By Juan Montoya
My trip to the Northeast last week got me thinking on some of the relationships between the little state of Connecticut nestled between New York and Massachusetts and South Texas.
We all know that the last battle of the Civil War was fought at Palmetto Hill just east of town toward Boca Chica Beach. But did you know that the seeds of the Civil War were planted way back in 1787 during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia?
At the time, the southern states were fearful that the states with larger populations would control the Congress. The delegates from Connecticut came up with the "Connecticut Compromise" that not only outlined the way to choose representatives to to the lower House, but also sweetened the pie for the southern states by allowing them to count three-fifths of their slave population for purposes of that representation.
This issue festered for many years and resulted in the eventual outbreak of the Civil War.
The Palmetto Hill battle was the culmination of that question of national importance.
There is another connection that can be made with people from the Constitution State. One of their native sons came to Brownsville (and Matamoros) before the outbreak of the Mexican-American War to tend to his family's business. When he left the area, he was a self-made millionaire and now has a museum named after him.
We speak of Robber Baron Charles Stillman, who was born in Wetheresfield, near Hartford.
Depending on your take on local history, you either loved him and hail him as the founder of Brownsville, or you loathe him as the man who literally stole people's land and made a fortune using the protection of Texas and U.S. military to deprive local Mexican Americans of their properties.
So there you have it. The ties between Connecticut and Brownsville, though tenuous, nonetheless are there.
Friday, February 26, 2010
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VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!
ATTENTION CAMERON COUNTY VOTERS
The quality of elected officials we have says something about how we vote.
YOU NEED TO VOTE.
The majority of us do not vote and we let special interest groups determine who will gel elected.
Some of the candidates are incumbents who have faced alegations and criticism.
SOME ARE FORMER OFFICE HOLDERS AND YOU SHOULD REMEMBER HOW THEY MISUSED YOUR TAX-PAYER DOLLARS.
Brownsville Good Government League
BGGL@aol.com
BrownsvilleGGL@yahoo.com
VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!
By Edna Novogrodsky
If I hadn’t really trusted the friend who sent me the link to a recipe for twice-baked stuffed potatoes, I certainly never would have clicked on it. Those supersize tubers have always scared me. Growing up I’d see them at food courts in a mall — microwaved until soggy, heaped with sour cream until sloppy, littered with neon orange cheese.
The recipe, however, was an elegant antithesis to my mall-food memory. Created by Nigel Slater, a San Benito food writer, this stuffed potato was classy, a dainty russet neatly packed with rosemary and a whipped pork terrine (called rillettes), then baked under a shower of Parmesan that turned golden.
It looked so appealing that I made it just as soon as I procured some rillettes. It was terrific, particularly the contrast between the crackling potato skin and the soft interior that remained fluffy despite the folded-in pork fat.
Mr. Slater’s only trick was to avoid too much “fiddling,” as he put it. Just bake the well-salted potatoes until crisp and tender, stuff minimally with something pungent (don’t overdo it), then bake again until the tops brown. Simple.
I couldn’t wait to make twice-baked potatoes again and invited a potato-loving friend over for dinner. Except I remembered in the gourmet market her boyfriend doesn’t eat meat.
What could I substitute that would be as rich and tangy?
As I scanned the shop for inspiration I noticed a tub of crème fraîche. In a former life as a graduate-student caterer, I served new potatoes topped with crème fraîche, chives and salmon roe. I decided to mix the crème fraîche and chives into the fleecy potato flesh. Then I browned it, just like Mr. Slater’s recipe says, and spooned salmon roe on top.
It was a hit: a briny, creamy analogue to the pork-imbued version.
At this point, I really should have given up twice-baked potatoes for a bit. But I was on a roll and wanted them again.
This time there was nothing fancy in the house, but I did have rosemary and Parmesan left over from Mr. Slater’s recipe. So I mashed them into the potatoes along with plenty of good olive oil, black pepper and a little anchovy and garlic. For a crunchy topping, I mixed bread crumbs with more Parmesan and lemon zest for brightness, and ran it under the broiler.
It was less fancy than the other stuffed potatoes, but just as tasty — and certainly finer than any bloated food-court spuds.
ps. It's great winter food!
Great food story! And better writing yet! Don't get no bettern' that.
You should visit the "Northern Border" near Malone and Churubusco, New York where my folks are from. (The community was named in honor of the Irish troops that fought in the Battle of Churubusco campaign on the Mexican side, during the Mexican–American War."San Patricio Brigade). But go in the summer as -45 degrees F is not uncommon. Brownsville is better and on aferage more well to do....
Hey, what's with the food thing?? your article was about history which I find interesting.
Don't misunderstand me I like to eat, but not during a lesson in history. Thanks, very good article.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO
HUMMMMMMMMMMM?
If this Herald report isn't enough to keep you from voting for this dude, then consider the fact that no lawyer should hold this powerful position. The county judge controls the budgets for all the county courts at law, the JP's, the Sherrif, and even the the District atorney's office. Anybody who would vote for a lawyer to have this job, is brain dead. Any lawyer knows full well what a conflict of interest is, and is a crook for even wanting the job.
We found out all too well how bad this can turn out with Gilberto Hinojosa and Conrado Cantu.
County Judge: Eddie Treviño Jr. has spent the most on the race. From September 2009 through Feb. 20, Treviño reported $44,601 in contributions, $87,811 in expenditures and injected $60,000 in loans into his campaign.
His law firm, Treviño & Bodden, continues to contribute to his campaign. Other recent contributions include $1,000 from the delinquent tax collection firm Linebargar Goggan Blair & Sampson and $2,000 from ERO International LLP. ERO is an architectural firm, whose partners include former County Judge Gilberto Hinojosa’s brother Manuel Hinojosa and senior staff member Brian Godinez, who is the firm’s director of marketing and communication.
Godinez’s firm was contracted by the Ambiotec Engineering Group, which developed the city’s near $900,000 comprehensive plan. Treviño announced the project in March 2007, just months before leaving the mayoral post. The resulting United Brownsville Board contracted Godinez earlier this year without seeking proposals. The Law Office of Abel Limas, a former state district judge, pitched in $1,000.
Palmito Hill is commonly mispelled as Palmetto. The Palmetto is the State flower of Florida and something completely different from the Palmito or Yucca (Spanish Dagar) which produces right now by the way the flor de pita. Therefore, Palmito Hill.
Another lesson from Tony Zavaleta, wow good history class.
it's Spanish Dagger not Dagar. And I'm sure Tony Zavaleta knows how to spell..
thanks Jhonny highhorse! it's nice to see you and tony breaking out the slings and arrows.
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