Cocina Betty Crocker: Portent?

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Someone asked recently for a cookbook recommendation so that her Hispanic housemaid could learn how to fix American food. Apparently, she had anticipated the publication of Cocina Betty Crocker (Wiley August 2005) -- yes, a Spanish-language Betty Crocker, with 125 bi-lingual, "all-American family favorites" from that legendary (i.e., imaginary) maven of American cookery (see previous article). Just how does one choose which Betty Crocker recipe to include in Spanish? Well, let's see what Betty Crocker Kitchens at General Mills chose for this Big Red collection. There is Chex Party Mix (Mezcla Original de Chex Party Mix, pp. 20-1) -- Chex of course is made by General Mills. However, there are also crab cakes (Tortitas de Cangrejo, pp. 15-6). There are classics for the lunchroom like Sloppy Joes (pp. 44-5) and for dining room like Chicken and Dumplings (Pollo con Bolitas de Masa, pp. 96-7) -- those are Bisquick dumplings, so that's General Mills again. All the recipes are well written, with simple to follow steps and illustrations. Some of the recipes will be familiar to Spanish-speaking readers like Chicken-Rice Skillet (Arroz con Pollo a la Saten, pp. 98-9), though the taste may differ from the Spanish version, starting with the instant rice and frozen vegetables. Other recipes may have originally come from Spanish repetoire, like Red Beans and Rice (Arroz con Frijoles/Habichuelas, pp. 150-1). Why did Betty put out this book now? Do Hispanics really want to learn American recipes that predate the American Food Revolution of the 1970s -- especially when America now hails great chefs of Spain like Ferran Adria and Jose Andres and the cuisines of Mexico and Latin America in restaurants like Frontera Grill, Border Grill, Norman's, and Alma de Cuba -- just to mention a few? Thus spake Betty Crocker: Cocina Betty Crocker will delight food lovers — regardless of ethnic background — to experiment with traditional American dishes and keep Hispanic families close together by making it easy for bilingual kids and their Spanish-speaking parents to cook together. [source: Wiley press release] Clearly, General Mills has noted the growing Hispanic market which this book targets. While it never hurts to learn more about another culture or sub-culture from abroad or even in your own country, the question Cocina Betty Crocker raises is one of simple utility (which is exactly the style of the cookbook): how is this book useful? It contains no discussion of cuisine whatsoever, but it does continue a tradition in this country of assuming that White Anglo-Saxon culture is what everyone should learn here. Every American should know how to make an Apple Pie (pp. 238-9). Further, skeptics might feel that it targets Hispanic wage earners in professional and home kitchens (i.e., housemaids), so that they may better serve non-Hispanic employers. Well, Betty, wave your flag while you can, but get ready with another: in a few decades, it may be "Anglo-America" that needs English translations of La Cocina de Elisabeta Alfarero in order to learn the cuisine of the new, Spanish-speaking majority. In which case, is Cocina Betty Crocker a portent of what may come? Previous articles: Back to School: Mollie Katzen's Salad People Gordon Ramsay: A Chef For All Seasons Michael Schlow: It's About Time Gordon Ramsay: In the Heat of the Kitchen Roy Yamaguchi: Roy's Fish & Seafood Cookbook Magic Bests Harry Potter Michael Lomonaco: Nightly Specials Will Write for Food: Dianne Jacob Mario Batali: Molto Italiano The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Jean Bottero Suvir Saran Spins Indian Home Cooking Biro: European-Inspired Cuisine July 4: Paul Gayler's The Gourmet Burger July 4: East Meets West Robert Klein: The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue Christy Campbell: The Botanist and the Vintner Kathleen Daelemans: Getting Thin and Loving Food! Aroma: Daniel Patterson and Mandy Aftel Tyler Florence: Eat This Book The Perfectionist by Rudolph Chelminski Bobby Flay's Grilling for Life Mother's Day Gift: Finding Betty Crocker The Sensual Language of Baklava: Diana Abu-Jaber Paula Deen & Friends Roland Mesnier's Dessert University Puerto Rico: Grand Cuisine of the Caribbean Don Pintabona: Shared Table Annabel Karmel: First Meals Nigella Lawson's Feast Cook Like a Kyrgyz Ozzie Dining Downunder and Bushfood Personal Favorites: The Chefs of Las Vegas Anne Willan: The Good Cook Gale Gand's short+sweet More Food from Alton Brown Manju Malhi's India With Passion SOS: Baking from the Heart Madhur Jaffrey: Our Lady of India, CBE Amazon UK's Steamy Xmas Chefs All Hail Alfred Portale Agassi's Star Palate: Celebrity Chefs Book links: Publisher Amazon.com Technorati Tags: superchefblog, super chef, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, cookbooks --> back to superchefblog