Local chefs celebrated children Friday in Puerto Escondido.
With El Día del Niño, or Children’s Day, falling on Sunday, chefs from several Puerto Escondido restaurants came together to celebrate children at a community library.
Chefs from Metxcalli, Raíz Hotel Boutique, Terraza Molli and Almoraduz, along with the local chapter of the national restaurant organization CANIRAC and the national arts council CONACULTA, feted children at the Biblioteca Comunitaria Nuevo Amanecer, located in Colonia Nuevo Amanecer, about 10 minutes outside of downtown Puerto.
CANIRAC chairman Quetzalcóatl Zurita remarked on the importance of attending to social causes and actively participating for the benefit of the people of Puerto Escondido.
“Restaurants join and support actions that generate community. A child’s smile is the most valuable thing in life, and we have come together, cooking and preparing healthy drinks with emblematic ingredients, to celebrate them on this very special day and to get a smile from all of them,” said Zurita, also co-chef at Almoraduz.
Chef Gerson Madrid of Metxcalli said he felt honored to celebrate children. “My dad is a fisherman, as a child I joined his fishing trips. All his care and dedication stayed in my heart and he motivated me to study gastronomy,” he said, addressing the Nuevo Amanecer children. “If you want to become a chef, research and read about cooking; if it is your dream, you will achieve it.”
Chefs Ainoa Armentia and David Aquino touched upon the importance of origin, stating that children should “learn about their roots, about what is prepared at their own homes, in their towns. My inspiration was my grandmother, she taught me to share the table and the kitchen. At the age of 7 I said, ‘I am going to study cooking and showcase the flavors Oaxaca has to offer.’”
Chef Esau Rendón observed that the children in attendance are “lucky to have a library. There are many cooks and chefs to learn from, I recommend you read, ask and be happy.”
The chefs were inspired by healthy and fun dishes like yellow sweet potato chips, club sandwich with lettuce, tomato, turkey ham, cheese, avocado and grilled chicken, as well as agua de jamaica with guava, guanábana and mango and a Día del Niño cake.
The occasion also marked the first anniversary of the community library, a facility that has grown through donations and caters to local Zapotec, Mixtec and Chatino families, mostly dedicated to fishing. The Biblioteca Comunitaria Nuevo Amanecer and its six volunteer teachers offer reading programs, skills games, an art workshop, psychological counseling, and school regularization courses.
“We appreciate the support of the teachers, the donations from nationals and foreigners, the dedication of those responsible for this space and the support of the chefs, who with their life stories and the dishes they prepare bring happiness to the children of this community,” said cultural promoter Georgina Machorro.
El Sol de Puerto
