Postres Deliciosos Por La Navidad (n1)

     While the holidays are always a time to enjoy culinary family favorites, they can also be times of complete and utter despair shared by your loved ones as you sit down to [insert horrible family dish that continues to be made every year regardless of the lack of affection expressed for it, *cough fruitcake cough*] again. This year, let's be proactive about the situation. Here are some dishes that should be sure to add some zip to the dessert table this year.

Pan Dulce: Literally "sweet bread", this common sweet and delicious carbohydrate found often in Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Brazil, Peru,  countries is light and fluffy, with a hint of sweetness. Variations of the recipe exist, but here's one containing one of my all time favorite ingredients, raisins. Bonus: this version also requires translating. Christmas break may be coming...but the language nerd never stops learning. (Yeah, that was a tacky rhyme.)

 Los Polvorones: These "dusty" almond cookies, popular in España, are so simple yet melt in the mouths of every party guest as they reach for seconds, thirds, and maybe even fourths ( or fifths if you indulge like I do). Incorporate them into your Christmas cookie repertoire for something less complicated than those raspberry-anise-frosted-chocolate-twisted-sea salt-caramel-cracker-peppermint-log-bark-sandwich cookie things thrown around every holiday. 

La Rosca de Reyes: This dessert, translating to something like "king's bread/cake", is traditionally eaten across España and Latinoamérica during the celebration of the Epiphany (you know, that holiday that occurs 12 days after Christmas commemorating the arrival of the Three Kings at the manger where baby Jesus was hanging out?). The custom of eating la rosa de reyes comes with a number of meanings and observances. For me, the best part is the consumption of such a revered dish!

Biscoito de Goiabada: These shortbread bookies found in Brazil basic enough for anyone to master, and have the cutest little dollop of guava paste to give it an exotic touch. Guava paste (or guava jelly as a substitute) can be found in the Latin aisle of any grocery store worth its salt. (You know what else is in that aisle? These. Cookies. I can polish off a package of Goya wafers faster than Calle 13 can bust out lyrics. Anyway...). These fruity treats can cut through some of the more intense desserts very well.  

Coquito: This creamy holiday drink from Puerto Rico is comparable to eggnog as we know it, but with a richer and sweeter consistency. In place of heavy cream, whole milk, and bourbon, coquito contains sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream of coconut. Hints of vanilla and cinnamon round out the sweetness, and rum added just at the end cuts through the intense flavors. Certainly, it's a cheerful drink.

     There are, of course, a multitude of other delectable treats found in both hemispheres of the Spanish speaking world that can help make those cut out cookies seem a little less...aburrido. Enjoy these recetas, and eat all that you wish...it is the holidays after all!

The Hunt for Latin Christmas Music (n2)

    I don't know about you...but I'm feeling like there's got to be more Christmas music en espanol than José Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad"...not to say that's not a good song. Still, it seems that the U.S. is shut off from any other tune. And so, the hunt begins.
    In this search, I went straight to my go-to music resource NPR music, where I found this little intro to Latin Christmas music. After surfing through Catalina Maria Johnson's Navidad playlist, I have to say I'm impressed. She definitely was spot on when stating that a major difference between the music of Central and Latin America, and North American music, is that the former is often written for dancing. And what holiday needs dancing more than Christmas? Besides burning off all those cookies you scarf down at midnight when you think no one can hear you (or is that just me...?), exercise promotes the production of endorphins in your brain. Thanks to biology, that means dancing makes you happy, and is a proven cure against blue Christmases.
   I continued on my search...and was slightly annoyed to find that I had no idea what I was doing. A few sites popped up hear and there, and some playlists helped out, but nowhere could I find a definitive answer. So, I did what I should have done in the first place: talked to someone from a Spanish speaking country. A pen pal of mine (also hailing from Puerto Rico), gave me tons of recommendations as the perfect jumping off point for my own explorations into the music. Here are few of my favorites.

1. "Navidad Boricana" by Andrés Jiménez - Translating to "Puerto Rican Christmas", this song just made me plain old happy. Jiménez's music is known under the style of música jíbara, or Puerto Rican folk music, stemming from traditions of native Puerto Rican culture.

2. "Los Peces En El Rio" - This is a very popular villancico, or Christmas carol, whose catchy tune will probably get stuck in your head almost as badly as the twenty fifth rendition of "Frosty The Snowman" you hear on the radio. This song, however, is steeped in a bit more meaning. The lyrics describe the excitement of los peces en el rio, or fishes in the river, as the Virgin Mary awaits the birth of her son (spoiler alert for those who might not know...her son was Jesus.)

3. "Gatatumba" - Another popular villancico, this song has a nice singalong type rhythm, with lyrics dotted with mention of various instrumentos: el bombo, el rabel, la cascabel, y el tamboril. 

4. "Farolito"  by Gloria Esteban- Cuban born American singer Gloria Estefan sweetly lends her voice for this Christmas tune. Farolitos, or little lanterns, refers to the lanterns made from putting candles inside paper bags found in the Southwestern United States. These lanterns are believed to be a tradition stemming off of the lanterns, known as luminarias, used by Spanish merchants. Luminarias are used in México (primarily), during the customary Christmas celebration of Las Posadas. 


5. "Mi Burrito Sabanero" by Juanes - Okay, I suppose now is as good a time as any to confess my preference for the Colombian singer Juanes. As soon as this song popped up in my search, it went right to the list. This song, also known as "Burrito de Belen" or "El Tuqui Tuqui", is a charming Latin American Christmas standard, and Juanes adds a a folksy touch. You just may find yourself sing along, even if you have almost no idea what the words mean, like me.

     Hopefully, these songs will liven up your Christmas soundtrack this year, and I urge anyone looking for some variation in their holiday playlists to scan Pandora, Youtube, or Spotify.. In my opinion, we could all use a little Latin flavor to cut through the monotony of hearing "Jingle Bell Rock" sung by twenty different recording artists, right?

Here's wishing you and yours, "¡Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año!"

El Laberinto del Fauno (m2)

 Fairies meets Fascist Spain in the stunning, eerie fantasy film, "El laberinto del fauno", or en inglés, "Pan's Labyrinth". A favorite among many since the movie came out in 2006, Pan's Labyrinth continues to be a complex source of wonder for me.

      The genius of Pan's Labyrinth lies in a multitude of factors, perhaps the biggest being the underlying message that fantasy is a very credible way to escape the real world. A young girl, Ofelia, meets a mystical fawn, and carries out tasks using a magical book as her guide, so she may inherit the kingdom she is truly from. Meanwhile, in reality, the Spain of 1944 is filled with resistance fighters and fascist fighters. Ofelia's love of fairy tales marks her in a world filled with some very real horrors. As the movie progresses, and fantasy and reality mesh together, it becomes clear that bits and pieces of each side are present. There is gluttony, carnage, beauty, life, and death all mixed into one. The images of Ofelia's reality are made understandable, and ironically more palatable, when we see her take on tasks as Princess Moanna, her fantasy identity.

 There is, of course, just the sheer physical awe that "El laberinto del fauno" managed to accomplish. The sets were mostly constructed from scratch. Two of the primary mystical creatures, The Pale Man and the Faun, were at least 50% constructed from costume and makeup. True, CGI helped to take care of details, but I think it's fair to say that quite a bit of the movie magic in this film was hand crafted from the wizards headed under del Toro. 

     I could gush over "El laberinto del fauno" for hours. But, it is just a wonder you'll have to see for yourself. I won't lie, there is some carnage here and there (notably in the famous "dining room" scene), but it is all in the spirit of the fearful fantasy genre. The ugliness that coexists with the beauty of this film is something actually quite common in fairy stories, although most people would disagree with this dark truth, most likely thanks to popular adaptations and movies (read: Disney films). In the end, it makes for a remarkable film, making comments on social, cultural, emotional, artistic, and philosophical levels. These messages are for you to adventure through and decide. 

  





       

¿Son monstruos o amigos? (m1)

     If you were to travel back thirty seven years, más o menos, to the Mexican city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, you might come across a young boy walking to school. There might be nothing unusual about this boy, except for the blood coming out of his shoes. That would be from the metal bottle caps placed in shoes by his staunchly Catholic grandmother as a form of penance. Little did the world know that this boy would someday go on to direct and produce on two continents, and become a an influential figure in the film industry. That boy was Guillermo del Toro.
   The film visionary, fed by a life long obsession of things that go bump ( and more) in the night, invited his world to fuel his time as he studied film as early from the age of 8, and later formally in Guadalajara. He worked as a special effects and makeup artists, learning from the early greats in the business. Receiving his first big break with Cronos in 1993, winning nine Mexican academy awards. From there del Toro's career would take him to become a film legend, directing movies like Pan's Labyrinth and producing prolifically with Biutiful, Pacific Rim, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and many, many more.
     Guillermo del Toro's love of monsters and fantasy is prevalent through each movie. His art serves a primary function in his life, like a religion. He once stated that, "To me, art and storytelling serve primal, spiritual functions in my daily life. Whether I'm telling a bedtime story to my kids or trying to mount a movie or write a short story or a novel, I take it very seriously." As an avid artist, I'm no stranger to feeling that devotion to art, as I'm sure other types of creators feel.
   The continuing threads of fantasy in del Toro's films, both the ones he makes and produces, may be intensely creepy or seem like the twisted dreams of a child, but that's nothing to scoff at or diminish. To create a film of any magnitude with del Toro's type of imagination requires skill, dedication, and a willingness to embrace the fantasies one holds since they were young. Perhaps what I find most admirable about Guillermo del Toro is that he is living proof of the artistic philosophy that you should simply invest your whole self into everything, and remain authentic. He continued a creative passion into his adulthood, worked tirelessly to make his visions reality, and never once "sold out". He has, in the past, turned down enticing offers to do what he wanted to do, whether or not others agreed with that. He follows the vision from day one. The results of this integrity are numerous: he helped put Guadalajara on the map for the Mexican film industry, has received a bevy of awards internationally, and has served as a pioneer for the fantasy/horro genre.
    Overall, I think we can fairly agree that this film master is, above all, un artista. Here's a favorite clip of mine, where del Toro talks about his journey in making Pan's Labyrinth, as well as about his film making process. Enjoy! Last but not least, here's a favorite quote of mine from Guillermo del Toro:

"I believe in mankind. I believe in mankind, as the worst and the best that has ever happened to this world"

The American Music Awards....Emphasis on the "American" (L2)

   November 24th, as thousands of viewers may recall, were the American Music Awards, a night where artists of all genres and backgrounds are honored with performances, tributes, and of course, the prestige that comes with an award and the recognition of millions of fans. But another important statement was made: that of the role of Latin music in American culture.

    A common misconception that permeates U.S. culture is that when us citizens of the U.S. say "America", we are referring only to our 50 states. It seems that we forget that "America" truly refers to all of North, South, and Central America. While perhaps this cultural faux pas exists out of colloquial language and ease of identification (after all, in English there really is no word like estadounidense), I think it's time that we begin to notice how we can use the term "American". A perfect example of how it can bring us together, as many countries untied in one hemisphere, is through music.

   To set the tone for the night, bilingual rap and pop success Pitbull hosted the show. His smooth demeanor and distinct blending of both Spanish and English was the perfect crossover for the combination of music styles represented. This year's awards marked the 25th anniversary of the first Latin music performance on the AMA's, by one Gloria Estefan. This year also held the 15th anniversary of the introduction of the Favorite Latin Artist category. But the true highlight of this celebration of Latin music was Jennifer Lopez's tribute to the passionate Cuban salsa singer and performer, Celia Cruz.

    This event, however, was marked by some negative social media feedback. As has followed such events like Marc Antony singing "God Bless America" in July at the MLB All-Star Game, racist tweets surfaced. A common subject was why a "Mexican" was hosting the "American" Music Awards, despite the fact that Pitbull was born in Miami, and why Jennifer Lopez was singing in Spanish. The repetition of these xenophobic social media trends brings up a cultural issue. Why is the United States focused on denying Latin American influences their right to exist in this country? Granted, not every citizen shares this view, but it certainly permeates into our society. Perhaps instead of questioning bilingualism, place of birth, and nationality, we as a country should focus on the cultural and social benefits of merging cultural influences. The American Music Awards were certainly "American", incorporating sounds and songs from around the Americas. Comments aside, this event was a success in the celebration of American music...emphasis on the "American". 

The Real Reason Why I Don't Eat Rice Anymore... (L1)

    As, I think, most people familiar with Latin American rice and beans of any sort will tell you, in the northern United States we really don't know what we're doing when it comes to rice and beans. Seriously...whatever mothers, restaurants, and cafeterias have been providing to us can not do justice to the glory of what I once tasted; that being the Puerto Rican rice and bean dish, arroz con habichuelas rosadas.

    I remember it like it was yesterday. After becoming close with a now dear friend who moved to the U.S. from Puerto Rico, his mother sent us homemade meals for lunch. I had heard him rant more than once about the poor quality of the rice served at school...to which I could only agree. Yet I truly could not understand this man's dilemma, until I tasted what he had been blessedly exposed to his entire life. As he set down a steaming hot Tupperware container filled to the brim with chicken cooked in garlic and lemon, sauted peppers, tostones (fried plantains)and, of course, the famous rice and pink beans, my mouth watered in a particular breed of anticipation: the one reserved for sampling something you have never been exposed to in your entire life that you know is going to easily surpass everything you have ever eaten in terms of food awesomeness. Eying the feast laid on the table, I grabbed a bite as soon as could.

   There is only one phrase that comes to mind.

   I reached enlightenment.

   These beans...the rice...where are the words? It was at once creamy and slightly chewy, warm not only from the temperature but from the spices. Whatever that magical combination of spices was...it was time honored from cocina to cocina across the ages. Bursting with flavor at every corner, these rice and beans slid through every dusty corner of my digestive system that was left disappointed by bland carbohydrates. I had to sit down and take in the experience. It didn't even stop there. The tostones, dipped lovingly into mayoketchup (which is a blend of...you guessed it...mayo and ketchup), and the juicy chicken mixed lovingly with these rice and beans in a way that could only confirm my then new found appreciation for Latino cooking, culture, and the fact that someone had realized that mayonnaise and ketchup create a whole more beautiful than the part

   Since this magical moment, I've had one or two opportunities to again taste the magic of the food of another place. While I know I've only tasted a very tiny sample of cuisine from only one location in the Spanish speaking world, I feel that I can say without a doubt that this brief encounter with arroz con habichuelas rosadas has informed me that the dishes of this world are meant for my, and many others', taste buds. Buen provecho, my friends.