LAS COMADRES PARA LAS AMERICAS
Wishes everyone a very healthy and happy New Year.
Here to help us Celebrate the Holidays is
SOL Y CANTO
Rosi and Brian Amador
for our annual
HOLIDAY CONCERT
Here is the play list for tonight
Mi burrito sabanero
I’ll Be Home for Christmas
Silent Night
Por la serranía
Alegre vengo
Los peces en el río
Calor
Brian’s Abuelita poem
White Christmas
Dame La Mano Paloma
Feliz Navidad
HAPPY HOLIDAYS. FELICES PASCUAS.
LAS COMADRES SPEAKER SERIES
DECEMBER 2021
Rosi Amador will discuss “My Life in Song,” and her roles as Company Director for Sol y Canto; Founder of MusicAmador (a music agency); President of the Latin Music Division of the Roots Agency; and founder of Amador Bilingual Voice-Overs (ABVO).
Rosi Amador got her love of Latin American rhythms and musical styles from her performer parents. Her Nuyorican mom was a dancer, singer and actress who appeared with Bob Hope, Dean Martin and Cantínflas [Mario Moreno]; her father began in radio in Bueno Aires and later became an actor who toured all over Latin America. Rosi and her musical artist husband founded Sol y Canto in 1994 and continue to tour nationally. In 1998, Rosi founded her Latin music agency, MusicAmador, and was later President of the Latin Music Division of the Roots Agency; both agencies represented major Latin American music and dance ensembles in the U.S. and Canada. She and her husband also founded their bilingual voice-over company, Amador Bilingual Voice-Overs, which provides Spanish and English narration to companies like National Geographic, Comcast, New York Stock Exchange, Barefoot Books and many more. Learn more about Rosi at https://
The HOLIDAY CONCERT will follow Rosi’s discussion.
FROM COMADRES CONNECT! NEWSLETTER - SUMMER EDITION
Named in honor of DR. NORA DE HOYOS COMSTOCK, The Nora Awards recognizes Comadres who exemplify the virtues of Loyalty, Generosity, Sisterhood and Kindness. Winners were nominated by their fellow Comadres. The Friend of Las Comadres award recipient was chosen for its continual support of Las Comadres over the past 21 years. Awards were presented during the Worldwide Comadrazo 2021.
WINNERS
COMADRES
OF THE YEAR – Yadhira González-Taylor
COMADRE
COMMUNITY SERVICE – Dr. Charley Ferrer
FRIEND
OF LAS COMADRES – Austin Community Foundation
SPOTLIGHT ON YADHIRA GONZALEZ-TAYLOR
COMADRE OF THE YEAR
By Jacqueline Quiňones
“Nora seemed to grab the entire room, the entire world, and give them a hug,” says Yadhira. They stayed in touch after the conference, and soon Yadhira was a member of Las Comadres. She started the Bronx Comadres Network, which met on Saturdays at the local library, but is currently on hiatus.
Yadhira found the Worldwide Comadrazo & 21st Anniversary Celebration inspirational, especially since the keynote speaker was The Honorable Nellie Gorbea, Rhode Island’s Secretary of State and long-standing Comadre. Secretary Gorbea’s speech about her struggle as a grassroots underdog resonated with Yadhira, as she too is running for office -- Judge of the Civil Court of the City of New York, Bronx County in the 2nd Municipal Court District. Yadhira didn’t ever plan on being a lawyer. As a childhood abuse survivor, she wanted to be a police officer, instead, she joined the army and afterward became a prosecutor.
“Hearing Comadre Nellie’s story,” states Yadhira, “energized me and made me feel like anything is possible.” She is embracing her win as Comadre of the Year and looking forward to serving her community… on the bench or not.
Learn more about Comadre of the Year Yadhira Gonzalez-Taylor at www.ygt4bronxjudge.com.
SPOTLIGHT ON DOCTOR CHARLEY
FERRER
COMADRE COMMUNITY
SERVICE AWARD WINNER
By Esperanza Beltran
Through CancerTamer, Dr. Charley provides endless support for women, and men, with breast cancer. There are many ways in which her organization uses knowledge and creativity to help Breast Cancer patients, past and present, a TV show, a crochet club, books, theatre plays, and peer-to-peer counseling, just to name a few.
Dr. Charley’s CancerTamer organization is different in that they help women be at peace with their bodies, a message that is opposite to the mainstream. Where women were accustomed to hearing messages of fighting and war-like attitudes, Dr. Charley has come in and delivered a message of peace and understanding. Thanks to Cancer Tamer, there is a new message of hope for her fellow New Yorkers and beyond.
Of
the many awards she has received for her work, the Nora Award is the most
meaningful, she said, as she held up her rose-engraved glass.
Thank
you, Dr. Charley Ferrer, for your amazing work!
Learn
more about Dr. Charley and CancerTamer at www.cancertamer.org.
FRIEND OF LAS COMADRES AWARD RECIPIENT - AUSTIN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
INTERVIEW
WITH JONATHAN BARONA
ACF
Donor Relations Officer
By Rosa Beato
How do you feel being the first company to be chosen for the Nora Award for Friend of Las Comadres?
Jonathan Barona: Very excited! I’ve known Nora for five years. I have been involved with Las Comadres long before that. Nora is so connected and involved with the community through its development and transformation. ACF was just excited to get nominated, but more importantly we continue supporting projects from Las Comadres in any way we can.
What is the Austin Community Foundation?
The Austin Community Foundation was established in 1977 as a place to connect with the community and engage in philanthropy. ACF works closely with county and state representatives, but its focused is on supporting the local community.
ACF does philanthropy. We’ve created a fund that offers grants to local community non-profit organizations, who offer direct services or have a direct need.
How do you do Outreach?
The Foundation is well-established, well-connected, and respected. Many seek us out for funding. We share community information and resources via social media.
Do you do any collaboration with colleges and universities?
We manage about 130 scholarships funds, which is a major way for student to get funding. We also do grant making for organizations supporting education.
How has COVID affect the organization?
So much of what the ACF does is relationship based. We found that whenever there’s a crisis, the community steps up. The lack of face-to-face has been difficult, but our donors have stepped up.
What message do you have for the community?
Marketing is about people, it’s about relationship building. We encourage everyone to make personal connections, and to reach out to other communities, foundations, and local organizations.
Any recommendations and parting words for Las Comadres?
There’s no one way to get involved. There are lots of ways to make an impact and help the community. Find an area or skills that you are passionate about and give back to the community; support the community in that way. Figure out what you like. We are excited to see what’s next and where you grow. Las Comadres’ power is the relationship, mutual support and el cariňo that you have towards each other. That needs to be the key element of Las Comadres even as you continue to grow. Having those relationships and love is what is inspiring about Las Comadres. What really is impactful is that you are building those relationships amongst Latinas.
For about the Nora Awards or about Las Comadres,
Visit us at www.lascomadres.com.
FROM COMADRES CONNECT! NEWSLETTER -- Summer Edition
Versatility
of Plantains
by Eris Garriga
When you visit a Spanish restaurant, sometimes they serve plantain chips, or they decorate an appetizer with fried thin plantain slices. Almost all the time, as a side dish, you´ll find tostones (twice-fried plantain slices), also known as patacones in South America. In Puerto Rico we use plantains for various dishes: mofongo, tostones, pastelón, piñón, piononos, for sancocho, grated for soup or pureé (cremita), arañitas, stuffed balls, and mixed with green bananas to make pasteles. Recently, a video on YouTube showed plantains used in making empanadas. A favorite for many foodies are yellow plantains in making amarillos (fried sweet plantain slices), rellenos, with syrup in some versions. In Chicago, the jibarito sandwich is made with fried green plantain slices instead of bread.
In the 1859 1st edition of El Cocinero Puerto-Riqueño, its author
mentions that large green plantains are called machos and the ripe ones
hembras. Plátano is a plant/herb, not a tree, called mata de plátano in
Spanish. Even though the plantain is a fruit, many Puerto Ricans consider the
green variety a vegetable (vianda). Plantains are a good source of potassium
and high in fiber. Some plantain dishes noted above (pastelón, piñón) are
stuffed with meat or seafood. Vegetarians can substitute the meat for soy
protein, prepared and seasoned the same way as a meat filling. What follows is
a vegetarian recipe for stuffed plantain canoes or canoas de plátanos maduros
with soy protein, which you will find in my vegetarian cookbook Eris’ Green Kitchen (pg. 239). This is
a great dish for non-vegetarians to try out.
Stuffed Plantain “Canoes” /
Canoas de Plátanos Maduros
Portions: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
4 large ripe plantains
2 cups crumbled soy protein
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sofrito
2 garlic cloves, finely mashed
1⁄2 tsp sazón or adobo
1 tbsp onion, finely minced
1 tbsp pimento stuffed olives, sliced
1 tsp small capers
1 tbsp red bell peppers, finely chopped
1 small tomato, diced small
3 cilantro sprigs, minced
1⁄4 cup tomato sauce
1 cup vegetable broth
salt & pepper to taste
3 tbsp salted butter, softened
grated white tropical cheese or one of
your preference
Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C)
peppers, tomato and cilantro. Sauté for
2 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add tomato sauce and soy
protein. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add vegetable broth. Taste for salt and
pepper. Cook 5 more minutes or until liquid is evaporated. Set aside.
3. Peel plantains. Cut lengthwise along the inside curve, being careful not to cut all the way through.
4. Cut 4 aluminum foil sheets, 10” x 10”, and brush them with butter or cooking spray. Place one plantain per sheet and then place them on a baking sheet.
5. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until almost golden brown on both sides. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.
6. As soon as they cool, stuff them with the cooked soy protein. Top with cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted, approximately 5 more minutes.
Erisbelia Garriga (Eris to friends), a native of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, did her undergraduate studies at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, and graduate studies at New York University. After some years in high school and college teaching, she worked for the NYC Health & Hospitals Corporation. After retirement, Eris has published four cookbooks: Homestyle Puerto Rican Cooking, Sabrosuras Boricuas, De la Tierra con Sabor, and Eris’ Green Kitchen. These cookbooks have been recognized by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, the International Latino Book Awards, El Instituto de Puerto Rico en la Ciudad de Nueva York, The National Puerto Rican Association Preserving Culture and Heritage, LLC, The New York Book Festival, and the 2020 International Book Awards. These four cookbooks promote the rich culinary tradition of Puerto Rico. You can find her cookbooks at https://homestylepuertoricancook.square.site, www.eriskitchen.net, FB/eris garriga and FB/Homestyle Puerto Rican Cooking Cookbook.
SUMMER TIPS
Drink plenty of water.
Stay indoors during hottest part of the day.
Wear sunscreen.
Wear
sunglasses.
Moisturize
often.
Enjoy
the great outdoors.
Connect
with your Comadres.
Read
Latino Lit!
AGUA DE PEPINO
Ingredients:
1 medium cucumber
8 Mexican limes
8 Spearmint or mint leaves
1 cup of sugar
½ Gallon of water
Instructions: Peel
the cucumber and cut it into chunks.
Juice the limes. Add cucumber, lime juice, mint and 2 cups of
water to your blender. Pour mixture into ½ gallon pitcher,
add sugar and remaining water.
Stir. Chill or serve over ice. Garnish with spearmint leaf. Enjoy.
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE
I want to be like the waves in the sea.
I want to be
like the clouds in the wind.
But I’m me. One
day I’ll jump out of my skin.
And shake the
sky like a hundred violins.
--Sandra Cisneros
LAS COMADRES SPEAKER SERIES PRESENTS
Elizabeth Yeampierre on Environmental / Climate Justice
Wednesday, June 30 * 4pm PT/ 5pm MT/ 6pm CT/ 7pm ET & Puerto Rico
“Confronting climate change will mean changing
society.” –
Elizabeth Yeampierre
Climate change is a crisis of injustice, to both people and the planet. Climate justice encompasses not only environmental or physical changes in nature, but also ethical and political issues. Solutions exist and Grassroots Activists are being heard. Our speaker has been recognized as a Climate Warrior and one of the World’s Most Influential People in Climate Policy -- Elizabeth Yeampierre.
JOIN US on Wednesday, June 30, for an
interactive and enlightening presentation.
Check your time zone: 4pm PT; 5pm MT; 6pm CT; 7pm ET & Puerto Rico.
Registration is required. Once you’ve registered you will receive the zoom link.
REGISTER HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIqceGspzMiHdDJ0K2LNnQov0OCDPA-vetE
BIO: Elizabeth Yeampierre is Executive Director of UPROSE and Co-Chair
of the national Climate Justice Alliance. She is a long-time advocate and trailblazer for
community organizing around just, sustainable development, environmental
justice, and community-led climate adaptation and community resiliency in
Sunset Park, NY. Ms. Yeampierre has been a featured speaker at local,
national, and international forums, including Sage Paris 2015, 2016 GRI
Amsterdam, White House Forum on Environmental Justice, Yale, Harvard, Cooper
Union, Columbia, and universities, colleges, and conferences all over the
country and spoke at the opening climate rally for Pope Francis at the National
Mall, The Battle for Paradise at Cooper Union with Naomi Klein. Her work is
featured in several books, in addition, being featured in Latina Magazine, VOGUE,
Vanity Fair, The Guardian, Grist, American Prospect, Al Jazeera, Huffington
Post, Democracy Now, The Intercept, and a variety of media outlets throughout
the United States, Latin America, and Europe. In 2014, Ms. Yeampierre was part
of the People’s Climate March Mobilization leadership – a march of over 400,000
people across New York City. She played a major role in ensuring the frontline
was made up of young people of color and successfully proposed adopting the
Jemez principles for democratic organizing, which have since become the roadmap
to building just relationships in the climate justice movement. Elizabeth was
featured in the NY Times as a visionary paving the path to Climate Justice. In
2018, she was awarded Frederick Douglass Abolitionist Award FD200. In 2020, she
was named by Apolitical as Climate 100: The World’s Most Influential People in
Climate Policy, and spoke at Oxford
University, and the Ethos Conference in Brazil. In 2021, Elizabeth appeared in
numerous news outlets such as Rolling Stone and Self Magazine and appeared on
national panels for The Business Insider. Learn more about Elizabeth and
UPROSE at www.uprose.org.
Here are some articles on Climate Justice for your perusal:
https://e360.yale.edu/features/unequal-impact-the-deep-links-between-inequality-and-climate-change
https://www.thecity.nyc/2021/1/17/22236287/brooklyn-wind-turbine-assembly-hub
https://www.ejnet.org/ej/jemez.pdf
COMADRES CONNECT!