The simplest answer to this question is that Dario was Anastacia's dad. He was among the first generation born on Quintana Ranch after its homesteading in the 1860s. Growing up in the Trujillo Creek Valley was far harder in Dario's day with the raising of most of the food and in the keeping of the Catholic faith within a small community. Dario was, by all accounts, a very devout man, participating in the building of the local 'blue church' as it's known now, the St. Carmel Chapel. Anastacia has said often how beautiful was his voice which he used singing in the church choir as well as building for himself a small chapel behind their house complete with organ for him to hold his own, private services. Though small in physical stature, Dario was a towering figure in Anastacia's memory, occupying a place of great affection and respect to this day, nearly a century after her birth. She remembers him as a source of strength and comfort within the then-thriving culture of the Valley, wearing often a compassionate smile on his handsome face, working together with neighbors, his house a safe place for families in need.
But who IS Dario? Dario Quintana is, sadly, gone now but the Valley is not without its Dario. Named for his great-grandfather, our Dario Lucero is generations past the elder's devout Catholicism but not without his own brand of belief and opinion. He has the Lucero sense of humor but inherited Grampa Dario's serious side being studious and ever seeking out the most accomplished path. And it was his desire for excellence that brought us our robust and prolific sourdough starter. Dario, already an able baker, grabbed on to the sourdough wave at the start of the Pandemic lockdown. Through his typical attention process and keeping detailed lab notes, he was able to produce a viable culture of bread bugs that now forms the foundation of Anastacia's House Bakery product line. He's also contributed the impossibly buttery and flakey crust recipe for our pie and empanada shells. Though he's far away at the moment, chasing other academic pursuits, this, our present Dario, still adds life to the Valley every day. It truly is History in the Baking.
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