"AIEEEEEEE!"
Her
victory cry shot out over the crowd like a well-aimed bottle rocket
launched from an ornery older brothers hand.
Ramona
Monie Horsechief dashed to the stage, skipping and dancing
the entire way, to join her sister Lisa Pahsetopah behind the microphone.The
sisters had just been announced the winners of the 2009 World Champion
Indian Taco Contest in Pawhuska, Okla. Monie took the prize for
best traditional taco and Lisa won for best dessert taco.
Monie
covered her fry bread in buffalo meat chili and added lettuce, cheese
and homemade pico de gallo. For her dessert, Lisa filled her fry
bread dough with cream before frying it in the hot grease. She topped
the confection with caramelized pecans, fresh strawberries and homemade
whipped cream.
When
asked about her ingredients, she said laughingly, "I know Indians
love sugar, sugar, sugar!"
Monie
was especially proud of her win. Not only was it her biggest cash
prize ever, it was the achievement of a goal.
"It
seemed that I worked myself up the winning ladder every year. This
last year was my third year to enter. I started out the first year
in 2006 in third place, second place in 2007, and finally 2009 I
won first place," Monie said.
A
double-threat, the sisters started their own cooking business, Two
Sisters Catering, to bring in more money to support their ministry
efforts. Monie and her husband travel with One Spirit Praise, a
Native American Christian music ministry. Monie, who has more than
20 years of cooking and culinary school experience, provides the
food for their events.
"I
feel that the Lord has blessed me with the skill and talent of cooking.
In realization of that, I do everything in cooking, to the best
of my ability because that is a blessing from the Lord. It is all
prepared with love," Monie said.
Lisa,
who performs with her husband and daughter in a Native dance troupe,
said she started making fry bread about 28 years ago.
"I
didnt make it too often because they turned out like frisbees.
It took about 20 years to get it up to par where I could lay claim
to it and say, I made that," she said.
Six
years ago, Lisa introduced fry bread as part of Native culture during
her familys educational presentations at schools. She had
been watching Tammy Fields, her sister-in-law, cook for two years
and was finally ready to perfect her own.
"Tammy
was listed some years past by Native American Times as one of Oklahomas
favorite Indian cooks. She wouldnt ever give her secrets,
but boy I would sure stand close and watch and take notes," Lisa
said.
Lisa
also credits her sister, saying, "the last four years, Monies
fry bread has been fantastic
Since we started working together
doing catering as Two Sisters Catering, I have learned from the
best."
Both
sisters, who learned to cook from watching their grandmother, plan
to continue developing their catering venture and entering contests,
knowing others love their food.
The
reason for their success? They work well together. "She makes the
best fry bread; I make the best chili," Monie said.
Neither
sister will divulge their recipe for great fry bread, but both agree
its how you work the dough.
For
more information on Two Sisters Catering, call Ramona Horsechief
at 405-209-1206 or e-mail rhorsechief@cox.net
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