Volver II with Chef Zarco Guerrero
Cultural Coalition is preparing for its Second Annual Volver II brunch fundraiser! This is a special event, celebrating the culinary arts, healing arts and performing arts thanks to three incredible artists and healers; sculptor Zarco Guerrero, healer Patricia Federico and musician Gustavo Angeles. Volver is about returning to our roots through our cultural practices.
Last week we got to try a taste of Artist Zarco‘s creations at our quarterly Board Meeting. Board members described his food as “delicious,” “tasty,” “fresh” and “healthy.” These handcrafted recipes are cultural foods connected to the desert and his ancestors. It included handmade tortillas by his sister Rosie. Zarco shared that his inspiration in the kitchen was his mother Susana Guerrero Contreras, who always had something cooking.
“Cooking was never a chore for my mother,” he says. Growing up, his home always had a pot of beans, red or green chile, salsa and fresh tortillas. Later as a father, he became accustomed to cook for his children every day at 4 o’clock and he didn’t mind at all. He truly loves cooking for his family and friends.
Zarco comes from a pioneer Xicano family that has resided in California and Arizona for many generations! He didn’t grow up speaking Spanish fluently but he recalls learning Spanish words in the kitchen that were essentially indigenous words native to the land. Words like aguacate, molcajete, tamal, chile are all derived from the ancient Nahuatl language.
Zarco shared that it is often stressed how speaking Spanish is so important in order for Chicanos to maintain their culture. However, he explained that culture isn’t only in the language, it is also in the food that we eat, especially when it comes to Mexican/Indigenous cuisine. It is a rich culture that is passed on for generations and continuing to cook with these ingredients and recipes is a way to come back to our roots. The very act of preparing these ancestral foods is an act of honoring our ancestors and their knowledge about nutrition as well as taste. The culture lives on through our food!
Get a taste of Zarco’s cooking along with amazing storytelling about family, history and culture on Sunday, April 22nd!
Come celebrate Earth Day with us! “Gratitude Walk” by Patricia Federico and “Music” by Gustavo Angeles in the enchanting environment of the Serenity House of South Phoenix.
Limited number of seats available.
Looks incredible!!
Great article, Perla!