Announcing VIVO: Days of the Dead 2010

I'm thrilled to announce I'll be participating in the Oakland Museum of California's (OMCA) Days of The Dead exhibition! I was asked to paint a large scale mural that promotes the show and educates visitors about the tradition of Days of The Dead.

Artwork by Jesse Hernandez

More about the Show:
Ten artists, local schools and community groups will create installation and ofrendas (offerings) focusing on local and international issues. According to Guest Curator Jaime Cortez this year's title "VIVO" connects beautifully with the exhibit's concept. Vivo literally means "alive" but it also means smart, clever or astute. Vivo also means vivid, or bright. "The word vivo also reminds us that Dias de los Muertos is a living, ever-evolving tradition" said Cortez.

Dates:
The exhibit will be on view from October 6 to December 5, 2010. A community celebration is scheduled for October 23rd, from 12:00 to 4:30 pm, included with the regular OMCA admission. Please join us and enjoy food, dance, music and gallery tours.

To learn more about this exhibit please visit OMCA's website

Coconut Horchata - A Recipe from Tapachula

Finally, blogeritos and blogerinas! After a cold Summer seems like we have some sunshine in San Francisco. Like I always say, warm weather reminds me so much of Tapachula, in Chiapas. I lived in Tapachula for only a year, but I used to visit often way before hurricane Stan destroyed the Soconusco region in the Southern most region of Mexico.

Tapachula's cuisine is very alluring, mixing Mayan and Spanish traditions, with some touches of African, Chinese and Japanese influences. The cuisine is not what folks usually think of as "Mexican Food" north of the border. It includes exotic local vegetables and fruits, savory tamales and unusual seafood and game (wild boar, iguanas, round water crustaceans called chiquirines, and turtles).


Tapachula is sweltering hot! Hence the tradition of cooling and nourishing drinks all over the coast of Chiapas. This is a recipe to prepare a refreshing, milky Horchata de Coco. To prepare it, you'll need the following ingredients:

• A fresh coconut
• A dry coconut
• One cup of rice
• One cup of slivered almonds
  
• A stick of cinnamon
• Lemon peel
• A vanilla bean
• Sugar, or agave nectar to taste

Start by soaking the rice, almonds and Cinnamon overnight in six cups of water. The next day, you'll be ready to start adding the flavoring ingredients.

Split the vanilla bean in two. Using a dull knife, scrape the inside part as shown in the picture. Add some lemon peel as well to your previously soaked ingredients.


Add all your ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Boil only for one minute so the rice has softened a bit but it is not mushy. If the rice cooks and it gets very soft it will change the texture of the rice and the flavor of the horchata.


Let the rice mixture cool. In the mean time, prepare some coconut milk by combining the water of a fresh young coconut and the fleshy white part of a dry coconut. You can open the young coconut with a very sharp knife or a cleaver. You can also use the thin, gel like coconut to flavor your drink.


Check out my instructions on how to split a dry coconut on my previous post - Fear, gifts and Sacrifice: When the Coconut Cracks

Combine the coconut water, the coconut flesh and the young coconut gel using a blender. You now have coconut milk ready to use!

Process the rice mixture in the blender as well, in small batches and strain*. Add about four more cups of water, the coconut milk and sweeten to taste. That's it - serve very cold!

*Note, according to your taste, you may need to strain the horchata again after you add the coconut milk.

La Loteria: Hand, World and Heart (and the Devil)

I received this card on the mail the other day. The Devil! No, it was not some weird form of hate mail asking me to repent and mend the error of my ways. I was an invitation to participate in the Center for Book and Paper Arts' exhibit -Mano/Mundo/Corazon: Artists Interpret La Loteria

La Loteria is a game similar to Bingo. The most popular version of this game was probably drawn in the 1920's, but the game has been around since the 1800's. Each card features iconic and archetypal images. Some of the cards have symbolic meaning dating back to Pre-Hispanic times, while other cards could also correspond to the Tarot's major arcana:

El Sol /The Sun/Tonathiu.

La Luna/The Moon/Coyolxahuqui.

La Estrella/The Star/Citlali.

La Muerte/Death/Miclantecuthli,




I was actually thrilled to have received El Diablito. The image was up my alley - devils seem to make their way into my art often. The obvious symbolic meanings for the devil are evil, fear and basically everything that is bad. But my personal mythology interprets Diablitos (little Devils) as naughty, playful, mischievous characters related to the basic element of fire. They represent passion, a spark of creativity and our desire to "let loose", to do things often frown upon. If we are extremely fearful, overly prudish, judgemental, and repress our genuine feelings unfairly, something minor could come back in more sinister ways. This is my version of the card:




Mano/Mundo/Corazon: Artist Interpret La Loteria opens on September 9, and it runs to December 10 in Chicago's Center for Book and Paper Arts The opening reception is on September 9, from 5:30 to 8:30 pm. To learn more about the Center for Books and Paper Arts visit Columbia College in Chicago

Red Hot Chile Salt

Hello Blogeritos! I've been busy but I have lots to share! Stay tuned. I hope everyone is having a great Summer. One of the things I love about the Summer is the produce. Corn, tomatoes, Summer squash and so many other fresh veggies are in season. I saw some juicy red chiles at the farmer's market the other day, so I decided to make this delicious red hot chile salt!

Street vendors in Oaxaca and Chiapas make chile salt similar to this one to season peanuts, pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds) and fresh fruits and veggies. It is super simple! You'll need the following ingredients and utensils:

• A cup of salt
• 5- 6 fresh red peppers, like Thai, Mirasol or Tabasco
• Mortar and pestle
• Salt shaker
• Coffee grinder (optional)

Grind the chiles and the salt together in the mortar. I'm using a small marble mortar and pestle, but traditionally this is done in a volcanic stone molcajete. Choose only the freshest, juiciest chiles, or you'll have a hard time flavoring the salt and breaking the chiles apart. Work the skin and seeds into the salt, so everything starts to break down.


Transfer the chile salt to a plate and spread it evenly. Let it dry on a sunny window for a couple of days before you store it in a salt shaker. Look at the picture below. The salt on the right was ground twice, the salt on the left is a bit more chunky. If you want a finer salt, grind the skins and the seeds in the mortar once again, or process it in a coffee grinder. I have two coffee grinders, one for coffee and one just for spices (let the salt rest for a minute before opening the coffee grinder! The salt may become airborne!)

Enjoy this red hot salt over roasted corn, pico de gallo, crispy jicama or any dish that needs a little spicing. Have a fiery hot summer!

Fear, Gifts and Sacrifice: When The Coconut Cracks

Do you know the name in Spanish for the bogeyman, the legendary monster of childhood nightmares? South of the border the bogeyman is known as "El Coco". This nondescript creature used to scare children is also known as "El Cuco", the same name given to the devil. The word "coco" also alludes to the head. In Mexico, the saying "Le patina el coco" (his coconut slides) roughly translates as someone that has a few loose crews. A good knock to the head is also known as a coco or coscorron. "Dale de coco" means to use your brain, to put some effort into something. When the Spaniards saw coconuts they believed them to resemble little heads - so "Coco" is also the name in Spanish for delicious coconut fruits. Yes, botanically coconuts are fruits, not nuts. How nuts is that? And have you ever noticed how coconuts have "eyes" and a "mouth"?

Coconuts as Offerings and Sacred Guardians
For many cultures, the effort it takes to open a coconut is a symbol of overcoming difficulty and obstacles. It also teaches humility. Have you ever met a person that is never wrong? Their heads are hard as coconuts! Many cultures use coconuts as divine offerings. The picture below comes via Sri Karunamayi's page. It shows fresh coconut water used as an offering during a ritual. Sri Karunamayi (also known as Amma) is a spiritual leader that is also known as "the hugging saint". During Thaipusan , a festival in India, people also perform a coconut smashing ritual.


In Santeria, coconut shells are used for divination. Coconuts are also offered to Elegua, the deity that resides between crossroads. Elegua (also known as Eshu) is a mysterious fellow that is congruent to Hermes and Loki from Greek and Norse mythologies. He is the messenger of the gods, a trickster, and a road opener. In the Santeria tradition Elegua controls both fortune and misfortune. In her book Jambalaya, author and ritualist Luisah Teish describes the preparation of a coconut that serves as a protective guardian to be kept behind a person's front door. Writer Migene Gonzalez-Whippler also narrates a ritual that prepares a coconut ebbo (a gift) for Elegua, that also serves as a love spell. Five different liquors and candies are used to stuff a dry coconut. It serves as a symbol for making a person's head "drunk" with love for the one preparing the coconut. The following image of a coconut offering to Eleggua comes via Year in White, a site about news and general discussions about the Santeria faith.


Not too long ago, while visiting the big Island of Hawaii I was lucky enough to visit Kalapana, what once was a famous and beautiful black sand beach called Kaimu. The eruption of the Kilauea volcano in 1990 and 2008 destroyed most of the Hawaiian village and buried the beach under petrified lava. A local woman mobilized the community to create a new coconut grove. New coconut plantings will replace the ones destroyed by the lava. In a way, her efforts served as coconut gifts for future generations to enjoy. At the new Kaimu beach I took a photo of a simple offering that was left on the beach. It was a coconut and a flower lei, possibly for Kali, Goddess of the volcanoes. The lava flow has not stopped. That night me and my boyfriend hiked to see the lava flow at Kalapana. The stars shone bright, and the red river of lava was both creation and destruction. It was an experience I'll cherish for the rest of my life.



The Challenging Art of Opening a Coconut
Coconut is one of those foods that people either love or hate. I get a feeling that if people really dislike the sandy, extremely sweet and dry coconut bought out of bags - or they are reminded of the smell of the chemical synthetic coconut used in lotions. Fresh young coconut is really delicious, and coconut water is clean and refreshing. I'm not going to lie to you - opening a coconut is hard work. It is better to do it at your leisure, not while you have guests waiting for cocktails. See is a challenge - anyone can open a can, but opening a fresh coconut is a ritual, a metaphor for overcoming obstacles. You'll need the following materials:

• One dry coconut, clean of mold or other impurities
• A large clean napkin
• A clever or a large knife
• A mat or towel
• A canvas bag (for an alternate method)
  

So, going back to the "little head" I described at the beginning of this post: The "mouth" of the coconut is the softest part, it is located right at the seam below the "eyes" of the fruit. You need to locate that seam and crack it open by hitting it really hard with the cleaver. In order to not hit your hand by accident, wrap the napkin around the coconut and create a "handle" as shown in the picture.


Now, follow the seam you located earlier to the equator of the coconut. Using your cleaver, start hitting the seam all around. If you don't have a cleaver, use the blunt side of a large knife.


Place a mat or towel on your counter, for stability. You can also work on the floor, outside. Continue hitting the coconut choosing the weakest part - the "mouth", located right below the "eyes" and following the seams all around. This may take time, but you will eventually weaken the seam. Start hitting the coconut with harder blows using the clever, you could also use a hammer. After several vigorous blows, the coconut will crack.

A word of caution: If you have absolutely no practice in the kitchen (or using tools like hammers) don't do this! For an alternative method place the coconut inside a sturdy canvas bag, go outside, and smash the coconut against the floor (or a wall or a rock) until it cracks open. You may loose the coconut juice, but you'll be less likely to hurt yourself.

Usually fresh young coconuts have lots of clear juice. This juice is combined with oil and flesh from the coconut to create what is often considered "coconut milk". Dry coconuts may have some juice left before all the water has fully been absorbed into the flesh. You can use this water for drinks and for cooking. Be careful - if the coconut smells sour, don't drink the juice! Once the shell has cracked, you can drain it as shown in the picture and save the coconut water for later. You can also drill a hole in one of the "eyes" and drain the coconut beforehand.


Enjoy your reward - using a spoon separate the white flesh from the shell using a spoon or a knife. Bake the coconut halves for 15 minutes If you are having a hard time taking the flesh out. Clean the coconut flesh by separating the brown spots from the shell with paring knife.


So, don't be afraid of El Coco. With some planning, patience and practice, you'll overcome obstacles in no time.

Herb Watermelon Agua Fresca

Aguas Frescas are fruit drinks very popular in Mexico. This super simple recipe of "Agua de Sandia" uses a flavored mint syrup for a refreshing twist. If you are in a bold mood you can substitute basil for mint, or experiment with the herbs of your choice. Use the herb syrup to flavor other drinks like mojitos, juices and even sparkling water. You'll need the following ingredients:

For the Agua Fresca:

• 3 cups of fresh watermelon
• 6 cups of cold water
• ice cubes

For the herb syrup:

• One cup of coarsely chopped mint, basil or other fresh herbs of your choice
• Half a cup of organic evaporated cane juice sugar
• One cup of water

Prepare the syrup by boiling the water, herbs and sugar in a small sauce pan. Cook for about five minutes. Strain the syrup and store in a clean glass container. Using a blender puree the fruit and the water, If necessary blend in small batches. Serve in glasses with lots of ice. Just before drinking drizzle a little bit of the syrup and stir.


I hope you are enjoying your summer! I hope to post more recipes about some of my favorite summer drinks. I leave you with this haiku about watermelon:

"Del verano, roja y fria
carcajada
rebanada
de sandia"

"Summer's red and cold
chuckle
slice
of watermelon"

- Haiku by José Juan Tablada (April 3, 1871-August 2, 1945) . Tablada was a Mexican poet, art critic and diplomat. He traveled in Japan where he wrote and translated haiku, introducing the poetic form to Spanish language readers.

Hair Guide

Hair guide poster. Photo taken on Mission Street, San Francisco.