MEDIA CONTACTS

Ana Lucia Divins                                                Brian Cockman

The Mint Museum                                              Rooster Communications

Latino Community Education Liaison         President

AnaLucia.Divins@mintmuseum.org          brian@roostercomm.biz

704-337-2123                                                    877-210-3737, ext. 11

ArtSí’s “Con A de Arte” Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary With Gusto!

ArtSí, Charlotte’s premier Latino arts community initiative that supports and connects Latino/a artists in Mecklenburg County, today announced the event schedule for its 10-year anniversary Con A de Arte (A is for art) event. Con A de Arte, which highlights Hispanic arts and culture through live performances, entertainment and presentations, will take place on Thursday, June 20 from 6pm-9pm at The Mint Museum, 500 S. Tryon Street, uptown Charlotte. Two other events are also planned to commemorate the 10-year anniversary and include:

• Con A de Arte Kickoff Party – Saturday, June 15 at 9:00 pm, Cosmos Café, 300 N. College Street, uptown Charlotte
• Con A de Arte Literary Night at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Tuesday, June 18 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library – WEST BOULEVARD BRANCH, 2157 West Boulevard Charlotte, NC 28208.
• MAIN EVENT: Con A de Arte Closing Reception & Awards Ceremony – Thursday, June 20 from 6pm-9pm, The Mint Museum, 500 S. Tryon Street, uptown Charlotte

A special thank you goes out to the Con A de Arte presenting sponsors, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and The Mint Museum, as well as our in-kind sponsors Cosmos Café, Jennifer Cardenas, Edwin Gil, Latin American Contemporary Art Projects, and Rooster Communications. For a full list of donors and key supporters, please visit the ArtSi website at www.artsicharlotte.org.

About ArtSí: ArtSí Charlotte is a community initiative developed to support Latinos/as in the arts in Mecklenburg County. ArtSí Charlotte connects Latino/a artists to available resources, creates opportunities, empowers Latino/a initiatives and bridges the cultural, communication and financial barriers that Latinos/as in the arts may face. Further, it aims to connect the community as a whole with an amazing pool of talented and diverse artists in the Latino culture. Strategic direction, administrative support and programming is provided by the following organizations, members of the steering committee: Latin American Women Association, Levine Museum of the New South, McColl Center for Visual Art, Mint Museum and Queens University. For more information about ArtSí Charlotte, visit ArtSiCharlotte.org or find us on Twitter at @ArtSiCharlotte and Facebook at facebook.com/ArtSiCharlotte.

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ArtSí invita a la comunidad artística a ConnectARTE, un evento divertido de conexión artística que se llevará a cabo en McColl Center for Visual Art

29 DE ABRIL DE 2013 (Charlotte, NC) -ArtSí Charlotte, la iniciativa latina comunitaria de las artes que apoya, conecta y educa a los artistas latinos del Condado de Mecklenburg, anuncia hoy el lanzamiento de ConnectARTE, un evento trimestral gratuito, entretenido e informativo que provee una plataforma para que la comunidad artística local conozca a otros artistas y adeptos, para aprender acerca de los fondos y las oportunidades educativas de boca de los expertos, de informarse más acerca de las próximas exhibiciones, llamados a los artistas y mucho más.

El primer ConnectARTE se llevará a cabo el sábado, 18 de mayo de 2.013 de 3:00 a 5:00 pm en el McColl Center for Visual Art, localizado en 721 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202. Se ofrecerán pasabocas, refrescos y habrá demostraciones culturales de danza con la presentación de la compañía de danza contemporánea El Alma de la Luna. Los artistas también tendrán la oportunidad de visitar los estudios de arte y conocer a los artistas residentes del McColl Center for Visual Art. Los visitantes podrán aprender de primera mano acerca del proceso creativo y los trabajos que se están realizando actualmente.

El McColl Center for Visual Art es un centro artístico aclamado nacionalmente que se encuentra dedicado a conectar al arte y a los artistas residentes con la comunidad. Localizado en la histórica iglesia neogótica en el centro de Charlotte, este centro ofrece nueve estudios para los artistas residentes y más de 5.000 metros cuadrados de espacio de galería. La meta del centro es presentar al arte y a los artistas de una manera que involucre y enriquezca al público mientras revela el proceso creativo a través de estudios abiertos, eventos, proyectos comunitarios, programas educativos y el Instituto de Innovación. La galería es gratuita y se encuentra abierta al público los jueves y viernes de 3:00 a 9:00 pm y los sábados de 11:00 am a 6:00 pm. Para mayor información acerca del McColl Center for Visual Art, visite www.mccollcenter.org.

“El nuevo equipo de ArtSí Charlotte esta muy emocionado por conocer a los artistas de la comunidad latinoamericana en Charlotte. Al mismo tiempo, también queremos presentar a las organizaciones culturales que apoyan a ArtSí y compartir información sobre oportunidades disponibles para nuestros  miembros.” Dijo Claudia Soria, Artista Visual y Directora de ArtSí.

“ConnectARTE de ArtSí crea una espacio para unir las mentes que piensan en arte de la misma manera que lo hacen ustedes, esperamos que los artistas vengan, se conozcan los unos a los otros y se unan al movimiento del arte Latino Americano de la ciudad que cada vez es más grande.” Dice José G. Vazquez, Líder Comunitario de ArtSí y artista multidisciplinario.

Los próximos eventos de ConnectARTE se llevarán a cabo en septiembre y diciembre. El evento estrella de ArtSí, Con A de Arte,  que muestra las artes y la cultura hispanas a través de demostraciones artísticas y culturales, celebrará su décimo aniversario en junio de 2013.

“El McColl Center for Visual Art se compromete a acompañar, apoyar y compartir nuestros recursos innovadores con ArtSí con el propósito de ayudar a la comunidad artística latinoamericana a crecer creativamente.” Dijo Claudia González-Griffin, Gerente de Exhibiciones Residencias del McColl Center for Visual Art.

ArtSí invites the artistic community to ConnectARTE, a fun networking event to be hosted at McColl Center for Visual Art

APRIL 29, 2013 (CHARLOTTE, N.C.) – ArtSí, Charlotte’s premier Latino arts community initiative that supports and connects Latino/a artists in Mecklenburg County, announced today the launch of ConnectARTE, a quarterly free, fun and informational event that provides a platform for the local artistic community to meet other artists and art supporters, to learn about funding and educational opportunities from experts, to find out more about upcoming exhibitions and call to artists and much more.

The first ConnectARTE will take place on Saturday, May 18, 2013 from 3 to 5 pm at McColl Center for Visual Art, located at 721 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202. Light refreshments will be served and cultural dance demonstrations featuring the local dance company Alma de la Luna will be presented. Artists will also have the opportunity to visit the art studios to meet the artist residents of McColl Center for Visual Art. Visitors can learn about the creative process and the works-in-progress directly from the source.

Mc Coll Center for Visual Art is a nationally acclaimed contemporary art center dedicated to connecting art and resident artists with the community.  Located in a historic neo-Gothic church in uptown Charlotte, the Center houses nine studios for resident artists and over 5,000 square feet of gallery space. The Center’s goal is to present art and artists in a way that engages and enriches the public while revealing the creative process through open studios, outreaches, community projects, educational programs, and the Innovation Institute. The gallery is free and open to the public, Thursday and Friday from 3 to 9 PM and Saturday from 11 AM to 6 PM. For more information about McColl Center for Visual Art, visit www.mccollcenter.org.

“The new ArtSi Charlotte team is looking forward to meeting artists from the Latin American community in Charlotte. At the same time, the team also wants to introduce the organizations that support ArtSi and share information regarding opportunities that might be available to ArtSi’s members.” Said Claudia Soria, ArtSí Director and Visual Artist.

“ArtSi’s CONNECTARTE is your link to minds that think of art just the way you do, come meet them and become part of the growing Latino art community in Charlotte”. Said, José G. Vazquez, ArtSí Community Leader and Multidisciplinary Artist.

Upcoming ConnectARTE events will be scheduled for September and December. The signature event of ArtSí that showcases Hispanic arts and culture through art demonstrations Con A de Arte – A is for Art will celebrate its 10th anniversary in June of 2013.

“McColl Center for Visual Art is committed to partnering, supporting and sharing our innovative sources with ArtSí with the purpose of helping the Latin American art community grow creatively”. Said Claudia Gonzalez-Griffin, Residency and Exhibition Manager of Mc Coll Center for Visual Art.

Brian Cockman                                                          Ana Lucía Divins 

877-210-3737, ext. 1                                                 704-337-2123 

brian@roostercomm.biz                                       analucia.divins@mintmuseum.org 

COMUNICADO DE PRENSA 

ARTSI CHARLOTTE RESALTA LA EXCELENCIA Y CREATIVIDAD DE LOS ARTISTAS LATINOS

Llamado a Nominaciones de Artistas para el 10º Evento Anual Con A de Arte

La iniciativa de Arte Latino ArtSí, el cual apoya y conecta a los artistas latinos  del Condado de Mecklenburg, resaltará el arte latinoamericano de Charlotte durante el 10º Evento Anual Con A de Arte. El evento exhibirá las artes y la cultura hispanas a través de actuaciones, entretenimiento y presentaciones en vivo. Con A de Arte es gratis y abierto al público. Con A de Arte tomará lugar en el Museo Mint Uptown, , 500 South Tryon Street, el jueves 20 de junio de 6 a 9 pm.

Se invita a la comunidad a nominar a los artistas merecedores que se identifiquen a sí mismos como latinos y vivan y trabajen en el Condado de Mecklenburg. Todas las nominaciones se reciben por internet a más tardar el 15 de abril de 2013. Los jueces incluyen representantes de las siguientes organizaciones: Universidad Queens, McColl Center for Visual Art, Levine Museum of the New South y el Museo Mint.

LLENE LA FORMA PARA NOMINAR A SU ARTISTA EN:

 http://artsicharlotte.org/conadearte/

Los artistas seleccionados serán notificados el viernes 29 de abril de 2013.

Los artistas serán destacados en las siguientes categorías a través de presentaciones especiales o actuaciones: Teatro, literatura, música, artes visuales (moda), artes visuales (fotografía) y artes visuales (pintura). Para mayor información acerca del proceso de nominación, contáctenos vía e-mail: info@artsicharlotte.org. También puede contactar a Ana Lucía Divins, Presidenta de la Junta Directiva de ArtSí, e-mail:  analucia.divins@mintmuseum.org. Teléfono: 704-337-2123.

The opening of the Debora Arango exhibit at the Mint Museum in Charlotte,North Carolina, brings to light the fact that women artists have had to overcome obstacles that men did not have to face when incorporating certain subject matters into their art.

For centuries, female artists were prohibited from painting nudes from models. The mentality of the time could not conceive the idea that women, who were supposed to be the embodiment of virtue and purity, could paint the nude human body, which was seen as a symbol of sin and perversion. The genres that female artists could pursue were limited to family scenes, children, portraits, and still life, all of which could not contain nude figures. Even when female artists managed to succeed in the genres permitted to them, their art was not seen in the same light as the art of their male counterparts. The art produced by women was labeled “feminine” and its quality was considered second to that of men.

Female artists who wanted to be taken seriously had to conform to the expectations and implicit rules imposed by society, the religious establishment, and by the art world. Because of all the limitations imposed on women, there were a relatively small number of women who gained recognition as artists. Some of the better known include Italian artist Sofonisba Anguissola, Spanish painter Josefa de óbidos, and American impressionist painter Mary Cassat. Sofonisba Anguissola is widely considered the greatest female painter of the Renaissance. Her portraits of royal figures and notable families led some historians of the time to compare her to Titian. Josefa de óbidos gained recognition in her own time for the still life paintings that she created during the Baroque period. Mary Cassat, who painted during the second half of the nineteenth century, gained acclaim for her mother and child paintings which continue to be admired today.

Only when public education in the fine arts was made accessible to women in the United States and in Europe by the end of the nineteen century, and the prohibition on painting nudes from models was lifted, women were able to expand in full their artistic expression and accelerate their careers.

In the case of Debora Arango, whose artistic career spanned several decades in the twentieth century, her work of female nudes was labeled “obscene” by the Catholic Church in Colombia, her native country. It was also rejected by the public and by the mostly male art establishment. It has been only recently that she has received the recognition that she deserves.

Las mujeres en el mundo del arte

La apertura de la exhibición de Débora Arango en el Museo Mint de la ciudad de Charlotte en Carolina del Norte, saca a la luz el hecho de que las mujeres artistas han tenido que superar obstáculos que los hombres artistas no han tenido que enfrentar al tratar de incorporar ciertos temas en su creación artística.

Durante siglos, las artistas femeninas estuvieron prohibidas de pintar desnudos directamente de modelos. La mentalidad de la época no podía concebir la idea de que las mujeres, a las que se consideraba como la encarnación de la virtud y de la pureza, pudieran pintar el cuerpo humano desnudo, el cual era visto como un símbolo de pecado y perversión. Los géneros que las mujeres artistas podían incorporar en su arte estaban limitados a escenas familiares, niños, retratos y naturaleza muerta, los cuales, no podían contener desnudos. Aún cuando las mujeres lograron sobresalir en los géneros que ellas estaban permitidas de pintar, su arte no estaba considerado al mismo nivel que el arte de su contraparte masculina. El arte creado por mujeres era calificado como “femenino” y su calidad era considerada inferior al arte producido por los artistas masculinos.

Las mujeres artistas que querían ser tomadas en serio tenían que ajustarse a las expectativas y reglas implícitas impuestas por la sociedad, las instituciones religiosas, y el mundo del arte. Debido a todas las limitaciones impuestas a las mujeres, hubo un número relativamente pequeño de ellas que obtuvieron el reconocimiento merecido. Entre las más conocidas tenemos a la pintora italiana Sofonisba Anguissola, la pintora española Josefa de Óbidos y la pintora impresionista estadounidense Mary Cassatt. Sofonisba Anguissola es ampliamente considerada como la más celebrada del Renacimiento. Sus retratos de miembros de la realeza y de miembros de familias notables llevaron a historiadores de la época a compararla con Tiziano. Josefa de Óbidos ganó el reconocimiento de sus contemporáneos por sus pinturas de naturaleza muerta, las cuales fueron creadas durante la época barroca. Mary Cassat, que pintó durante la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, fue reconocida por sus pinturas de madres y niños, las cuales siguen siendo admiradas hasta el día de hoy.

Solamente cuando la educación pública en las bellas artes se hizo accesible a las mujeres tanto en los Estados Unidos como en Europa, a finales del siglo XIX, y la prohibición de pintar desnudos directamente de modelos se eliminó, las mujeres pudieron ampliar en su totalidad su expresión artística lo cual les permitió avanzar sus carreras de manera acelerada.

En el caso de Débora Arango, cuya carrera artística abarcó varias décadas en el siglo XX, su obra de desnudos femeninos fue calificada como “obscena” por la Iglesia Católica en Colombia, su país natal. Su obra fue rechazada también por el público y por el establecimiento del arte compuesto en su mayoría por artistas masculinos. Ha sido sólo recientemente que ella ha recibido el reconocimiento que se merece.

MEDIA CONTACT:                                                     ARTSI CONTACT: 

Brian Cockman                                                          Ana Lucía Divins 

877-210-3737, ext. 1                                                 704-337-2123 

brian@roostercomm.biz                                       analucia.divins@mintmuseum.org 

PRESS RELEASE 

ARTSI CHARLOTTE TO HIGHLIGHT EXCELLENCE & CREATIVITY OF LATINO ARTISTS

Call for Artists Nominations for 2013 10^th Annual Con A de Arte (A is for Art)

APRIL 2, 2013 (CHARLOTTE, N.C.) – ArtSí, Charlotte’s premier Latino arts community initiative that supports and connects Latino/a artists in Mecklenburg County, will highlight Latin American art in Charlotte during the 10^th Annual Con A de Arte 2013 (A is for Art). The event will showcase Hispanic arts and culture through live performances, entertainment, and presentations. Con A de Arte is free and open to the public.  Con A de Arte 2013 (A is for Art) will take place at the Mint Museum Uptown, 500 South Tryon Street, on Thursday, June 20 from 6 to 9 pm.

Anyone from the community is invited to submit nominations of deserving artists who self-identify as Latino/a and live and work in Mecklenburg County.  All on-line nomination forms must be received no later than Monday, April 15, 2013. Judges include representatives from the following organizations: Queens University, Levine Museum of the New South, McColl Center for Visual Art and The Mint Museum.

SUBMIT AN ON-LINE NOMINATION FORM TODAY AT:

 http://artsicharlotte.org/conadearte/

Selected artists will be notified by Friday, April 29, 2013.  Artists will be highlighted in the following categories through special presentations or performances: theatre, literature, music, visual arts (fashion), visual arts (photography) and visual arts (painting). For more information about the nomination process, you can contact e-mail us at: info@artsicharlotte.org or you can also contact: Ana Lucía Divins, ArtSí Steering Committee Chair, e-mail: analucia.divins@mintmuseum.org or Phone: 704-337-2123.

Photo by: Franklin Castro at Con A de Arte 2012

ArtSí anuncia su nuevo equipo de líderes comunitarios

ArtSí Charlotte, la iniciativa latina comunitaria de las artes que apoya, conecta y educa a los artistas latinos del Condado de Mecklenburg, anuncia la formación de su nuevo equipo de voluntarios que liderará el proceso de envolvimiento de ArtSí con la comunidad. Este grupo de voluntarios proveerá a la junta directiva (una junta compuesta de varias organizaciones) de continua retroalimentación, liderará la ejecución de programas y eventos y fomentará las conexiones sociales necesarias para la iniciativa.

Los nuevos miembros del equipo incluyen a Claudia Soria (Artista Visual de Bolivia), quien servirá como la directora del equipo, conjuntamente con los siguientes líderes comunitarios: José G. Vázquez (Artista Multidisciplinario de México), Kurma Murrain (Poeta de Colombia), Lynette Hinman (Artista Visual de los Estados Unidos) y Mónica Veckruise (Artista Visual de Perú). Las biografías completas e información para contactar a los miembros se pueden encontrar en http://artsicharlotte.org/#our-team/.

Con este comunicado ArtSí finaliza su proceso de restructuración organizacional el cual comenzó en enero cuando esta iniciativa comunitaria anunció la formación de una nueva junta directiva para proveer la dirección estratégica, el apoyo administrativo y una programación para el avance de las artes latinoamericanas en el área metropolitana de Charlotte. Efectivo el 1ero de enero de 2013, la lista de los aliados estratégicos de ArtSí incluyen: Latin American Women’s Association (LAWA), McColl Center for Visual Art, la Universidad Queens (El Centro de Estudios Latinos, la Oficina de Diversidad e Inclusión, y los Departamentos de Arte e Idiomas Extranjeros), Levine Museum of the New South y el Museo Mint.

Históricamente, la junta directiva de ArtSí ha estado compuesta por artistas y líderes comunitarios quienes ofrecen su tiempo y recursos para apoyar la misión de promover y conectar a los latinos en las artes. Esta nueva estrategia provee un modelo de primera clase que incluye no solamente una alianza de instituciones comprometidas con esta importante misión, sino también un grupo diverso de líderes comunitarios quienes mantienen una conexión fuerte con la comunidad artística en Charlotte.

Acerca de ArtSí: ArtSí es una iniciativa comunitaria creada para apoyar a los latinos en las artes en el Condado de Mecklenburg. ArtSí Charlotte conecta a los artistas latinos con recursos disponibles, crea oportunidades, impulsa sus iniciativas y sirve como puente para eliminar las barreras culturales, comunicacionales y financieras que  los artistas latinos pudieran enfrentar. Además, intenta conectar a la comunidad en general con una selección inigualable de artistas diversos representativos de  la cultura latina. Con A de Arte, el evento estrella de ArtSí el cual expone las artes y la cultura hispana a través de demostraciones artísticas, celebrará su décimo aniversario en junio de 2013.

Para mayor información de ArtSiCharlotte, visite ArtSiCharlotte.org o encuéntrenos en Twiter: @ArtSiCharlotte y Facebook: facebook.com/ArtSiCharlotte.

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LATINO ARTS INITIATIVE IN CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG IS EXPANDING   

ArtSí Announces New Membership Engagement Team

MARCH 25, 2013 (CHARLOTTE, N.C.) – ArtSí, Charlotte’s premier Latino arts community initiative that supports and connects Latino/a artists in Mecklenburg County, announced the formation of a new team of volunteers that will lead the community engagement process of ArtSí. This group of volunteers will provide on-going feedback to ArtSí’ steering committee (committee comprised of several organizations) and will lead the execution of programs and events by fostering stronger grassroots connections for the initiative.

ArtSí’ new membership engagement team will include: Claudia Soria (Visual Artist from Bolivia), serving as a Director of the team, along with the following Community Leaders: José G. Vazquez (Multidisciplinary Artist from México),  Kurma Murrain (Poet from Colombia),  Lynette Hinman (Visual Artist from United States) and Monica Veckruise (Visual Artist from Perú). Complete bios and contact information for members of this team can be found here: http://artsicharlotte.org/#!/our-team/

With this announcement, ArtSí completes its process of organizational restructuring which started in January of 2013 when this community initiative announced the formation of a new steering committee to provide strategic direction, administrative support and programming to advance Latin American arts in the metro area.   Effective January 1, 2013, ArtSí’s new strategic partners include: Latin American Women’s Association (LAWA), McColl Center for Visual Art, Queens University (Center for Latino Studies, Department of Art, Department of Foreign Languages and Office of Diversity & Inclusion), Levine Museum of the New South and The Mint Museum.

Historically, the steering committee of ArtSí has been comprised of artists and community leaders who volunteer their time and resources to support the mission of promoting and connecting Latinos in the arts. This new strategy provides a best in class model that includes not only an alliance of institutions committed to this important mission, but also, a diverse group of community leaders who keep a strong connection with the artistic community in Charlotte.

About ArtSí: ArtSí Charlotte is a community initiative developed to support Latinos/as in the arts in Mecklenburg County. ArtSí Charlotte connects Latino/a artists to available resources, creates opportunities, empowers Latino/a initiatives and bridges the cultural, communication and financial barriers that Latinos/as in the arts may face. Further, it aims to connect the community as a whole with an amazing pool of talented and diverse artists in the Latino culture. The signature event of ArtSí that showcases Hispanic arts and culture through art demonstrations Con A de Arte will celebrate its 10th anniversary in June of 2013. For more information about ArtSí Charlotte, visit ArtSiCharlotte.org or find us on Twitter at @ArtSiCharlotte and Facebook at facebook.com/ArtSiCharlotte.

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ArtSí is proud to share this important call for essays and creative works for Label Me Latina/o

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Dr. Michele Shaul
Professor, Department of Foreign Languages
Queens University of Charlotte
704.337.2318
shaulm@queens.edu
Co-Editor of the e-journal Label Me Latina/o
www.labelmelatinao.com

CALL FOR SCHOLARLY ESSAYS AND CREATIVE WORKS FOR
Label Me Latina/o

Label Me Latina/o (www.labelmelatinao.com) is an online, refereed international e-journal that focuses on Latino Literary Production in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The journal invites scholarly essays focusing on these writers for its biannual publication. Label Me Latina/o also publishes creative literary pieces whose authors self-define as Latina or Latino regardless of thematic content. Interviews of Latino authors will also be considered. The Co-Directors will publish creative works and interviews in English, Spanish or Spanglish whereas analytical essays should be written in English or Spanish.

Scholarly submissions should be between 12-30 pages in length and should follow the MLA Style Manual. Original, unpublished submissions in Microsoft Word (PC compatible format) should be sent electronically to both of the co-directors: Kathryn Quinn-Sánchez ksanchez@georgian.edu and Michele Shaul shaulm@queens.edu
Creative poetry, essays and short fiction should not exceed 30 pages, 12 point font, double-spaced.

Deadline for the Fall 2013 issue: June 15, 2013.

Please include the following information in the body of the email:

· Full name
· Institutional Affiliation
· Telephone number
· Email address
· Regular mail address
· Title of the submission
· A brief biography to be included with publication should your submission be selected.

Please make sure that the actual manuscript bears no reference to the author’s name or institution.
Label Me Latina/o is indexed by the MLA International Bibliography and is listed in the MLA Directory of Periodical

By: Kurma Murrain 

Kurma Collins Picture courtesy of José G. Vazquez

I had tried all the ingredients before, but never in this combination.

There is nothing better than homemade food, and my Honduran friends really took the time to prepare this concoction.

The name is simple, “Chicarrón con yuca”; nevertheless, nothing has opened my taste buds like this in a very long time. While waiting,you just know they are boiling and chopping things, and the smell that is coming out of the kitchen is almost intoxicating. When the meal is ready the ritual goes as follows:

First, you take a plate and serve the boiled yucas (whole) to proceed to cut them in smaller pieces. Then comes the salad (lettuce based, with cherry tomatoes, carrots and cucumber, with a drizzle of vinegar), which has to be spread over the yuca. Then the tenderloin chops, which have been cut in small squares, marinated in lime juice, black pepper, salt, and cumin for about twelve hours, then deep fried in very hot oil.

But wait! That is not it. You drench all the above in the most exquisite hot sauce made with fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño peppers, and olive oil, cooked on low heat for about thirty minutes.

Sit straight, take the first bite, and while chewing this delicacy and smelling all these aromas, you can’t help it but sit back, close your eyes, slide down with a soft exhalation as your palate is surprised by the tangy, limey, crunchy, exotic dance that you enjoy individually and in complicity with the other guests.

Truly a recipe deserving of being in the book, Aphrodite, A Memoir of the Senses.