Amateur chefs get their chance.Byline: Ben Fuchs The Register-Guard Heaping mounds of made-as-you-watch tamales, piping hot off the grill. Rich, melt-in-your-mouth corn meal pupusas, bursting at the seams with bean-and-cheese stuffing. Delectable, deep-fried bunuelos, doused in cinnamon and sugar. Hungry yet? Thought so. The 12th Annual Fiesta Latina was in full swing Saturday at Washington-Jefferson Park in Eugene with all the sights, sounds and aromas of Latin America Latin America, the Spanish-speaking, Portuguese-speaking, and French-speaking countries (except Canada) of North America, South America, Central America, and the West Indies. . The melodies of Son Melao and other local bands drew a crowd to the main stage, but across the plaza at the La Cocina food court, another group was putting on a show of its own. With help from Adelante Si, a Eugene-based nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. that promotes Hispanic culture Hispanic culture is a term used to identify the culture found in Spain and in the countries that were part of the Spanish Empire, including Mexico, Peru and other countries that were formerly part of New Spain and the Viceroyalty of Peru. , six local families were making their debut in food service. Serving up everything from quesadillas to pozole po·zo·le n. Variant of posole. , these amateur chefs were mixing family culinary secrets with traditional Latin American favorites. The goal of La Cocina is to give Hispanic families a taste of the restaurant business. Chosen from a large pool of applicants, families are allowed to sell their concoctions at booths set up on the periphery of the festival. La Cocina directors teach the families the ropes of the food service business and handle logistics such as getting permits and dealing with food inspectors. The families, using their own food and cooking supplies, merely have to whip up tasty meals and sell them to the public. If they are successful after three years, they "graduate" to booths in the main Fiesta Latina food court. Fiesta Latina chairwoman Rebeca Urhausen, in a vibrant yellow dress and colorful flower scarf, said La Cocina started 11 years ago to train families to run their own restaurants. "We try to teach them to be self-sufficient in the food business," she said. "That way in three years, they're going to be fully trained." El Salvador El Salvador (ĕl sälväthōr`), officially Republic of El Salvador, republic (2005 est. pop. 6,705,000), 8,260 sq mi (21,393 sq km), Central America. native Blanca Berguin contributed her own culinary expertise to La Cocina on Saturday. A phlebotomist phle·bot·o·mist n. 1. One who practices phlebotomy. 2. One who draws blood for analysis or transfusion. at Oregon Medical Laboratories, Berguin was busy whipping up sizzling siz·zle intr.v. siz·zled, siz·zling, siz·zles 1. To make the hissing sound characteristic of frying fat. 2. To seethe with anger or indignation. 3. elotes locos - grilled sweet corn topped with melted Parmesan cheese a kind of cheese of a rich flavor, though from skimmed milk, made in Parma, Italy. See also: Parmesan , mayonnaise and hot sauce. The Springfield resident is in her third year at La Cocina, and she said the best part for her is the camaraderie ca·ma·ra·der·ie n. Goodwill and lighthearted rapport between or among friends; comradeship. [French, from camarade, comrade, from Old French, roommate; see comrade. at the festival. "I like it because I see people I haven't seen in years," said Berguin, who recruited her husband, sister, daughter and nephews to help with the cooking. "And it's fun." The food's "homemade" taste was what attracted a few La Cocina regulars. "You're more likely to have authentic flavors and ingredients here," said Eugene resident Jim Watson
Jim Watson is a politician in Ontario, Canada. , chowing down on a plate of pastelitos Salvadorenos, corn tortillas stuffed with chicken, onions and potatoes. Friend Beth Naylor, putting away the last bites of a taco al pastor Al pastor, literally meaning "Shepherd Style", is a dish developed in Mexico City likely as a result of the adoption of spit-grilled meat brought by Lebanese immigrants[1]. The dish is similar to the Turkish döner kebab, Shawarma, or Greek gyros. , said the level of diversity found in La Cocina's dishes is hard to beat. "That's why we go here," said Naylor, a nutrition instructor at Lane Community College. "It's stuff that we may not have tried." Mexico native Rosario Ascencio graduated from La Cocina last year. Setting up "Angelina's," an independent operation at the festival for the first time this year, Ascencio said she misses the convenience of working with the help of La Cocina's directors. "There's a lot more responsibilities out here," she said, referring to the festival's main food court. "It's a little harder, but it's OK." La Cocina director Ofelia Amparo said the biggest reward of her job is watching family businesses take flight. She knows how difficult it is to open a restaurant because she plans to open her place, Mi Pueblo, later this month. Amparo has seen three families graduate from La Cocina in her three years as director. "I like to help these families get started up," she said. FIESTA LATINA The celebration of Hispanic culture continues today from noon to 6 p.m. at Washington-Jefferson Park, Fourth and Washington streets The following streets in the United States are called Washington Street:
CAPTION(S): El Salvador native Blanca Berguin gathers pastelitos on Saturday during her final year serving food at La Cocina, part of Fiesta Latina in Eugene. Fiesta: Buyers like chance to try new dishes Continued from Page D1 |
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