Latest news with #Mamani
Eater
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Crawl Some of Dallas's Best Barbecue and Tacos With a Chef From a Michelin-Starred Restaurant
French- and Italian-influenced Mamani is one of Dallas's most anticipated restaurant openings of the year, in large part because chef Christophe De Lellis left his role as executive chef at Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas to open it and take a partner role in the Feels Like Home hospitality group, started by Brandon and Henry Cohanim (Namo, Bar Colette). De Lellis moved to Dallas about a year ago, and for a time took over the kitchen at Bar Colette. With his family, he moved into a house in the Lakewood area and has been eating his way through Dallas, learning to love two of the major food groups: barbecue (he says Terry Black's is his favorite so far) and tacos (he goes for Resident Taqueria). De Lellis joined Eater to visit a few favorite local haunts he hadn't tried yet and talk about the culture clash of going from Europe to Vegas to Texas, his thoughts on consomme (and consomé), and hot tips for shaking a good espresso martini. Hurtado Barbecue Our first stop is the newest location of Hurdato Barbecue in the Dallas Farmers Market in Uptown, where we order the El Jefe, which has one third of a pound each of brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs, turkey, burnt ends, and sausage. We add on sides of Mexican street corn, and De Lellis insists on a vegetable with actual fiber in it, so we also get the creamy red slaw. It was a bit of a negotiation to find a barbecue spot to visit with De Lellis because he'd already visited several that I initially suggested. He has truly been busy learning about Texas barbecue. The barbecue destinations have become the first places he takes visiting friends and family out to eat. 'I was surprised that in Las Vegas on the Strip there isn't barbecue. There are tourists from all over the world, and for most of them that equals American food. I never had barbecue until I moved to Texas,' he says, adding that all the Europeans he's taken to eat barbecue have loved it. This chef knows barbecue. From the appearance of the plate, De Lellis's expectations were high for the smoked turkey, but the pulled pork ended up being his favorite bite. 'I love all braised meats, shredded meats. In restaurants or for myself I like to cook beef cheeks and oxtail, and it reminds me of that,' he says. The pork rub and sauce are so flavorful that they overpower the rest of the tray. He suggests it would be good on a Cubano sandwich, and doesn't immediately shut down the idea of a Hurtado collaboration with Mamani, so we'll be looking out for it. The one thing that stumps him on the platter is the chile-dusted Mexican corn, Hurtado's take on traditional elote. This was the moment that the former chef from a three-Michelin-starred kitchen had the concept of taco seasoning, a blend of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder, explained to him by a Texan. Unlike the rest of us, he probably won't be picking up a jar in the grocery store. De Lellis will make his own. 'I get the cumin a lot, which is good because it brings a freshness to all the cheese and fat, almost cutting it,' he says. De Lellis notes that Hurtado and Terry Blacks do good sides, a small detail he feels is significant. 'For me, it is the small details,' he says. 'I judge the sides, because you can see the attention to detail. At most of the places you go, people don't know how to cook green beans and serve them undercooked, which I think is disgusting. Small details show how much care is taken every step of the way.' De Lellis says he has smoked meats before but not to make barbecue. 'I would love to learn and understand the craft from a pitmaster around here,' he tells me, noting that even in a French fine dining menu there may be some element of barbecue technique that he could incorporate. Chilangos Tacos The next stop is for birria tacos at Chilangos Tacos on Ross Avenue. De Lellis has already tried tacos, but has had no exposure to birria, so it's on. The initiated know this Old East Dallas location looks like your average strip mall spot from the parking lot, but inside is a party marked by a trompo, bright colors, and people queuing up for dripping, red-stained quesabirria tacos. We have to fight to get a little table after ordering a quesabirria platter. 'It does remind me of the taco joint I used to go to in Vegas, Tacos El Gordo,' he says, noting those were likely the first tacos he ever had, not long after he arrived in 2010. Chilangos never disappoints. Courtney E. Smith 'They do traditional tacos and it makes you feel like you're in Mexico.' He misses the Latin cooks he worked alongside in the kitchen in Vegas, who made their food for family meals, which he says was always the best. 'Mr. Robuchon loved Mexican food, and he would always ask the cooks to make it for him,' De Lellis says. 'I love the way Mexicans approach food, how they season it, even the beautiful ingredients they use.' When the birria hits the table (well, really when De Lellis politely picks it up after our order is called), he eyeballs the consomé and asks how we eat the spread. I tell him to sprinkle the onion and cilantro mix onto the quesabirria tacos and then dip them into the fatty broth made with meat drippings. After the first bite, he grabs the cup of consomé to try it. 'I love consomme,' he says, adding that it's the 'heart and soul' of his cooking, like a quintessential French chef would. 'When I did tasting menus back in Vegas, and before dessert I served a shot of consomme to the guests, something fresh like lemongrass with lime with chicken. It feels good after a heavy meal and cleans your palate.' Christophe De Lellis sits down for his first experience with birria. Courtney E. Smith This consomé, obviously, is not the same, he notes, but it does require the same building blocks. 'Whatever stock or broth you make, it is the most important thing,' he says. 'I prefer using three to five ingredients. That's why I love Mexican food. Robuchon told me this quote and I say it all the time and live by it: 'It is easy to make it complicated, but complicated to make it simple.'' Before we dive into the tacos, De Lellis tells me he is 50/50 on preferring flour tortillas over corn, but after we tear through the birria, he expresses a deeper appreciation for Chilango's crispy, savory corn tortillas. In fact, he's ready to not only sing its praises but to call Chilango's quesabirria one of his favorite tacos he has had in the country. Saint Valentine Finishing strong with a cocktail at Saint Valentine. Courtney E. Smith De Lellis orders the Sazerac and proclaims the fried olives a 'good snack.' I tell him that the Italian grocery store, which is kitty-corner from the bar, is one of the beloved spaces in town for dry goods, imported oils and vinegars, and a killer sandwich shop. Many Dallasites may not know that De Lellis was making bar bites himself at Colette for several months. When I stopped in roughly a year ago, he served me chicken fingers, caviar-topped potato chips, and sliders with a tomato confit he spent two hours making (yes, they were really good). 'I love to have a good cocktail with poutine,' he says, reminiscing about eating Irish nachos in Vegas. We all make weird food decisions when we drink, clearly. After a drink, De Lellis is ready to spill some secrets. 'I want to tell you something in confidence,' he says with a glint in his eye after we get into a discussion about the irrepressible popularity of the espresso martini. 'For a few months they were short staffed at Colette, and I was in the back, shaking espresso martinis,' he says, laughing. 'I had so much fun doing it, but I don't know those guys do. My arms were so sore. They sell so many, you can never take them off the menu.' We agree that a real espresso martini must be made with actual espresso, not coffee liqueur or cold brew. If you see De Lellis out and about, checking out Dallas bars, he says his go-to drink order is a Negroni Sbagliato. Send one over and tell him your favorite barbecue or taco spot and what to order there. He's well on his way to finding his standbys in Dallas, but a little extra help never hurts. Eater Dallas All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
The Guardian
20-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘Cañahua chose me': can an ancient relative of quinoa revive rural Bolivia's economy?
Few young people remain in Bolivia's highland plateau, the Altiplano. The rising frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as drought and frost, have reduced their economic prospects and migration has accelerated as the environment becomes more unpredictable. 'The climate isn't like it used to be,' says Nico Mamani Lima, a farmer and agronomist from Ayo Ayo. But Mamani and others believe they have found a solution in cañahua, a little-known relative of the Andean staple crop quinoa. Known for its resistance to drought, pests and frost, the plant – what is known as a pseudocereal – is packed with protein and nutrients and grows faster than quinoa. These characteristics, say farmers and agronomists, could make cañahua important in stemming the tide of migration from Bolivia's countryside. Bolivia's exodus from the countryside is driven mainly by the climate crisis and regional factors combining to cause dramatic changes in precipitation, with chronic drought interspersed with torrential rains. The high, dry Altiplano is especially sensitive to drought, with once-vast lakes disappearing in its wake; Lake Poopó, once the country's second-largest lake, was officially declared evaporated in 2015. Many communities are unable to sustain themselves in this less hospitable climate. As rural areas are hollowed out, Bolivia's population has become increasingly concentrated in cities. At least 1.8 million Bolivians live abroad, about 16% of the country's population. Most of Mamani's childhood friends and classmates have left their home town to live in Chile, Argentina and Brazil, where they work in textile factories or harvesting crops. Mamani is one of only three people of his generation still living in Ayo Ayo. For those who find work in neighbouring countries, living conditions are difficult. 'They have to work seven days a week and barely get to rest six hours, or sometimes not at all,' says Mamani. Migration from the countryside also threatens food security and the country's sovereignty. 'The majority of farmers are elderly,' says Jorge Eduardo Jiménez García, who works in cañahua marketing. 'If we think about it, who will grow our food in 10 years?' To create economic opportunity in rural areas, Mamani founded an association of cañahua producers in Ayo Ayo in 2019, hoping that the crop's adaptability to climate change could provide alternatives to migration. Though native crops such as cañahua (Chenopodium pallidicaule) and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) were staples in the Andean highlands in pre-Hispanic times, the arrival of wheat during Spanish colonisation threatened to wipe them out. 'The production of cañahua and quinoa was prohibited,' says Trigidia Jiménez Franco, 58, an agronomist who cultivates the Andean plant on her farm, Granja Samiri. After Bolivia's independence, farmers continued growing the crop, but it was eaten mainly by those who produced it. When globalisation brought wheat and sugar to rural communities, it was again at risk of disappearing. 'People used to drink pito de cañahua,' says Jiménez, referring to a soft drink made by toasting and grinding the grain. 'It was being replaced by Coca-Cola.' Recently, cañahua has begun to make a comeback due to its resilience to drought and frost, its faster growth cycle and stable market prices compared with quinoa. Cañahua 'is shorter in stature, but more resilient', says Jamir Inti Canaviri Jiménez, 29, Jiménez's son and Granja Samiri's production manager. Its high tolerance of salty soils, which are quite common in arid conditions such as the Andean highlands, also means it can thrive where other crops cannot. 'It seems to use salts as essential nutrients,' he says. 'It beats every other crop.' The plant also tolerates variations in the length of the growing season, which have become more unpredictable with the climate crisis. 'This crop is ancient and highly adaptable,' says Ernesto Huanca Limachi, who leads the Andean Grains Project at the National Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Innovation (INIAF). Trigidia Jiménez is largely responsible for cañahua's resurgence. Born into a family of wheat farmers, she and her family migrated to the nearby city of Oruro when she was young. After studying agriculture, Jiménez returned to the countryside in 2001. 'As an agronomist, it wasn't my thing to be in an office,' she says. After her original plans to raise sheep went awry with an early rain season, Jiménez tried growing cañahua on her in-laws' land in Bolivia's western Oruro department. Friends and family members doubted her decision, as it was seen as a food only consumed by rural farmers with little market value. But she followed her gut instinct and now says: 'Cañahua chose me.' Sign up to Global Dispatch Get a different world view with a roundup of the best news, features and pictures, curated by our global development team after newsletter promotion Twenty-four years later, Granja Samiri is Bolivia's largest producer of cañahua. As an agronomist, Jiménez combined scientific and ancestral practices to breed several varieties of seeds and fine-tune organic production methods, improving yields. Jiménez and Granja Samiri also worked to create a market for cañahua, as the seed was not previously sold commercially. Along with international and Bolivian government partners, she founded the Bolivian National Network of Knowledge and Expertise in Cañahua, which promotes the production and consumption of the crop as well as educating people about the grain. In recognition of its nutritional value as a 'superfood', it was incorporated into the Bolivian government subsidy packages for prenatal and lactating women. Granja Samiri now processes cañahua into various finished products, including pito (the toasted and ground form used in drinks), flour and popped cañahua. High-end restaurateurs have begun incorporating it into their dishes, and the Killa artisanal distillery is developing a cañahua whisky. It has even been included in meals for Nasa astronauts. Granja Samiri is now working on exporting cañahua to other countries in Latin America as well as new markets such as Britain. Granja Samiri is an intergenerational affair, with Jiménez's adult children and extended family members participating in producing, processing, and commercialising the Andean seed. Jorge Eduardo Jiménez García, 28, Jímenez's nephew, hopes that cañahua might help other families to build their livelihoods in the countryside. 'We want young people to be able to return to the countryside,' he says, 'because you can also make a living in rural areas.' In Ayo Ayo, Mamani sees early signs of that vision being possible. When he started the association of cañahua growers in 2019, almost no one was interested, he says. 'Everyone said: 'What good is cañahua?'' Wilmer Quispe Calle, 43, has cultivated cañahua all his life but only recently started selling it after the cañahua growers' association was formed. 'When a frost comes, it kills all the potatoes,' he says. 'Cañahua is resistant: it's affected, but not as much.' Quispe's children are now studying in La Paz and Brazil, and plan to return to Ayo Ayo after graduation. The long-term economic and social impacts of cañahua in Bolivia remain to be seen, but many who cultivate the seed are hopeful. 'I always have faith in cañahua,' says Canaviri. 'It changed my whole social and economic outlook. That's why it came to this world – to protect food sovereignty.'
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ralliers say they're sick of national, state officials targeting vulnerable student groups
Advocates for LGBTQ, immigrant and disabled kids march around the Arizona Capitol during the Rally to Protect Our Kids on March 5, 2025 at the Arizona state Capitol. Photo by Caitlin Sievers | Arizona Mirror The youth advocates who gathered on the Arizona Senate lawn the evening of March 5 said they will not stand for state and federal Republican officials targeting vulnerable students who are members of the LGBTQ and immigrant communities, as well as those with disabilities. 'I've watched in horror as the majority party at our legislature leads the attack on our most marginalized,' Raquel Mamani, a board member for Save Our Schools Arizona, told the crowd. 'This is an exact reflection of a hate coming from our national leaders towards the immigrants, educators and LGBTQ communities. I should not have to hear the very existence of my family and loved ones being questioned by the president of the United States.' Mamani was one of more than a dozen speakers from left-leaning groups like SOS AZ and Arizona Trans Youth and Parent Organization who called for increased funding for public education, an overhaul of the universal school voucher program, respect for the identities of transgender students, continued funding for students with disabilities and safety for children without legal immigration status. Around 150 people carrying signs that read 'fund education, not deportation' and 'keep MAGA out of schools' cheered on the speakers and marched around the state Capitol, chanting 'Sí se puede' and 'This is what democracy looks like.' Mamani's child, Mimi, who is a junior in high school, said she was inspired by her mother to fight for social justice. 'My mother has taught me that silence is violence,' Mimi Mamani said. 'I can't physically sit back any longer and let them continue to dehumanize and demonize my communities. I'll be finishing high school soon, and I dream of a world where I will at least have the same amount of rights as my mother did when she was my age.' Tami Staas, executive director of Arizona Trans Youth and Parent Organization, told the crowd that an existential crisis is threatening the safety of transgender and nonbinary kids. 'This is not just a political issue, this is a matter of human rights,' she said. Through executive orders and legislation, President Donald Trump and Arizona's Republican lawmakers aim to erase the identities of transgender youths, Staas said. Trump has issued several executive orders aimed at transgender minors, including one that defines gender as synonymous with physical sex at conception and one that bans transgender girls from competing in girls sports. Republicans in the state legislature have for years unsuccessfully tried to ban transgender students from bathrooms that align with their gender identities, and the House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would narrowly define gender in state law, similar to Trump's executive order. Staas said that her son, who is transgender, moved out of state because of the anti-transgender sentiment in the Arizona government and beyond. 'I want to live in a community that values inclusion, compassion and love, and where kids aren't treated as political pawns,' she said. Staas called on the crowd to put pressure on both Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature to make changes to protect vulnerable children. 'We must be on the right side of justice,' she said. Amy Pedotto, of EPIC Disability, said she's the mother of a nonbinary child with a disability. Pedotto said she's worried that federal and state officials will cut off funding for Medicaid and the state Division of Developmental Disabilities, putting an end to 'life saving services' that they provide to those with disabilities. Pedotto added that, if the U.S. Department of Education is dismantled, as Trump has promised, along with the protections it provides to students with disabilities, it could mean a return to isolation and lack of services. Democrats are outnumbered in Congress and the Arizona Legislature, limiting their power to fight back against attacks on transgender, immigrant and disabled students. But Arizona has Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in the executive tower, who has vetoed all anti-trans bills passed by the Republican-led legislature since she took office in 2023. Brent Whiting, co-founder of Tomorrow We Vote, encouraged everyone at the rally to get involved in political advocacy by attending local school board meetings and backing candidates willing to protect students, as well as volunteering for and donating to organizations that work to protect Arizonan kids from marginalized communities. Rallies are not enough, he said: 'This is where it starts.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
