Tia Maria Rosca de Reyes pop-up brings Roseland bakery’s treats to Sonoma Valley

Tia Maria Cafe was launched in 2018, first with the rosca de reyes pop-up and later the full cafe. Now the spot, once the site of an abandoned bar and overgrown with ivy and weeds, is teeming with locals and their own stories and traditions. Giant paper dahlias adorn the walls, both to honor Seppi’s gardening aunt (tia means aunt, in Spanish) who loved the flower and to echo Mexico’s national flower.

The bakery sells luscious concha sweet breads, tres leches cakes, cookies and sandwiches made at the Costeaux company facility. Several days a week, Linares’ mom arrives to make flan and rice pudding. And the Roseland bakery has become a community gathering spot, hosting events and meetings for local residents and featuring the work of local artists in murals on the outside of the building.

“People come in here and say this reminds them of home in Mexico. Even though it is their first time here, they try out pastries and fall in love with us,” Linares said. “I get my old teachers who come in and people I went to school with. People feel comfortable here.”

The Friday pop-up in Sonoma Valley is a chance to test the idea for another community cafe, on the eastern side of the county. Meanwhile, another Costeaux location, in Petaluma, is currently in the works.

“That is the whole thing with our retail locations, whether the Costeaux location or Tia Maria, providing these spots for the community to come together,” Seppi said.

“Technology is great and it is continuing to evolve and change the way we manage business and whatnot,” Seppi said. “But at the end of the day, I still think — and what has really come to light in the last two or three years — is that people still have a craving to be together. You want to celebrate life’s moments, enjoy a cup of coffee. And that’s what we strive to do — provide a welcome, hospitable environment.”

The following recipes are from Tia Maria bakery in Roseland. Pambazo, made with bread dipped in a pepper sauce and filled with potatoes and chorizo, is a popular snack in Mexico. You can find bolillos, a short roll similar to a baguette, and conchas, a Mexican sweet bread, at Tia Maria and local Latino grocery stores and bakeries.

Pambazo

Makes 4 servings

2 ½ cups russet potatoes, diced

10 guajillo peppers, seeds and veins removed

6 ounces chorizo

¼ cup white onion, diced

3 chiles de árbol

2 garlic cloves

1 cup chile water, reserved

4 bolillos, split lengthwise

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 ½ cups iceberg lettuce, shredded

Sour cream, to taste

¼ cup queso fresco

Salt, to taste

Green salsa, optional

Boil the diced potatoes in water until softened. While the potatoes are cooking, in a separate pan, boil the peppers in 5 cups of water until softened. Drain peppers, reserving 1 cup of the pepper water.

Remove the potatoes from the water. Put the potatoes, chorizo and onion in a saucepan and stir occasionally until the chorizo is thoroughly cooked and onions softened.

To make the sauce, blend guajillo peppers, chile de árbol and garlic cloves with the cup of reserved pepper water. Pour the sauce into a bowl large enough to dip the entire bolillo into, coating all sides (inside and out) with the sauce. Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan and fry the soaked bolillo on all sides (inside and out) until crispy. Remove bolillo from saucepan. Place the chorizo and potato mix inside the split bolillo. Add lettuce, sour cream, queso fresco and, if using, green salsa.

Tia Maria Horchata

Makes 8 servings

4 - 6 cups water

2 cups rice

1 stick cinnamon

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Quickly rinse rice under cold water. Place rice in bowl, cover with 4 cups water and soak for at least 1 hour or, for best results, soak 8 to 12 hours overnight.

Place cinnamon stick in a pan with 1 cup water over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn off and let steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Pour the cinnamon stick and steeped cinnamon water into the blender. Work cup by cup to blend in the soaked rice. Blend at high speed until pulverized. Add a final cup of water, if needed, to liquefy. Continue blending until all soaked rice has been incorporated.

With a fine-mesh strainer, strain the liquid from the solids into a container large enough to add the remaining ingredients. Discard the solids. Add vanilla extract and sweetened condensed milk, stirring vigorously until fully incorporated. Chill and serve. You also can enjoy it over ice, warmed with coffee or mixed with a favorite libation.

Tia Maria Concha Sandwich

Makes 1 serving

1 concha

1 large egg

2 pieces Sonoma County Meat Co. bacon or other bacon of choice

1 slice cheddar cheese

Slice the concha in half and lightly toast the halves in a toaster or frying pan. Prepare egg as desired; Tia Maria cooks recommend frying the egg.

Cook bacon to desired crispness. Then build the sandwich using the warmed concha halves as the bookends and layering the egg, cheese and bacon in between. Cut in half and serve. For a twist, add slices of fresh avocado.

Arroz con Leche

Makes 10 - 12 servings

2 ½ cups long-grain white rice

7 ½ cups water

3 cinnamon sticks

2 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk

¾ cup granulated sugar

Optional garnishes: ground cinnamon, shredded coconut and raisins

Place rice in a deep pot with the water. Add 3 sticks of cinnamon and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes.

Cook the rice until soft (do not wait for the water to fully evaporate). Once soft, add 2 cans of condensed milk and 1 can of evaporated milk to the soft rice.

Mix in granulated sugar and stir until sugar has melted. Turn off the heat and remove the cinnamon sticks. Serve hot or place in the refrigerator to serve chilled. Garnish with ground cinnamon, shredded coconut or raisins.