An unusual treatment modality at Turning Winds is the international service trip. Traveling to foreign countries twice a year to be immersed in different cultures and help people less fortunate than ourselves affords new perspectives and the ability to learn that all people are essentially the same.
The therapeutic value of the service trip experience cannot be overstated. “We have repeatedly witnessed how the lives of our students change as a result of our service trips,” says chief operations officer Carl Baisden. Our students don’t just learn about foreign cultures on international service trips, though, because they also get to enjoy international food options on campus in Montana.
One of the awesome people who make that happen is head chef Veronica Langton. She was born and raised in Chile and has always had an interest and talent for cooking new and interesting dishes. Langton is particularly excellent in the cuisine of Latin America—especially dishes from her native Chile. There is a family history of cooking in Langton’s family. Recipes have been passed down and she learned a lot from her mother when it comes to recipes from her native country.
ANDEAN SPECIALTIES
The food tradition and recipes in Chile are notable for a variety of flavors and ingredients, with the South American country’s diverse geography and climate hosting a wide range of agricultural produce, fruits, and vegetables. The long coastline and people’s relationship with the Pacific Ocean add an immense array of seafood to Chilean cuisine, with the country’s waters home to unique species of fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and algae, thanks to the oxygen-rich water carried in by the Humboldt Current.
Pastel de choclo is considered comfort food by many Chileans. It is a beef and corn casserole with a gratin-like corn crust, which reminded us a lot of shepherd’s pie. Choclo is a type of Andean corn, which is larger and meatier than normal corn. It is popular in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.
Pastel de jaiba is a popular seafood dish in Chile. It is a crab pie, often found as part of a seafood platter. It’s particularly popular in the central valley and coastal region of Chile, which have been influenced by the traditions of native people mixed with those of European immigrants who arrived in the late 1800s.
Tasty, easy to prepare, and quite inexpensive, cazuela de ave is a Chilean chicken stew consisting of chicken pieces, chicken stock, onions, carrots, pumpkin or squash, potatoes, rice, and pieces of corn. The stew is most commonly flavored with garlic, salt, pepper, coriander, and paprika powder.
Porotos granados is a delicious Chilean vegetarian stew made with cranberry beans, pomegranates, maize kernels, squash, potatoes, basil, and onions.
Veronica puts her whole heart and love into every meal she prepares but she does much more than cooking. “The first thing I do when we have a new student is trying to connect,” says Langton. “Sometimes it’s not that easy. They’re often kind of upset when they arrive. So, after a while, I go around and say, ‘Hey, what is your favorite food?’ After they tell me, I can fix them something that makes them feel better. Soon they say, ‘Veronica, what is for lunch? What’s for dinner?’ I like to make them fun food, for them to be connected and they like it.”
KITCHEN TAG TEAM
Last year, Langton got some help in the kitchen when Turning Winds decided to expand its nutritional services. Melissa Johnson is originally from Indonesia and specializes in Asian dishes. “Her cooking is different from my cooking,” says Langton. “She does all these Asian recipes, Indonesian, Filipino, Japanese, and Chinese while I focus on Latin American cuisine.”
Johnson enjoys preparing meals for the residents at Turning Winds. Her meals are filled with herbs and spices and have a very aromatic nature. She is happy to greet, cook, and serve with a smile every day that she is at Turning Winds.
LAND OF SPICES
Meals in Indonesia are often served family-style, with big plates and bowls placed in the middle of a table and small bowls for everybody. The meal is then typically initiated by the father or the eldest person at the table and only then everybody helps themselves to portions of food, placing them in their bowls.
The most famous Indonesian dish is probably Nasi Goreng. This dish is essentially Indonesia’s take on fried rice. Nasi Goreng is rice with bits of meat (mainly chicken and/or seafood), vegetables, spices, and eggs. There will be shallots, garlic, shrimp paste, some chili, and tamarind in most cases. In addition to kecap manis, the country’s ubiquitous sweet soy sauce, terasi (Indonesian shrimp paste) is what sets nasi goreng apart from other fried rice variations you’ll see elsewhere.
Gado-gado (Indonesian or Betawi) is an Indonesian salad of raw, slightly boiled, blanched, or steamed vegetables and hard-boiled eggs, boiled potato, fried tofu and tempeh, and sliced lontong (rice cake wrapped in a banana leaf), served with a peanut sauce dressing.
Gado-gado has been promoted as one of five national dishes of Indonesia; the others are soto, sate, nasi goreng, and rendang. Soto ayam is chicken noodle soup—Indonesian style! Lemongrass. Lime leaves, ginger, garlic, and, of course, spices. Crispy fried chicken, fried shallots, cilantro, rice noodles, and a medium-boiled egg. This is Indonesia’s answer to ramen.
TWO DECADES OF EXCELLENCE
At Turning Winds, it’s people like Veronica and Melissa who make the difference. We have built a team of academic and therapeutic professionals who share the same goal: helping teens re-engage meaningfully with their lives, families, and their futures.
Turning Winds uses comparatively long treatment durations, a specialized milieu, and experiential therapy to deepen the effectiveness of care. Our holistic approach, relational focus, and emphasis on achieving authentic client openness make Turning Winds especially effective at facilitating positive outcomes and long-term change.
Our mission is to rescue teens from crises, renew their belief in their potential, reunite them with their families, and put them on a sustainable path to success. Contact us online for more information, or call us at 800-845-1380. If your call isn’t answered personally, someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
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Check out the Turning Winds Podcast Series “Understanding Teen Mental Health”
