One of my tags is "Cool stuff I read today," because that is where I get a lot of material for the blog. It takes me awhile to get around to it sometimes, so this cool and not so cool stuff dates back a few days now.
Paletas y mas
In one of those "great minds think alike" moments, the blog San Antonio Tourist featured El Paraiso paleta factory--a great local food story, and the San Antonio Current came out with a colorful spread on Las Nieves paleteria (and a sidebar featured others, including El Paraiso). Too often we associate Tex-Mex cuisine with lard and flour tortillas. Here is a reminder that many of our cultural traditions are much healthier and more delicious than those. Go get some!
Cattle y calaveras
Saturday's Classified ads under Livestock had this: LONGHORN CATTLE & SKULLS. Welcome to our drought...too sad.
Helicopter food waste?
The San Antonio Express-News reported Friday on hunting feral hogs from helicopters, which has just been made legal in Texas by permit. The article, in Friday's Business section, does not address whether provisions are made for using the meat. Judging from online discussions, some is recovered, and most is not. It would be good to learn whether the means can be found for the meat to be moved into the Food Bank network before it spoils on the ground.
Feral hogs, descended from escaped domestic hogs and with no natural predators, present a growing problem in damage to farmland and pastures, and a danger to humans on foot in those places. Their meat is as delicious, or more so, as that of hogs raised for food. For people interested in pastured or grass-fed meat, it can bring a premium at farmers markets. And for those feeding the hungry, it represents a new source of high-quality protein. We will hope that as this activity progresses, ways will be worked out to pick up and use the meat, rather than leave it to rot on the ground. If not, we'll be facing a "buzzard bubble" before long, and you can't eat those.
