San Salvador is Home of Our Star Cook: Munford’s Star Cook of the Week is a Tennessee girl who is married to a Central American cotton man and who is now home on a visit from San Salvador, El Salvador.
She is Mrs. Tomas San Jose, the former Miss Anna Patterson, and is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey Patterson of Munford.
Mrs. San Jose met her husband while he was a student at Christian Brothers College in Memphis. After their marriage they lived in Memphis and he worked for a cotton firm there until 1958 when they moved to San Salvador, where his relatives live.
Mrs. San Jose says there are many things about living in San Salvador that are different from living in West Tennessee, but the most noticable [sic] thing is the climate.
In San Salvador, they don’t even bother to heat their homes in winter because the temperature is so mild. On the other hand, sea breezes keep temperatures pleasant in summer and air conditioning isn’t really necessary.
Mrs. San Jose and her daughter, tani Anna, 10, even leave most of their winter clothing in Munford the year around because they never need them at home.
Since moving to San Salvador, she has learned to cook many Latin American dishes and, since rice is one of the main staples there, she offers a recipe today for chicken and fried rice. It calls for:
One frying-size chicken; one-and-a-half cups of rice; one tomatoe [sic]; one-half bell pepper; one-half a medium onion; four garlic cloves; a teaspoon of saffron; one-fourth cup of olive oil; salt and pepper as required to season to taste.
Cut the chicken into pieces and boil until tender. Chop the pepper, onion, garlic and tomato into a big, iron skillet and fry in the olive oil until the pepper is soft.
Add chicken to the mixture in the skillet and fry a few minutes. Then put in uncooked rice, salt, pepper and saffron and let fry a few minutes. Next add three cups of chicken broth and let boil until almost dry. Turn rice with a spoon, then turn the flame down low, place lid on the skillet and let cook until rice is tender.
[Munford Star, Munford, Tenn., Jan 5, 1967]
Anna Mae Patterson San Jose and Tani Ana San Jose on a visit home from El Salvador were written up in the Munford Star 5 Jan 1967. Anna is daughter of Aubrey and Winnie Patterson
My Aunt and Cousin:
Anna Mae Patterson San Jose (1931-2010)
Tani Ana San Jose Soccolich (1956-2010)
Aubrey Dell Patterson (1908-1978)
Winnie Irene Joyner Patterson (1907-1994)
— Shared by Roma McDaniel Howard