Three nights, three dining commons, one celebrated guest chef: Join award-winning Navajo chef Freddie Bitsoie for dinners and demonstrations in celebration of Native American Heritage Month.
Bitsoie is the former executive chef of Mitsitam Native Foods Café, located inside the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, in Washington, D.C. He was previously the executive chef of Fire Rock Casino in New Mexico and is the winner of the Smithsonian’s Native Chef Competition. He has contributed to several Native American cookbooks and is currently the Chef-in-Residence for North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems and lives in Gallup, New Mexico.
Dining Services is inviting the campus community to enjoy Native American-inspired meals. Each night will feature chef demos from 6-7 p.m. and a rotation of delicious dishes from 5-9 p.m. Menus will vary per location.
NATIVE NEST
The Native American Academic Student Success Center has several events planned this month —
Highlights from the menu include two unique bison dishes — bison chile and braised bison short ribs — and a braised chicken dish with sage and a sauce made from chokeberry, one of the most important fruits in traditional Native diets.
Find dates, dining common locations and detailed menus for each night below. Follow on Instagram for updates.
• Tuesday, Nov. 14 in Cuarto DC
• Wednesday, Nov. 15 in Segundo DC
• Thursday, Nov. 16 in Tercero DC
Message from Chancellor May
Watch Chancellor Gary S. May and Michelle Villegas-Frazier, director of the Native American Academic Student Success Center, invite everyone to check out upcoming campus events celebrating Native American Heritage Month:
The menus
Cuarto Dining Commons (Tuesday, Nov. 14)
- New Mexican red chile posole (chicken, hominy, red chile, onion, garlic, oregano, bay leaf, thyme, chicken stock, salt, pepper)
- Three sister salad (onion, garlic, carrot, celery, thyme, bay leaf, black pepper, salt, gourd squash, corn, pinto beans, parsley)
- Bison chile (ground bison, onion, pinto beans, diced tomato, garlic, cumin, coriander, bell pepper, thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne pepper, beef stock)
- Squash and corn (yellow squash, zucchini, sweet corn, salt, pepper)
- Mashed butternut squash (butternut squash, pecans, russet potatoes, butter, coconut milk)
Segundo Dining Commons (Wednesday, Nov. 15)
- New Mexican red chile posole (chicken, hominy, red chile, onion, garlic, oregano, bay leaf, thyme, chicken stock, salt, pepper)
- Three sister salad (onion, garlic, carrot, celery, thyme, bay leaf, black pepper, salt, gourd squash, corn, pinto beans, parsley)
- Braised bison short ribs (short ribs, flour, onion, carrot, celery, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, salt, pepper, tomato paste, red wine, beef stock)
- Squash and corn (yellow squash, zucchini, sweet corn, salt, pepper)
- Mashed butternut squash (butternut squash, pecans, russet potatoes, butter, coconut milk)
Tercero Dining Commons (Thursday, Nov. 16)
- New Mexican red chile posole (chicken, hominy, red chile, onion, garlic, oregano, bay leaf, thyme, chicken stock, salt, pepper)
- Three sister salad (onion, garlic, carrot, celery, thyme, bay leaf, black pepper, salt, gourd squash, corn, pinto beans, parsley)
- Braised chicken with sage and chokecherry sauce (chicken thighs, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, sage leaves, salt, pepper, cranberry juice, chokecherry preserves, chicken stock, dry sage)
- Squash and corn (yellow squash, zucchini, sweet corn, salt, pepper)
- Mashed butternut squash (butternut squash, pecans, russet potatoes, butter, coconut milk)
Media Resources
José Vadi is a writer for Dateline аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊÄÚÄ»ÐÅÏ¢ Davis, and can be reached by email.