The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • 57

1 Food THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Wednesday, November 15, 1967 Make Mexican 'Dagwoods From Tacos And Assorted Fillings i -''It JT oranges and grapes were just right with tacos. DESSERT WAS ANOTHER surprise. Frozen chocolate-covered bananas. "We used to get these on Balboa Island," Jan remarked. "It's a resort area south of Long Beach on the coast.

The bananas are really popular there. They're frozen so hard it's hard to take bites." I thought these were a clever idea. It's a dessert that Is fun for all ages. In order to make the frozen bananas, the Petersens got special dipping chocolate from the Aglame-sis candy shop In Oakley. A wooden skewer was stuck In the end of each peeled banana, then they were frozen.

When they were very firm, they were coated with the melted sweet chocolate. It's a somewhat tedious Job they told me. Some were sprinkled with chopped nuts, the rest with varicolored cake decorations. Then back to the freezer they go until time to eat. For those families or groups that would like to have a taco supper like Petersons, here's the way Norma Peterson makes the tacos.

Tacos Thaw a 9-ounce package of frozen tortillas (1 dozen) at room temperature. This doesn't take very long. If you thaw the plastic bag in water as the package directs, some dcops of water may get on the tortillas and make them crumble. heaped with appetizing lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and ground beef. Norma usually makes her own taco sauce with a can of stewed tomatoes.

She breaks up the tomatoes with a fork and then adds three or four drops of red hot pepper sauce. "This is almost Identical to the canned taco sauce," she said. NORMA SAYS it's easier to fill the tortillas with her fingers. The Peterson girls pitched in to help their mother with the assembling. It didn't take them long to crowd a large platter with the lavishly filled tortillas.

Gina checked the refrled beans in the oven. These are red pinto or chill beans that have been cooked, then mashed to a thick mush and fried. Norma Peterson had spooned the El Paso canned beans Into a Mexican earthenware casserole, mixed in some shredded Cheddar cheese and topped the dish with more of the cheese. The taco supper was ready and a hungry crowd quickly gathered around the dining table in the Peterson's spacious old brick home on Observatory Avenue. What fun to see these enthusiastic children eat tacos.

It's no wonder they're a favorite the chewy corn-meal tortilla contrasting with the meat, Cheese and vegetables. No one resisted seconds. Some had thirds. The frijoles and the bowl of fresh strawberries, apples, THE THREE Petersen daughters, Jan, Julie and Gina, help their mother, Norma Petersen, assemble tacos. Into a hot tortilla go cooked beef, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and a peppery taco sauce.

BY JAN LINN Enquirer Contributor TACOS, super Mexican sandwiches that begin with tortillas, make a festive supper for the Gerald Pe-, terson family in Hyde Park. Norma Petersen heats the tortillas briefly in hot oil, folding them with tongs as they fry. Then she fills each one with a bit of lightly seasoned cooked ground beef. top of this go crisp shredded lettuce and cheese, chopped fresh tomatoes and a generous spoonful of peppery taco sauce. How's that for a "Mexican Dagwood?" A couple of these tacos, some Frijoles Refritos (re-' fried beans another Mexican specialty) and a delightful combination of fresh fruit round out the colorful south-of-the-border menu.

The meal's a breeze for Norma to prepare because she's so enthusiastic about these Mexican foods. SO ARE HER husband Jerry and the six Petersen children. They are one of the nicest families I know. There are three girls: Jan, 17; Gina, 13, and Julie, 10 and three boys: Christ, nine; Steve, seven, and David, six. "We learned to like tacos and other Mexican foods when we were living on the West Coast," Norma said.

Her husband, manager of the industrial chemical sales department for Procter Gamble here, was at the company's Long Beach plant for several years. "Out there everyone buys tacos at carryouts." Now the Petersens are excited that a friend of Norma's, Polly Kennedy, will be opening a similar operation, Taco Tico, nearby in Hyde Park soon. I REMfMBER meeting Norma one morning last spring on her way to buy taco ingredients for Julie's fourth grade class at Hyde Park School. Miss Mary Mis-chik's room there was studying Mexico in social studies and Norma volunteered to fix three dozen of these tacos for Julie's classmates to sample. "The children really loved them," she said.

"I was surprised they went over so well." At a tertime, Norma usually makes a pinata to go with the Mexican meal for her delighted children. She constructs the pinata using layers of tissue paper and starch over a large balloon. After the coating is dry, the balloon is punctured. The pinata is filled with candies and the children have a grand time trying to break it open. AFTER HEARING about the Petersens' taco suppers, I asked Norma about making them.

She generously invited our family to join them for tacos recently. I Jf iT jnny (TO BUTTERNUT BUEAD GIVES MJ0 A FEEUNS OF PMOrt' dwcln 'Unitid Fulun Syiuflcati Inc. 1350 pump pin Heat i-lnch of vegetable oil in a skillet. Using kitchen tongs, put one tortilla at a time Into the hot olL As It becomes soft, fold and hold with tongs until as crisp as you like. Remove from hot oil and drain on paper towels.

For the filling, prepare bowls of (1) finely shredded head lettuce, (2) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, (3) ground beef, browned' and seasoned to taste with salt and a little chill powder if you like. A pound of ground beef is about right to fill one dozen tortillas. Amounts of other filling ingredients will vary. D' 3q JERRY PETERSEN and his sons, Steve, Chris and David, find taco eating to their liking. At the taco supper, the centerpiece was a Mexican straw hat decorated with fiesta red paper poppies.

-r r- to nondairy creamer II Dazzle your neighbors 5ti wiSts lii 41 ifi iyyLjuULj lit oiyii welcomed an- opportunity to see them assembled as well as to taste them. Norma buys frozen Patio brand tortillas at Albers' Hyde Park Plaza store. "These are much less expensive than the canned ones," she said. "A frozen package of one dozen is only 19 cents." "Norma knows where to find good bays," added her husband good-naturedly. FRYING TIME for tortillas can be varied to suit individual prefer ences, Norma explained.

"Some people like them crisper than we do, then they are left in the hot oil a longer time. But I leave them in just long enough to heat them." I watched her take one of the limp round tortillas (about five inches in diameter) and dunk it in shallow hot oil. With tongs, she folded it in half, then lifted it out to drain on paper towels. Her experienced hands made it look easy to do. On the table were bowls Menus Listed For Elementary School Lunches THESE ARE the menus which will be served in the Cincinnati public elementary schools during the week beginning November 20.

MONDAY Spaghetti Meat Lettuce Salad Hot Buttered Cornbrcad Fruit Cocktail Milk TUESDAY Turkey and Gravy over Mashed Potatoes Green Beans Bread and Butter Orange Gelatin Milk WEDNESDAY Barbecue on Bun Cole Slaw with Carrots Applesauce Wheat Crispie Milk THURSDAY and FRIDAY No School Offer applies to 11 oz. economy size. Limit-one jar per family. This offer expires December IS, 1967 Here's an opportunity to try Wilson's new coffee creamer, free. Just purchase an eleven ounce jar of Wilson's new non-dairy creamer at your favorite store.

Remove the front of the label and mail to the Wilson Milk Company along with the coupon below. Your purchase price will be mailed promptly. Wilson's new coffee creamer Is smoothly homogenized for instant blending, is low in calories and requires no refrigeration. The Quick" Save coupon on the label is also redeemable for valuable gifts. your budget with mum EST "il CZ3 a distinctly "different" detergent! Six sizes three types tailored to your exact laundry needs! From fragile "unmentionables" to dirty dungarees new BRIGHT does the job better, BRIGHTer arid more beautifully than ever before! And at a price that's sure to please! Pick up the BRIGHT that's right for you today! 3 Wilson's new non-dairy Is pi coffee creame 2 1 I by the pre I -M Wilson's Evai creamer is produced the processors of Evaporated Milk.

THE WILSON MILK COMPANY 18 West 7th Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Gentlemen: Enclosed you will find the face of a Wilson Non-Dairy Coffee Creamer label Please refund my purchase price of f. I understand this offer it gord until Decern jer 15, 196 (Please Print) Name Add ress City, State, Zip SOLD ONLY AT KROGER 'dMT.