Texas Border Business
EDINBURG, Texas – To commemorate a vital part of regional community culture, the Museum of South Texas History presents “En La Cocina,” a spotlight exhibit opening Tuesday, Sept. 13, in the Museum Store Arcade.
A home kitchen in borderlands culture is where families gather to visit with family and friends, sometimes creating an assembly line to make tamales, sort beans, or simply to enjoy a cafecito and pan dulce. Food is central to these gatherings and feeding people is how those communities care about loved ones.
The exhibit will display everyday items familiar to many families on the borderlands: pots for steaming tamales, tortilla presses and aprons to name a few. Each item has a story to tell, which creates an opportunity for visitors to start a conversation about their own family traditions of using such kitchenware. Exhibit activities will feature filling out recipe cards, sorting dry beans on a tray and viewing cookbooks available for purchase at The Museum Store. Currently in stock is the museum’s “Heritage Cookbook,” a compilation of recipes from the South Texas community.
Visitors can also enjoy added benefits of this exhibit by attending the Sunday Speaker Series scheduled at 2 p.m. Sept. 25 featuring prominent cuisine artist Melissa Guerra.
Two Christmas-theme tutorial videos on tamales and pan de polvo will be published on YouTube and shared on the museum’s social media accounts so families can follow along at home.
“En La Cocina” is included in the museum’s regular admission fees. FRIENDS of MOSTHistory receive free admission as part of their FRIENDShip benefits. Bring the family or friends to celebrate what is prepared en la cocina.
For more information about “En La Cocina,” please call Exhibits & Collections Coordinator Melissa Peña at 956-383-6911 or send an email to mjpena@mosthistory.org.
