Tulane University

New Orleans con Sabor Latino is a documentary photography exhibit at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum (1 Poydras Street, Riverwalk Mall) curated, written, and researched by Zella Llerena and edited and photographed by Natalie Root. It celebrates the legacy of the impact of Latino cuisine on the food culture of New Orleans past and present. The exhibit documents the lives and stories of 12 New Orleanean Hispanics from diverse backgrounds. From farmers’ markets to fine-dining restaurants to New Orleans street cart vendors to home cooks, Sabor Latino is growing in New Orleans. As it melds with New Orleans traditional cuisine, a new cuisine is born.‘€™‘€™

Opening night and reception
Saturday, August 28, 2010
5pm to 7pm
Hor‘€™ dourves provided by Rio Mar
Exhibit opening night is free and open to the public.

Exhibit Sponsors
Southern Food and Beverage Museum
Chef Adolfo Garcia
Rio Mar
Natalie Root Photography

• To provide a photographic documentation of the Hispanic/Latin population increase in New Orleans post-Katrina and the resulting intermingling of food and culture.
• To celebrate the past and present Latino heritage in New Orleans
• To educate the community and visitors in Latin cuisine and how to infuse these flavors in New Orleans dishes via accompanying cooking demonstrations provided by chefs such as Adolfo Garcia throughout the exhibition period
• To build relationships among diverse communities

About the Curator
Zella Llerena, food curator and writer, is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University where she received a B.A. in Bilingual/Bi-cultural Education and History. In addition, Llerena attended the University of Toronto where she received her Master‘€™s degree in Museum Studies. Llerena is a culinary historian of Latin American and Southern cuisine. Llerena spent most of her childhood surrounded by a family and extended family of cooks who embody Latin America and taught her how to cook. As a guest curator for the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, Llerena‘€™s work includes; The Culinary Legacy of Tremé, Acadian to Cajun: Forced Migration to Commercialization and New Orleans con Sabor Latino.

About the Photographer
Natalie Root is an alumna of Loyola University where she earned her B.A. in Communications with an emphasis in Photojournalism. A lover of bologna, pepperoni pizza, and chicken strips, she has expanded her portfolio as well as her palate through work with several chefs in Memphis, TN, Oxford, MS, and New Orleans, LA. Her work has been published in several regional magazines. It has also been published in cookbooks, most recently Simply Suppers by Jennifer Chandler released in August 2010. In addition to her editorial and commercial projects, she created New Orleans Fare, a collection of photographs to celebrate the city‘€™s unique culinary culture. Her work may be viewed at www.natalieroot.com.

New Orleans con Saber Latino Educational Workshop Series
New Orleans con Saber Latino educational series will be free for members and $10 for non-members to include museum admission for each cooking demonstration. For more information visit www.southernfood.org.

Saturday, September 11, 2010
2:00-4:00pm
Mike and Donna Martin, Isleños (Descendants from the Canary Islands who migrated to Louisiana during the 18th century) from St. Bernard Parish will demonstrate Mike‘€™s mother‘€™s Rice Pudding recipe.
Attend this cooking demo to sample Rice Pudding and learn of the stories of two Isleños growing up in St. Bernard Parish during the 1940‘€™s.

Saturday, September 18, 2010
2:00-4:00pm
Chef Adolfo Garcia, owner of Rio Mar, La Boca, and A Manor restaurants in New Orleans, Louisiana, grew up in New Orleans as a Panamanian American during the 1960‘€™s. In 2006, Garcia was voted Chef of the Year by New Orleans Magazine.
Come experience Garcia‘€™s cooking demonstration (dish TBA) as he shares his life experiences. Samples to be provided by Chef.
Hispanic Heritage Month and Day of the Dead Educational Series:

Saturday, October 9, 2010
2:00-4:00pm
Kid Chef Eliana, author of Eliana Cooks! Recipes for Creative Kids, will prepare her Cajun Cuban Sandwich. Eliana will share her multi-cultural story and discuss her experiences of learning to cook with her Cuban grandfather.
Kid Chef Eliana will also be signing copies of her book Eliana Cooks! Recipes for Creative Kids in the SoFAB gift shop. A must-attend event for the whole family!

Saturday, October 23, 2010
2:00-4:00pm
Up and Coming Student Chef Roman Castillo of Chef John Folse Culinary Institute will share stories of his life growing up in the French Quarter under his father‘€™s wing, Carlos Zwinglio Castillo, former owner of Castillo‘€™s Mexican Restaurant.
Castillo will demonstrate Shrimp and Grits Cake with Corn Maque Choux and Chorizo while relaying the lessons and traditions he learned from his father, and, most recently, his experiences in culinary school. Don‘€™t miss this exciting lecture and food sampling!

Saturday, October 30, 2010
2:00-4:00pm
Day of the Dead Celebration: Jack Carrel, creator of SoFAB‘€™s Day of the Dead Altar, will demonstrate the creation of sugar skulls. As part of the traditional Mexican holiday, sugar skulls are created for altars to honor the dead. The sugar represents the sweetness of life, and the skulls represent the sadness of death.
Children who attend this workshop will each get to create their own sugar skulls. Bring the family to this unique cultural learning experience!

Saturday, November 6, 2010
2:00-4:00pm
Curator and documentary writer of New Orleans con Sabor Latino, Zella Llerena and K-Paul‘€™s professional waiter and poet, Edgar Sierra demonstrate two dishes from the exhibit and proposed cookbook: Plantains Foster and Café Brulot Flan.
Llerena will discuss the development of the exhibit and her creation of Latin/New Orleans fusion dishes for a proposed cookbook. Sierra will share his experiences growing up in New Orleans as a Colombian immigrant, as well as his 20+ years experience at the world renowned K-Paul‘€™s restaurant in New Orleans.

Join us for these interesting stories and delicious samples of innovative dishes!

Special thanks to the following

Exhibit/Programming Coordination:
Liz Williams, Kelsey Parris, Zella Llerena, Natalie Root

Demonstrations:
Chef Adolfo Garcia, Donna and Mike Martin, Kid Chef Eliana, Chef Roman, Jack Carrel, Zella Llerena. Edgar Sierra

To everyone who participated in the documentary process.

Contacts:
Natalie Root Photography
504.343.9394
natalieroot@yahoo.com
www.natalieroot.com

Zella Llerena, Curator/Documentary Writer
312.720.7983
zellallerena@yahoo.com email

Liz Williams, Director of Southern Food & Beverage Museum
504.569.0405