Traditional Mexican Flan and Tres Leches Cake From the Kitchen of Evanjelina Herrera, Breezewood

by Janine Douglass

Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 box vanilla cake mix

Milk Mixture:

• 1 – 12 oz. can evaporated milk

• 1 – 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Living in Shawnee’s Breezewood area with her parents, fiancé and their combined five children, Evanjelina and her family used to own a Lima restaurant whose Spanish name translated to “The Golden Rooster.” She says their former Cole Street restaurant, El Gallito de Oro, consistently sold out of these two delicious desserts she offered there. And her current medical field assistant and technician positions notwithstanding, Evanjelina’s new take-out, catering and delivery establishment on the corner of Grand and Main called Las Jefas (i.e., “Women Bosses”) is coming soon, to feature both American and Mexican cuisine.

Flan

Ingredients:

• 5 eggs

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 can condensed milk

• 1 can evaporated milk

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

• ¼ cup whole milk

Whipped Topping:

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream

• 3 Tblspns. powdered sugar

• ½ tspn. Vanilla extract

• ground cinnamon for topping

• 1 box fresh strawberries

• 1 can peaches, drained

• 1 bag strawberry gel

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare vanilla cake mix and bake cake as directed on box. While cake is baking, start preparing milk mixture.

3. Combine the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk in a bowl. Set aside.

4. Once the cake has cooled, poke holes in the cake with a fork on cake top.

5. Slowly pour the milk mix over the entire cake, and on the sides, then refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight to make sure the cake soaks up the milk mix.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix. Then in a skillet on low heat, stir in 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, and stir until golden brown. Remove from heat, then pour the mixture into a Bundt cake pan. (That will be on the Bundt cake pan bottom.) On top of that, pour the mixture from the blender. Cover the top of the Bundt pan with Reynolds Wrap and set in an 8”x10” pan, filled half-full of water. Place all in oven. Bake for one hour, then check to see that the flan is firm to assure it is done. Let it cool. Flip over the Bundt pan, and the flan will slide right out. Cut and garnish with fresh fruit and cool whip, and enjoy!

Flan is typically served for Christmas, Easter and cookouts.

6. Then slice the strawberries and mix with strawberry gel mixture. Drain the peaches. Prepare the heavy cream, then whip the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.

7. After 1 hour, take the cake out of the fridge and place the strawberry and gel mix over the top of the cake, then the heavy whipped cream. Decorate the top with the sliced peaches and it’s ready to be served and eaten.

Contact Evanjelina’s family catering business, at 419-604-6838. Note: Word of mouth, from Shawnee Life’s own editor about her food delivery - the chicken, pork and chile/ cheese tamales (made by her 80-year-old mother), with fresh salsa, homemade tortilla chips and warm queso dip (with floating jalepenos) are FABULOUS!

by Diane Schoonover

Alisa McPheron opened Purple Feet Wine Boutique in July of 2021 as a retail wine shop with the help of her mom and dad, Genny and Ed. Ed enjoyed selecting and serving wines at the Main Street Bistro and Genny always enjoyed people. Her sister Corinne helped source unusual wines and craft beers. Coming from a restaurant background, they thought it would be a nice change to try a retail store. They aim to offer wines that are not available in box stores and local grocery stores. Something else that sets Purple Feet apart is their amazing bourbon selection and having Lee Schmiedebusch who serves as the on-staff Executive Bourbon Steward. Bourbon flights are available, as well as a curated wine selection and craft beers.

Purple Feet is located in the same space as Alter Ego Comic Books. They share the retail space at 230 North Main Street. Seating is offered in the boutique, at the bar and even outside on the quiet patio tucked away in the back. Alisa describes the vibe of Purple Feet as “a small and quaint space with a chill vibe.” Dave Bermosk, Purple Feet’s Shopkeeper Extraordinaire, is very knowledgeable about not only wine, but bourbon. He is your “go-to” guy to order cases of wine and he can walk you through the over 100 bourbons available. Even though their name says wine boutique they offer a ridiculous amount of bourbons, wines, cocktails, craft beers and even domestic beers. They have flatbreads, charcuterie, and spinach dips.

Purple Feet also gave Alisa the opportunity to make and sell cheesecakes and boozy chocolates, which has been a long time passion and joy of hers. Furthermore, there are events such as Wine and Yoga, the Allen County Whiskey Society, as well as all the happenings that The Lab puts on, such as bands and comedy nights. The Legacy Arts Street Party is coming up on September 16th, which is a fun and free event for the public.

Alisa is a Lima native who graduated from Lima Central Catholic. From an early age she was fascinated by cooking. In her spare time she read cookbooks and cooking magazines, and watched a lot of Julia Child on TV. She loved to try new recipes and since her parents both worked as nurses she often made dinner, but she is sure some of those dinners in those days were awful. Alisa adds, “my mom ordered the Time Life series of classic cookbooks and I was hooked....I knew I wanted to be a chef.” She went to culinary school at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI and stayed for her bachelors working as a teaching assistant. She worked in all aspects of the University properties, including back of the house, front of the house and banquets. After graduating she returned home and her family opened Bistro on Main in Findlay, OH in May 1993. And then the adventure began.... In 1999 they opened the Bistro on Main in the space that is now Old City Prime. The last location of The Bistro is a lot south of OCP. On a cold February morning in 2010, the Bistro on Main burnt to the ground. “The memory of that restaurant and all of the people that came in and out of our lives is a true joy to me to this day. I can’t express what a special time in my life the Bistro was to me. That’s one of the beautiful things about not only a small town but of the hospitality business as a whole. I enjoy seeing some of those same people who patronized and even worked at the Bistro come into Purple Feet. It’s a wonderful community,” according to Alisa.

Alisa attributes her yearning to never give up and her great work ethics to her parents. Cheesecakes became an obsession for her. Along with her Sous Chef at the Bistro, they developed a silicone pan protector to help with water bathing cheesecakes. It took some time but they received two patents on the pan and she still uses that pan currently to make her cheesecakes. Dave Bermosk at Purple Feet, is also a chef and is now creating some great cheesecakes using the same recipes.

After the Bistro came Fat Cat Diner, right next to The Met. That was also a great experience and a lot of fun for Alisa. They eventually closed the Fat Cat due to her mom’s health decline and she focused on only catering, which she has always enjoyed. She has had the honor to cater wonderful community events, private events and even make food for some of the celebrity artists at the Civic Center. She could not have done any of that without the help of her friends at the Civic Center.

Recently, Alisa started another chapter in her career working for Trilogy Health Services as the Director of Food Service in Leipsic, OH. She has always known that she thrives on pleasing people. “It’s a great opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the residents. I am learning a lot and it’s super rewarding,” said Alisa.

Alisa loves everything about the work she does. “I love creating food. I love baking and always learning. I love to share that knowledge. I love making a small difference in someone’s day through something I made or even just conversation. I truly love the hospitality field.”

In her spare time, she enjoys going to new places and poking around. She likes to learn new things. Alisa’s partner, Lee, always has something up his sleeve, whether it has to do with bourbon, playing golf (which she admits she is terrible at but still enjoys), or experimenting with grilling and smoking on the Big Green Egg. Playing ball with their dog, Meela, is also a highlight of each day.

When it is time for Alisa to relax, take a break, and have a drink, she chooses Gin and Fever Tree Light Tonic or Spar kling Grapefruit. Castle and Key’s Roots of Ruin is her all time favorite gin. She is also very into bourbon and learning about the history. And when asked what her favorite meal to have when dining out around Lima was, she said Milano’s calamari and a side of angel hair with Frank’s marinara sauce. She also loves a filet mignon fresh off of the Big Green Egg. For dessert it would have to be Chocolate Roulage cake.

Visit Purple Feet Wine Boutique in downtown Lima and you are bound to find something that tickles your taste’s fancy. They have new hours and are open later, so go and check out all they have to offer! Also check out the article on the next page to learn about the new Allen County Whiskey Society!

by Diane Schoonover

Lee Schmiedebusch has always enjoyed whiskey and the idea of gathering and sipping together. When Alisa McPheron opened Purple Feet Wine Boutique, Lee wanted to bring the whiskey experience to downtown Lima. He went to bourbon school in Louisville, Kentucky where he learned the history behind bourbon, as well as the chemistry involved to create the spirit. He successfully distilled 200 gallons of alcohol on a commercial Vendome copper still and it was put into barrels for aging. He earned the title of Executive Bourbon Steward, after completing all of the necessary courses. This is the equivalent of a wine sommelier, but for whiskey. He holds events with different distillers, as well as private tasting events.

Lee started the Allen County Whiskey Society (ACWS) in January of 2023 and meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm at Purple Feet Wine Boutique. Members pay $25 a year to join and they are now up to about 50 members. Anyone can attend a meeting to experience what the community is like…and that is definitely what it is…a community of people that enjoy tasting and talking about all the different types of whiskey and bourbon. They are also up to almost 150 members on their Facebook group which anyone can join at Facebook@ AllenCountyWhiskeySociety.

During the meetings, three members each share a bottle with the group, after they have carefully explained why they brought a particular bottle to the meeting. Sometimes the member is cracking open the bottle for the first time so reactions can be shared together, while others bring a favorite to share. The bottle with the lowest proof is usually served first. Lee says, “the fun part is when we all get to try something new together.” Lee also explained that, “there is no wrong or right to whiskey because everyone has a different palette.” As the sipping begins, discussions ensue on the nose, the hotness, the mash bill, and even if they can taste the wood of the barrel the whiskey was aged in. Holly Lee, Wildbrook resident and ACWS member, says that “one of the biggest benefits is our whiskeys are vetted, so we can figure out what to get and where.” Members share strategies for finding the best bottles (sometimes in secret spots) and even pick up bottles for one another. Many agree that cost doesn’t determine great taste, however, Dave Bermosk believes that you probably won’t be disappointed with a bottle that costs over $200.

ACWS also coordinates group trips. A couple of months ago, Lee took eight members to New Riff Distillery in Newport, Kentucky. They sampled 5 barrels of whiskey in their warehouse and as a group selected the barrel they thought was the best. The distillery then bottled it for them and added their ACWS logo on each bottle. This was a very neat experience for everyone and more trips have already been planned.

The Allen County Whiskey Society has a ritual, where a box is passed from member to member. This box is kept at Purple Feet Wine Boutique for a member to pick up and it is filled with three different samples of whiskey that a member has selected and supplied. It gets passed to a different member each time and then that member fills it with three samples to pass on again, and it makes its way to all the members in the group that want to participate.

Purple Feet Wine Boutique has a wall of over 100 whiskeys and bourbons to try. As an Executive Bourbon Steward, Lee has access to some items, that others don’t, so you will have plenty of unique options to experience. Join their Facebook page and visit the Allen County Whiskey Society as a guest at their next monthly meeting. Cheers!