Cooking with Kokopelli

Happy New Year 2012 from Kokopelli's Kitchen!

2012-01-04T19:33:00.001-07:00

Civilizations around the world have been celebrating the start of each new year for at least four millennia. Today, most New Year’s festivities begin on December 31 (New Year’s Eve), the last day of the Gregorian calendar, and continue into the early hours of January 1 (New Year’s Day). Common traditions include attending parties, eating special New Year’s foods, making resolutions for the

2011-12-04T09:35:00.001-07:00

Southwest Baked Delights for the Holidays Happy Holidays from Kokopelli's Kitchen! For those that would like to give a special gift, we just posted recipes for delightful holiday treats to consider. The recipes are from "Christmas in New Mexico" by Lynn Nusom; permission to reprint the recipes has been granted by Golden West Publishers here in Phoenix, Arizona. CAKE DE FRUTAS

Thanksgiving: Fact or Fiction

2011-11-20T09:34:00.001-07:00

"The reason that we have so many myths associated with Thanksgiving is that it is an invented tradition. It doesn't originate in any one event. It is based on the New England puritan Thanksgiving, which is a religious Thanksgiving, and the traditional harvest celebrations of England and New England and maybe other ideas like commemorating the pilgrims. All of these have been gathered

Thanksgiving - Fun Facts

2011-11-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving is a day when many Americans gather together with family for an afternoon of food and football, but just how far do people travel to spend turkey day at Grandma's house? Which state grows the most cranberries, and how big was the world's largest pumpkin pie? Discover the answer to these questions, as well as many more facts about popular Thanksgiving foods and traditions. Over

2011-11-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat 2011! Halloween Superstitions: Halloween has always been a holiday filled with mystery, magic and superstition. It began as a Celtic end-of-summer festival during which people felt especially close to deceased relatives and friends. For these friendly spirits, they set places at the dinner table, left treats on doorsteps and along the side of the road and lit

Labor Day BBQ Pays Tribute to Arizona

2011-09-01T17:37:00.000-07:00

Observed on the first Monday in September, Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894. Labor Day also symbolizes the end of summer for many Americans, and is celebrated with parties, parades and athletic events. More than a century later, the true founder of

Here's to a Peachy August 2011!

2011-08-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

On August 3rd, 1492 a journey for our history books began. From the Spanish port of Palos, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sets sail in command of three ships—the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina—on a journey to find a western sea route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. On October 12, the expedition sighted land, probably Watling Island in the Bahamas,

Fun Facts & Hot Seasoning for July 4th, 2011!

2011-06-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

HISTORY OF JULY 4th: Variously known as the Fourth of July and Independence Day, July 4th has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-83). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would

Let's Get Ready to Celebrate both Flag Day & Father's Day

2011-06-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

History of Flag Day - It was on June 14 in 1777 that Congress decided to adopt the Stars and Stripes. During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress adopts a resolution stating that "the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white" and that "the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation." The national flag, which became

Cinco de Mayo - History

2011-05-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

Cinco de Mayo—or the fifth of May—commemorates the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the French-Mexican War. It is not Mexico's independence day, as is commonly believed. History of Cinco de Mayo: In 1861, the liberal Mexican Benito Juárez became president of a country in financial ruin, and he was forced to default on his debts to European governments. In

April Fool's Day - How, and Where in the World, Did the Fun Begin?

2011-03-31T15:41:00.002-07:00

On this day in 1700, English pranksters begin popularizing the annual tradition of April Fools' Day by playing practical jokes on each other. Although the day, also called All Fools' Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery. Some historians speculate that April Fools' Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the

Happy St. Pat's Day 2011!

2011-03-03T13:19:00.002-07:00

St. Patrick’s Day takes place each year on March 17, his traditional religious feast day. There are 36.5 million U.S. residents with Irish roots. This number is almost nine times the population of Ireland itself (more than four million). When March 17th arrives this year, be prepared to raise your glass and toast your Irish friends! Kokopelli's Kitchen has found some recipes for unique

Happy Valentine's Day 2011!

2011-02-01T10:20:00.004-07:00

Create an unforgettable Valentine's Day experience this year for that special someone in your life. Eat a gourmet home-cooked meal, then settle in for a romantic movie. Kokopelli's Kitchen has found some great recipes for a southwest meal and a Valentine's Day Movie Guide for you and your special someone. GOURMET SOUTHWEST MEAL for VALENTINE'S DAY The recipes that we've selected are from the "

Happy 2011 from Kokopelli's Kitchen! Roast a Pig for Your New Year's Meal!

2010-12-30T14:34:00.010-07:00

Many cultures plan extravagant New Years Eve celebrations, but the ancient Babylonians were probably the first to do so. Four thousand years ago, they celebrated for eleven days beginning with the first crescent moon after the spring equinox. In a sense, January 1st is an odd date because there isn't anything special about it from an astronomical standpoint. Nor does the day conjure up themes of

Happy Holidays from Kokopelli's Kitchen - Origins of Santa Claus

2010-12-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used

Southwest Indian Bread Recipes

2010-11-07T13:02:00.019-07:00

It's November. It's kind of hard to believe that since here in Arizona since the daily highs are still in the 80's! But it will supposedly be in the 70's next week......so the thought of creating our own breads is actually becoming bearable. The recipes that we've elected to share this month are from the "Arizona Cook Book", a collection of more than 350 authentic Arizona recipes.

Happy Halloween 2010!

2010-10-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

Back in 2008 I had blogged that October has always been my favorite month. I explained it in part to the air cooling and fireplaces starting to crackle - although here in Phoenix the daily high is still reaching the triple digits! But best of all…..Halloween falls at the end of this month. This magical day brings out the youth in us all. When selecting your pumpkins for carving, pick up a few

Barbeque Nirvana: Bacon Cheeseburgers and Fruit Kabobs!

2010-09-06T16:56:00.002-07:00

Our Labor Day barbecue this year consisted of Bacon Cheeseburgers and Fruit Kabobs. Kokopelli's Kitchen choose these mouth-drooling recipes from "The Secrets of Caveman Cooking" by Rick Snider. Permission to print granted by Golden West Publishers in Phoenix, AZ. BACON CHEESEBURGERS Anyone can just put the toppings on a burger. Let's include them inside the meat. When you get to the cheesy bacon

Kokopelli Chile Cornbread

2010-07-30T15:19:00.003-07:00

Kokopelli's Kitchen has some really exciting news to announce to all of the Kokopelli lovers out there. "Kokopelli's Stories and Recipes" has just been published this past month. This book, created by Bruce Fischer, provides the story of Kokopelli, the Southwest's most colorful character. The book also provides twenty-nine southwestern recipes - appetizers, side dishes and main dishes. To

Southwest Recipes for July 4th Picnics

2010-07-01T21:03:00.005-07:00

Happy Independence Day from Kokopelli’s Kitchen! On July 4th, 1776, a great nation was born declaring its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. It is now known as the United States of America. Enjoy the neighborhood parades and colorful fireworks, as well as your family picnics and barbeques. Want to add a taste of the southwest to your table this year? Then, check out these contest

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-07T16:34:00.003-07:00

HISTORY OF FATHER’S DAY: Father’s Day is held on the third Sunday of June in the United States. It’s a day when young and old honor their fathers in a variety of ways. This year, in 2010, it will be celebrated on June 20th. According to historians, the earliest Father's Day traditions can be traced back to the ruins of Babylon nearly 4,000 years ago. They recorded that a young boy named Elmesu

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-06T22:45:00.003-07:00

HISTORY OF MOTHER’S DAY: Mother’s Day is held on the second Sunday of May in the United States. It’s a day when young and old honor their mothers in a variety of ways. This year, in 2010, it will be celebrated on May 9th. The earliest Mother's Day celebrations can be traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the 1600's, early

Smoke That Ham!

2010-04-04T11:23:00.002-07:00

The warming weather made us at Kokopelli's Kitchen feel this to be the ideal time to share a recipe from one of our favorite cookbooks, "Secrets of Caveman Cooking" by Rick Snider. We've also included Rick's descriptive of a smoker since the recipe calls for the use of one. Permission to print granted by Golden West Publishers, 4113 N. Longview, Phoenix, AZ 85014. SMOKED HAM Is there any part of

Happy St. Pat's Day!

2010-03-10T09:05:00.008-07:00

St. Patrick's Day is fast approaching! The day takes place each year on March 17th, the traditional religious feast day of Saint Patrick. This year, it takes place on a Wednesday. Did you know: The first St. Patrick's Day parade took place in the United States on March 17, 1762, when Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City. More than 100 St. Patrick's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-10T13:50:00.005-07:00

Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14th by many people throughout the world. Couples exchange gifts and cards to express their love and devotion to one another. Worldwide, the most popular gifts are candy, flowers and jewelry. In the U.S., heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and red roses are the most common. • The first heart-shaped box of candy was sold in 1868 by Richard Cadbury.