Prose from Poetry Magazine

Ephemera

BY Salima Rivera

Originally Published: February 26, 2024
Screenprinted image in blue and pink with a cream background and black text. The screenprint is of Salima Rivera with the heading Chicago Puerto Rican Artist and Poet followed by a quote from her poem Pilsen
Salima Rivera, silkscreen print by Nicole Marroquin, 2019.

 

Black and white image of a man with curly hair and a mustache playing a bongo drum
Song of Nikai by Salima Rivera, 1977. Rivera, a talented visual artist, painted Song of Nikai as a visual accompaniment to her poem “The Drums of Nikai,” which were both first published in Nosotros Anthology: A Collection of Latino Poetry and Graphics from Chicago, Revista Chicano-Riqueña, 5, no. 1 (1977), edited by David Hernández. Nikai is Salima’s youngest son and the son of the Chicano visual artist Oscar Moya.

 

Drawing of a person with curly hair playing a guitar while sitting on a beach or desert
The Silent Minstrel by Salima Rivera, 1977, featured in Nosotros Anthology: A Collection of Latino Poetry and Graphics from Chicago, Revista Chicano-Riqueña, 5, no. 1 (1977), edited by David Hernández.

 

Photograph of a woman with long dark hair and Nike high tops leaning out a window to admire a mural depicting Salima Rivera on top of a Puerto Rican flag
Kayla González Huertas at the Legends mural, painted by John Vergara in 2018. The mural memorializes Puerto Rican artists Salima Rivera, David Hernández, Julia de Burgos, and Gamaliel Ramírez. Photograph taken by Joe Alicea, June 2023.

 

A mural on the side of a three story building with four black and white faces with quotes near each atop a Puerto Rican flag
The Legends mural depicting poets Salima Rivera, David Hernández, Julia de Burgos, and Gamaliel Ramírez. Photograph taken by Joe Alicea, June 2023.

 

A photograph of hands kneading a small ball of dough on a cloth with a rolling pin in front
Salima Rivera kneading dough. Photographer and date unknown.

 

Salima's Fried Chicken <br/> 2 fryer-broiler Chickens (3# cach) cut up<br/> 4 T. (1/4c.) red wine vinegar<br/> 2 t. salt, 1t. powdered garlic<br/> 1 t. black pepper<br/> 2 t. tabasco Sauce<br/> 1 T. Yellow mustard<br/> 1/2 c. vegetable oil<br/> 2 c. buttermilk<br/> 2 c. flour<br/> 1/4 c. Corn meal<br/> 1 T. paprika<br/> 1 T. dried basil, Crushed<br/> 2 t. each majaram thyme, poultry seasonings<br/> 1 t. celery salt (or Bay seasoning)<br/> 1/2 t. cayenne<br/> 2# shortenting<br/> 1/2 c. bacon fat<br/> Serves: 6<br/>
Front side of handwritten recipe card for fried chicken by Salima Rivera (list of ingredients).

 

Rinse chicken drain, paper towel dry. Make small slits in skins. place in a large plastic bag. Combine vinegar, salt, pepper, tabasco sauce, mustard, garlic and 1/2 c. vegetable oil in a covered jar. Shake well and pour over chicken.Marinade at least 3 hours, turning occasionally. When ready to cook, drain chicken. Pour buttermilk in a bowl. Combine flour cornmeal, herbs & spices in a large plastic or brown bag. Heat shortening & bacon fat to 350°. Dip 2-3 pieces of chicken in buttermilk. Place in bag, shake to coat. Place in hot oil skin side down over med. heat. Fry 20-25 min until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Back side of handwritten recipe card for fried chicken by Salima Rivera (instructions for preparation).

 

A photograph of a woman with short, dark hair and glasses wearing a red top, blue scarf, and white pants in a courtyard garden.
Salima Rivera in her garden.

 

Photo of a printed recipe:<br /> SALIMA FEELS HER MEXICAN ROOTS <br /> Chili <br /> 2 lbs Chuck<br /> 2 med onions<br /> 2 cloves garlic (crushed)<br /> 2 teaspoons oregano<br /> teaspoon comino<br /> ¾ tablespoon chile powder<br /> ¾ tablespoon dried crushed red pepper<br /> 1 can beef broth<br /> 1 can (1lb) tomatoes<br /> 1 can kidney beans<br /> 1 can pinto beans<br /> ½ bottle Mexican beer<br /> 2 tablespoons corn mesa or meal<br /> Salt to taste<br /> Saute onions and garlic, add Chuck, oregano, comino, chile powder and red pepper. Mix well and brown,<br /> add broth, tomatoes, beans and beer, let cook down. Add corn meal to thicken. Serve garnished with<br /> sharp cheddar cheese, finely chopped onion and/or sour cream.
Salima’s chili recipe.

 

Photo of a printed recipe:<br /> ENCHILADA SUISA<br/> Another dish I can prepare without using the recipe. This is a dish I like to prepare when attending a potluck affair. Not only is it delicious, but it feeds many.<br/> Green sauce:<br/> 2 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade but canned will do)<br/> 1 lb tomatillos (cooked or canned)<br/> 1 T olive oil<br/> 2 T ground almonds<br/> 1 small onion<br/> 2 jalapeno peppers<br/> 1 small clove garlic<br/> ½ t. oregano<br/> 1T chopped cilantro<br/> Salt & pepper to taste<br/> Blend tomatillos, onions, jalapenos, cilantro and garlic in blender. Blend until pureed and set aside. In large sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium low flame and lightly brown ground almonds. Add green tomato puree and oregano. Cook until simmering, add chicken broth and cook for 45 - 60 minutes or until reduced by ½. Add salt and pepper to taste.<br/> Enchiladas:<br/> 2 dozen corn tortillas<br/> 2 cups shredded chicken<br/> Tomatillo puree<br/> ½ lb Monterrey Jack cheese (shredded)<br/> 1 pint heavy cream 1 saute frying pan with ½ cup oil<br/> Heat oil over med-high flame. Dip tortilla in hot oit and lightly fry (15 seconds) on each side. Remove and quickly dip into cream place in an ungreased 10x9 baking pan. Mix shredded chicken with tomatillo puree. Fill tortillas with a spoonful of chicken mixture and roll up. Repeat procedure until all tortillas and chicken are used. Pour the remaining cream over the enchiladas and sprinkle with shredded cheese until covered. To bake set oven at 400 and bake enchiladas for 25 mins. Service with rice and simple salad.
Salima’s recipe for enchilada suisa.

Our grateful thanks to Kayla González Huertas for permission to publish all images and recipes.

This series of ephemera is part of the portfolio “Salima Rivera: A Chicago Rican Poet.” You can read the rest of the portfolio in the March 2024 issue.

Poet, activist, and community organizer Salima Rivera was born in Isabela, Puerto Rico. In her late teens and her twenties, Rivera became a notable figure in the Chicago Latino literary renaissance of the 1960s and 70s by cofounding the literary workshops Los Otros Poetry Collective and La Taller.

During her lifetime, Rivera’s poetry appeared in magazines including Revista Chicano-Riqueña, Ecos: ...

Read Full Biography
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