Private Kitchens

Robert Flores

El Paso Voices — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 14:40:55 +0000

Robert Flores grew up in the lower valley neighborhoods closest to Bel Air High School. As a child, Robert was often cared for by his grandparents, particularly his grandfather who would take care of Robert after school. Many of the lessons he learned from his grandparents came to inform his values. During his teen years, and influenced by his family upbringing, Robert became involved at St. Pius X Catholic Parish, where he has continued to build community and serve in youth and young adult ministries. Throughout his story, he references his “church family,” which is a close knit group of friends Robert has made through activities at St. Pius X. It is through his many families that he has learned the value of sharing and caring for one another, something that food has communicated throughout his life. (5/24/2022)

“My grandma and I managed to communicate through her cooking.”

Videos

1. Spiritual Nourishment

2. Making New Memories in the Kitchen

3. Robert’s Full Food Story (Audio)

Recipes

“Secret” Family Cream PuffsJuly 13, 2024
By Robert Flores Type: American Pastries Serves: 8 People Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes

Luis Orozco

El Paso Voices — Sat, 13 Jul 2024 19:54:49 +0000

Luis Orozco’s life in food began at a very young age. Inspired by a pan salesman, who set his pans ablaze, Luis decided to become a chef. As a young teenager, Luis’s grandfather sent him on a bus to New York where he would later receive training in the culinary arts. Following his graduation, cooking took Luis around the world and back to El Paso, Texas, where he worked at many local restaurants. After Luis suffered a heart attack on the job, he sought a life where he can still do work he enjoyed without the stress of a busy kitchen. That’s when he found the Borderland Rainbow Center. There, Luis began volunteering at the food pantry, and since then has found a new family and purpose – serving El Paso’s various communities through food. (June 18, 2022)

I’m a damn good chef, and I show it.”

Videos

1. Becoming Chef Luis

2. Proud Chef

3. Borderland Rainbow Center

4. Luis’ Full Food Story (Audio)

Christopher Puga

El Paso Voices — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 03:11:22 +0000

Christopher Puga became the culinary arts instructor at Bowie High School and quickly built the Oso’ Good Catering and Food Truck program with the assistance of his students. Before becoming a successful and impactful culinary arts teacher, Chef Puga enjoyed cooking and was inspired by reality television shows and cooking competitions. He baked his first cake as a child, and while it may not have been up to his present day standards, he realized that he had a passion for making art with his hands. Upon beginning his teaching career, Chef Puga was surprised to find a budding program that had come into fruition through Bowie High School’s Class of 2017’s hard work. A committed group of students and Chef Puga built a curriculum from the ground up centered around the food truck, which they called the Oso’ Good Food Truck and Catering. As the program took off, the food truck and catering program grew in popularity.

“creating opportunities while teaching with food”

Videos

The Oso Good Culinary Arts Program

Resources

Scholarly Reflection

Scholarly Sources

Full Food Story (Audio) UTEP’s Institute of Oral History

Machelle Wood

El Paso Voices — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 04:20:02 +0000

“Food helps make connections between people now to people in the past, to make them ‘real.’”
Machelle Wood, March 20, 2019

Machelle Wood is the educational and special events coordinator at the Magoffin Home State Historical Site in El Paso, Texas. In the food story that she shares for EPFV, she speaks of how food and the emotions it evokes always seem to root her back to what she defines as home: El Paso. At the Magoffin Home, she is proud to offer cooking demonstration classes. The recipes for these demonstrations are gathered from the first cookbook published in El Paso by the Ladies’ Auxiliary for YMCA. For Wood, food powerfully communicates the humanity of those who lived in the past, and through the senses this past is felt vividly in the present.

Patricia Palafox Sweisford

El Paso Voices — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 21:56:21 +0000

“Food brings people together. We all have to eat. So, why should it not be enjoyable. Why it should not be good for us. Why can’t we help each other develop the food industry?”
Patricia Palafox Sweisford
(March 17, 2019)

Patricia Palafox Sweisford, a native of El Paso, shares how she has gone from growing up eating mostly canned food, to discovering a passion for healthy, fresh quality food and wine while traveling through Europe. Her passion for food grew to the degree that after retirement from teaching, she enrolled at El Paso Community College’s Culinary Arts program. Her story addresses what she sees as a changing phase of culinary options in El Paso where fresh food, quality dining and good wine is becoming part of El Paso’s landscape.

“Monsanto is bad!”

Videos

1. Culinary Arts Transforming El Paso

2. Developing a Taste for Food

3. Patricia’s Full Food Story (Audio)

Resources

Scholarly Reflection: “Cooking to Experience the World”
Scholarly sources: “Wine as a Central Part of a Meal”
Full Story Audio: UTEP’s Institute of Oral History

Robert Flores
Luis Orozco
Christopher Puga
Machelle Wood
Patricia Palafox Sweisford