback copy of Elena's Secrets of Mexican Cooking by Elena Zelayeta. Originally published in 1958, this 1973 edition of the cookbook was a gift to my recently married parents from my father's sister, Vicki. The recipes inside are brief, easy to follow, and clearly designed for a mid-century American audience using mild, often canned, ingredients that were readily available in the grocery stores of the time. As an adult, my interest in the culture and cuisines from the land where my paternal grandparents were born has grown. Seeking out a...