Susan Dorf and Patricia Merrill || San Miguel Literary Sala

San Miguel Literary Sala Presents 

Susan Dorf
Vistas de San Miguel

and

Patricia Merrill
Buen Provecho

Thursday, November 14
5 to 7 PM

Hotel Posada de Aldea
Ancha de San Antonio #15

$100 pesos ($50 pesos for Literary Sala members)

Complimentary Wine Reception

 New Views of San Miguel Through Food, Mexican Sayings, and Art

By Carole Schor

The November 14 Literary Sala presents two icons of the San Miguel community: Susan Dorf, an artist who sketches and paints her way around our picturesque town; and Patricia Merrill, who will take you on a Mexican journey of food, language, and the good ol’ days in San Miguel.

Susan Dorf

Susan Dorf has a unique perspective on San Miguel and her book. Her book, Vistas de San Miguel, celebrates the wonders of this Spanish colonial town as seen through her sketchbooks.  Susan is an artist and writer from California who has spent many years living and traveling in Mexico. She began sketching San Miguel in 2010, and over the years has filled many sketchbooks with her observations and experiences. “I have been making art for as long as can remember. As a painter, printmaker, illustrator and sketch artist, as well as arts educator, I have made a commitment to living the creative life in whatever form it presents itself.” With an eye for noticing and capturing the unusual moments and details in everyday scenes, she draws directly from life with ink and watercolor, accompanied by written descriptions and thoughts in English and Spanish. Her book presents San Miguel in all its splendor and with stories and facts that may surprise you. It makes a wonderful holiday gift.

Patricia Merrill

What do you get when you cross an American linguist who loves to eat with a Mexican teacher who loves to cook? You get a bicultural daughter/architect/hotelier/mother who loves words, loves food, loves to write – and one fabulous cookbook. Patricia was brought up here in San Miguel on salsa, pozole and tortillas. Her book, Buen Provecho, is a compilation of her family recipes and her family humor, culture, and language. No other cookbook will take you into the heart of the kitchen, the culture of the people, and the slang of the Mexican cooks. Dichos, or slang sayings, are what make this book one of a kind. When you’re dipping your chip into red sauce on the table (because no Mexican table is complete without salsa), that man flirting with you across the table “se cree muy salsa.” (He thinks he’s quite the salsa!–He thinks he’s a big shot!). And if you’re walking down Cuna Allende and come upon the restaurant Ten Ten Pie, know the name refers to the kind of snacking we all do standing in front of the open refrigerator!

Buen Provecho is about Mexico –and Mexicans. It’s a look into a culture outsiders can only hope to understand. It’s a glimpse into a secret language that makes Mexican cooking the treasure that won the UNESCO Patrimonio de la Humanidad award for its unique contribution to world civilization. It’s a book full of joy, full of life, and full of tradition. And Patricia Merrill is a San Miguel treasure who will delight you with her charm, her language, and her love of all things Mexican, especially food!