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Arizona's Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort releases cookbook of Native American cuisine
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The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa’s prestigious Kai Restaurant has announced release of The New Native American Cuisine, a collection of more than 50 time-honored recipes from Native American culture. Created by top chefs and prominent food writer Marian Betancourt, these unique dishes provide guests with a unique culinary adventure featuring peoples of the Sonoran desert. It gives readers the opportunity to experience true appreciation for the cuisine, history, culture, and agricultural traditions of the Gila River Indian people and their land that cultivated these flavorful combinations.
Named for the 1500 wild horses that still run on ancient Indian lands, the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa is an exquisite representative of the culture and heritage of the Pima and Maricopa tribes. These are the only two tribes who still live on and farm the same land as their ancestors.
Knowing they had a prime location, the tribes eventually embraced corporate America and established a relationship with Starwood, the only company willing to bend many of its normal regulations in order to tell the story of the tribes. For example, authentic blankets are used on beds instead of standard bedspreads, and all doors face east to be in tune with Mother Nature. Blessings at the entrance state a welcome in both Pima and Maricopa languages. Art work includes tiles and basket weaving representing the Pima tribe and pottery from the Maricopas.
The resort is 100 percent owned by the tribe but managed by Starwood. Native Americans currently make up more than 30 percent of staff. Because of its unique relationship with the tribes, the Resort was designated the world’s first Geo Green resort, a dedication to cultural sustainability and environmental responsibility. Release of the new book is another means for accomplishing the Geo Green program’s mission of preserving people and resources.
Besides Native American cuisine, golf, horseback riding (you’ll probably encounter some of those wild horses), cultural tours, and story-telling programs are offered. Aji Spa, named after the Pima word for sanctuary, provides several treatments developed from ancient rituals. The New Native American Cuisine is available for purchase at the resort, online, and in major bookstores. $24.95
Photos by Beverly Burmeier
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