Many of us can associate food with a core memory. Whether it’s picking apples from your grandparents’ trees or processing that elk you and your dad hunted for days—food and food preparation brings people together. For a couple of months now, Rosie Turpin, owner of Rosie’s Smokehouse in Questa, has partnered with the after-school program to provide homemade meals twice a week for the group of kids there. Some of these meals include pork chops, pork sliders with potato salad, and pasta with sausage and marinara. Salad and bread rolls accompany the meal which Turpin delivers to the roughly 14 students who attend the program at the Questa Youth Center. The program has been operating for about three months and Turpin plans to continue to deliver meals for the foreseeable future
Food is a central theme in Turpin’s life. After speaking with her, it’s clear that generosity is a value she has nurtured and grown ever since she was a little girl running around Cabresto Road. Generosity comes naturally to some, but most people who are generous have been taught generosity in their lives. Turpin describes her childhood and being surrounded by the food both sets of grandparents grew and prepared for others. “My Vialpando and Cisneros grandparents were so generous. Both families had these huge gardens. Watching them work so hard and the amount of generosity they had was hugely impactful. Both sides had huge families, huge gardens, and huge family get-togethers. To me, that is true wealth.”
Turpin describes a memory that has stuck with her for many years. “My grandma Elva would make fideo [a kind of pasta] with meatballs and a little bit of tomato sauce. It was so simple. She would fry the fideo and she would almost burn it and you could taste it and it was one of my favorite meals in the entire world. One of my goals is to get those not interested in cooking, interested in cooking.”
Thinking of how cooking and cooks in her life have inspired her, Turpin has realized that true feminine grace comes from those women in your community who are givers.
Upon her return to Questa and as a beneficiary of the time when farm-to-table was just a way of life, Turpin knew she wanted to give back. “Growing up, I always remember businesses involved with the kids. The local businesses helped the school kids in lots of ways and supported them.” Volunteering has always been important to Turpin. “I’ve always loved to volunteer. Whether it was with the schools, boy scouts, or our church. It just makes me feel good when I can give back to the community I was raised in. When I started following what Maria Gonzalez was doing with the youth and the after-school program, I wanted to help,” she says.
Not only is Turpin providing meals for the after-school program, she also invites the group on field trips to her restaurant once a month and teaches them restaurant etiquette as well as providing a meal for them: the students get to order off a special menu created just for them. In addition, Turpin plans to periodically hold a cooking class for the group. Coming up will be instruction on meatball preparation as well as reading the popular book, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”
One of Turpin’s hopes is to have a teaching component within her restaurant to teach canning and food preservation along with quick and simple meals kids can make themselves; some without using the oven or stovetop. She also hopes to connect with the local food pantry and have classes where she helps recipients of the food pantry use all of the ingredients they receive in ways they may not have considered.
A project that’s underway for Turpin is establishing the “Wildcat Corner” at her restaurant. “I want to provide a space with couches, coffee table, and a relaxing comforting atmosphere for our Wildcats. I’ll provide little bites and fountain drinks and allow the kids to visit, talk, or do some homework.” This idea stemmed from the recent loss of Amarissa Cintas. Turpin was inspired to invite grieving students into her restaurant and offer cinnamon rolls and sodas free of charge. “I just wanted to provide an additional space for kids to come together and have some food and feel comforted.”
“I show my love through food. Cooking for the kids is such a joy and it’s an opportunity to give back and show the kids that the community cares about them. Kids need to feel that they can walk into my business and know that I care.”
Rosie’s Smokehouse is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 7:30 p.m.
