Recipe: Ooh-La-La Salsa by Oralia "La La" Newton

April 30, 2007
By Debbie Nygren Sontag
Special to LIVE!

I have met two of the most wonderful women: La La Newton and her daughter Patricia Martinez.. They have done a great job helping those with alcohol and drug addictions with development of Restauracion Divina, a drug and alcohol treatment center in Ciudad Acuña.

La La (or “LA BOSS, as her Cadillac license plate declares) began learning cooking by following her mom’s direction, and she has made a MOST delicious dish. Below you will find a great, simple recipe. YUM, YUM. Try it; it’s great!

Salsa!!!!

This is the winner! ”¡OOH-LA-LA!”

“La La” Newton learned this recipe from watching family members in the kitchen. The product is now offered, attractively labeled, to the public at the Main Street Saturday Market, the first Saturday of each month in the parking lot of Del Rio National Bank, downtown. Here’s the recipe:

1 roasted Serrano pepper 4 large tomatoes ½ half cup vegetable oil Salt to taste

Chop the peppers finely, the tomatoes coarsely. Add them to the oil in a large blender, and pulse the blender until a thick consistency is reached. Taste, and add salt carefully until you’re satisfied. The recipe is almost frighteningly simple, but La La’s salsa is top notch, a real guest-pleaser.

There are so many sponsors assisting the Restauracion Divina, Unidos Contra Las Addiciones (Divine Restoration, United Against Addictions) cause, such as Border Opportunity Saver System (BOSS), Alcoa-Fujikura Ltd., each a maquila industry, and Ram Country Autoplex. The facility they are sponsoring since the project’s inception, March 30, 2003, is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, and they have such a high success rate.

La La’s Potato Salad:

Here’s another pie-simple recipe – though pies are not among my kitchen skills – that is easy to make, attractive to serve, and delicious on the palate.

4 small potatoes (boiled and peeled) 1 small jar of pimentos Salt and pepper to taste 4 hard boiled eggs ¾ cup of Miracle Whip with lemon

Cube the cooked potatoes, dice the hard-boiled eggs and pimentos, all into smaller than bite-sized pieces.

Mix all ingredients well and chill before serving to your grateful family and friends.