Sunday, August 30, 2009

Yo Soy...
















Hola! Mi nombre es Carmen. Soy de El Salvador. Mi color favorito es azul. Me gustan mi animales, mi familia, y mis amigos. Mi mama es de California y mi papa es de New York. Me gusta musica, comida, mi gato, y espanol. Mi telefono es 333-3315. Mi correr electronico es gordoelephante@blablabla.com Adios!

Monday, August 17, 2009

El Salvador-Un Poco De Todo





The Catholic Church is very important to the culture of El Salvador. Archbishop Oscar Romero is nationaly recognized for his part in speaking about human rights violations that were going on that lead up to the Salvadoran Civil War.



Holidays
Date English name Local name
January 16 Peace Accords Day Día de los Acuerdos de Paz
Celebrates the peace accords signing between the government and the guerrilla in 1992 that finished the 12-year civil war. Mostly political events.
March/April Easter Semana Santa
Celebrated with carnival-like events in different cities by the large Catholic population.
May 1 Labor Day Día del trabajo
International Labour Day
May 3 The Day of the Cross Día de la Cruz
People decorate a cross in their yards with fruit and garlands then go house to house to kneel in front of them and make the sign of the cross.
May 10 Mothers' Day Día de las Madres
August 1–7 August Festivals Fiestas de agosto
Week-long festival in celebration of El Salvador del Mundo, patron saint of El Salvador.
September 15 Independence Day Día de la Independencia
Celebrates independence from Spain, which they won in 1821.
October 12 Day of the race Día de la raza
Celebration in dedication to the Indians (Amerindians).
November 2 Day of the Dead Día de los Muertos
A day when most people visit the tombs of lost loved ones.
November 21 Queen of the Peace Day Dia de la Reyna de la Paz
December 12 Festival Day of the Virgin Guadalupe Día del Festival de la Virgen Guadalupe
December 24 Christmas Day La Navidad
ALMOST ONLY CELIBRATED IN SAN SALVADOR (Capital of El Salvador)

El Salvador-Lugares Importantes

El Salvador's Catholic Church of San Salvador







The Catholic Church is extremely important to the religious people of San Salvador.















EL Salvador-Comida

El Salvador Food

In El Salvador, choosing what to eat is a major chore. The options are endless! With so many great restaurants to choose from, you find yourself eating out instead of cooking in your own kitchen.




Pupusas are must-try when travelling in El Salvador. They are fried corn or rice tortillas filled with beans and cheese. They can be found at any one of the many "pupusarias" around the country.
Recipe for Pupusas
  • Makes 4-5 pupusas
  • Masa harina -- 2 cups
  • Warm water -- 1 cup
  • Filling (see variations) -- 1 cup

Instructions
In a large bowl, mix together the masa harina and water and knead well. Knead in more water, one tablespoonful at a time if needed, to make a moist, yet firm dough. (It should not crack at the edges when you press down on it.) Cover and set aside to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Roll the dough into a log and cut it into 8 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball.
Press an indentation in each ball with your thumb. Put about 1 tablespoon of desired filling into each indentation and fold the dough over to completely enclose it. Press the ball out with your palms to form a disc, taking care that that the filling doesn't spill out.
Line a tortilla press with plastic and press out each ball to about 5-6 inches wide and about 1/4-inch thick. If you don't have a tortilla press, place the dough between two pieces of plastic wrap or wax paper and roll it out with a rolling pin.
Heat an ungreased skillet over medium-high flame. Cook each pupusa for about 1-2 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and blistered. Remove to a plate and hold warm until all pupusas are done.

Variations

Pupusas de Queso: With a cheese filling. Use grated quesillo, queso fresco, farmer's cheese, mozzarella, Swiss cheese or a combination. Add some minced green chile if you like.

Pupusas de Chicharrones: With a filling of fried chopped pork and a little tomato sauce. A reasonable facsimile can be made by pulsing 1 cup of cooked bacon with a little bit of tomato sauce in a food processor.


Pupusas de Frijoles Refritos: With a refried bean filling.


Pupusas Revueltas: Use a mixture of chicharrones, cheese and refried beans.
Pupusas de Queso y Loroco: With a cheese and tropical vine flower filling. Loroco can be found in jars at many Latin markets.


Pupusas de Arroz: A variety of pupusa that uses rice flour instead of corn masa.
Cooked potatoes or finely minced, sautéed jalapeño peppers are also tasty fillings. Try a mixture of different fillings.



Soups are very popular at social events in El Salvador. Sopa de pata is a soup made from patas de res (cow feet), plantain, corn, and tripe, this soup is a delicacy to many locals.

El Salvador-Gobierno










President Mauricio Funes
Has been president since: 1 June 2009











Vice-president Salvador Sanchez Ceren
Has also been in office since: 1 June 2009




The majority of people in El Salvador are republicans!