MEET EL COQUITO at ALLEN STREET “AUTHENTIC CARIBBEAN CUISINE”

1 Comment / Business /

At 242 Allen Street, Buffalo, NY 14201 you will find El Coquito, impeccable architecture, and the smiling face of founder Yamilex Sanchez. The new kid on the block, literally, “On Allen” is a lifestyle, a way to tell time, and a destination for locals. Located on a busy business heart valve of the traditionally diverse, vivacious, well-known, forward-moving, and food-centered neighborhood of, the West Side, El Coquito is the new worst-kept secret in Buffalo. Yamilex is although, the perfect archetype of the entrepreneurial spirit that has long nourished our neighborhood for centuries, and the tenacious, internationally in-tune, and trend-setting spirit of the young and bright creators, “westside babies” as I like to call us, who make up the new regime. A woman of many passions, the first of which, is her children and motherhood, The second, is food and community building. A third is storytelling and community building. Food tells us stories about ourselves, that we don’t know. We know the flavor, the texture, and the smell, but sometimes we don’t know the story of our history. Like Yamliex’s Taina bone structure, Mofongo, a feature on the Coquito menu, gives heavy main character vibes. Mofongo can be accompanied by shrimp, chicken, or served alone. Your first bite is a crash course in Puerto Rican history. The lesson: Mofongo, like the island’s culture, is eclectic. Our beautiful West African ancestors were sold into slavery, and brought with them, fufu, a doughy food made soften. Fufu was then pounded with a mortar and pestle. Over time, Taino and Spanish flavors were stirred into fufu, and out came mofongo. After generations of perfecting, every cook has their own secret. A Buffalo girl by example, Yamilex’s story was one that could have been written differently.  Her life was touched by the ravages of the unjust and heavily one-sided criminal justice system; our nation continues to reform. The weight of Yamilex’s journey extends into the hearts of those unseen by ones. many, but very present in the minds of their loved ones from plantains, cassava, or yams that were boiled to. A motivator, a unifier of stratified spaces and peoples, when I think of Yamilex I think of Cacique Yuiza “Loisa”. Predominately for one reason, Yamilex like Cacique Loisa, is recognized, and lifted by her own people. And the admiration of her own people, forever in time, is the highest compliment a woman can be given outside of motherhood. FYI Cacique is the indigenous word for leader amongst the Taino. Memorialized by the Spanish, much of Cacique Loiza’s story is unknown but we know two things: (1) she was the ONLY female cacique recorded in history; (2) she was loved and that love inspired pride of self in others. Yamilex Sanchez brings light to dark spaces. Her inner light is seen in the faces of the people who love her. I maintain that one of the greatest measures of a person, in today’s digital era, is the look on the faces of the people around them. Not the face of the subject of the photo frozen in time and perfectly poised, but the faces of those who inhabit their space willfully. When you follow the Coquito Facebook page, and when you visit in person, you will see and experience a neighborhood, a street, a building space, and people made to be more hopeful and more fully alive by Yamilex. and her business. Yamilex, kindly has created a refuge for so many of us who crave the familiarness of our neighbors and flavors, sounds, and laughter of “home”, but remain thousands and thousands of miles away. Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Community Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics Sports  MEET EL COQUITO at ALLEN STREET “AUTHENTIC CARIBBEAN CUISINE” October 4, 2023/No Comments Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Read More… Read More INTERVIEW #31: MARIA CRUZ July 4, 2023/No Comments On June 2, 2007, I posted my first Facebook photo. I made identity-affirming Latina-centered student content before it was seen… Read More INTERVIEW #30: CASSANDRA BOCANEGRA PONCE June 4, 2023/No Comments My son is a six-year-old CEO. We started a brand because he likes art and I found it easier to… Read More Load More End of Content.

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MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS

Health /

In this edition, I hope to educate and inform about medicinal mushrooms, specifically about lion’s mane mushrooms. Lion’s mane mushrooms, also known as Hericium erinaceus, hou tou gu or yamabushitake, have both culinary and medicinal uses in Asian countries like China, India, Japan, and Korea. They have been used for centuries as medicine.  Lion’s mane mushrooms are large, white, shaggy mushrooms that resemble a lion’s mane as they grow. They contain bioactive substances that have many beneficial effects on the body, especially the brain, heart, and gut. Consuming lion’s mane mushrooms could protect against dementia. The brain’s ability to grow and form new connections typically declines with age, which may explain why mental functioning worsens in many older adults. Scientific studies have found that lion’s mane mushrooms contain two special compounds that can stimulate the growth of brain cells: hericenones and erinacine. Additionally, animal studies have found that lion’s mane may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease, a degenerative brain disease that causes progressive memory loss. In fact, lion’s mane mushroom and its extracts have been shown to reduce symptoms of memory loss in mice, as well as prevent neuronal damage caused by amyloid-beta plaques, which accumulate in the brain during Alzheimer’s disease. A 2020 study of people with mild Alzheimer’s disease found that supplementation with 1 gram of lion’s mane mushroom daily for 49 weeks significantly improved cognitive test scores compared to a placebo. The ability of lion’s mane mushroom to promote nerve growth and protect the brain from Alzheimer-related damage may explain some of its beneficial effects on brain health. However, it’s important to note that most of the research has been conducted on animals or in test tubes.  Lion’s mane mushrooms contain compounds that stimulate brain cell growth and protect them from damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease. However, more research involving humans is needed. Other scientific studies suggest that lion’s mane mushrooms may help relieve mild symptoms of anxiety and depression. Other animal studies have found that lion’s mane extract can also help regenerate brain cells and improve the functioning of the hippocampus, a region of the brain that processes memories and emotional responses. Rat studies have found that lion’s mane extract can speed up recovery from nervous system injuries. Further, lion’s mane extract has been shown to protect against stomach and intestinal ulcers in rodents.  Animal and test-tube studies suggest that lion’s mane extract can reduce the risk of heart disease in several ways.  In addition, these mushrooms contain powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that may help reduce the impact of chronic illness. Research shows that lion’s mane mushroom can boost immunity by increasing the activity of the intestinal immune system, which protects the body from pathogens that enter the gut through the mouth or nose.  The immune-boosting effects of lion’s mane mushrooms are very promising, but this research area is still developing.  Lion’s mane mushroom can help lower blood sugar and reduce diabetic nerve pain. Some research suggests that the lion’s mane mushroom has cancer-fighting abilities thanks to several of its unique compounds. Also, more research is needed on humans to better understand the above correlations. While the use of lion’s mane mushrooms may reap many benefits if you include them in your diet, one should never embark on a medicinal adventure without consulting a physician.  Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Community Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics Sports MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS October 4, 2023/No Comments Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Read More… Read More CALL FOR ARTISTS! July 1, 2023/No CommentsRead More UNDERSTANDING TRAUMA June 5, 2023/No Comments In contemporary society, we hear the term PTSD for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder very often. This is the new buzzword or… Read More Load More End of Content.

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LEADING WITH LOVE THROUGH DANCE

Entertainment /

Thinking of the first time I met this fantastic human – my first thought was that she looked like she Loved what she was doing! A few days after my son, Asheem, was in the Fashion Show for El Batey fundraising in November 2022, someone asked me if my son would be interested in auditioning for a dance company. They told me the time, date, and location of where to show up and to ask for MarCe Zerrate. We showed up, and they warmly greeted us and invited Asheem on stage. There are a few other dancers there as well. They are there for a little under 2 hours dancing to different music as she encourages my calling out: ‘Essssooo!’ She’d play the song and then helps them adjust for positions on stage and choreographic adjustments.  At the end, I asked her how she thought he did, and she said, “He did an amazing job!” She gave me the next time that they would come together. I asked her if that meant he was accepted. She looked confused. I explained that I was told he was auditioning. And she says, “Ohhhh, yeah, well, he’s got the part! I Loved him! So bring him Friday!” We all laughed together!   Her dance company, Amor and Heritage, was gearing up to dance for an “Encanto” themed performance where everything was being pre-recorded! It was a fantastic experience for everyone!  Since then, MarCe has invited Asheem to perform multiple times, and he even participated in the Summer Camp at Buffalo State College this year. Each time I see her, she’s always positive and smiling no matter what’s going on around her. She encourages the children to do their absolute best lovingly.   During the Summer Camp, I saw her infused dancing with Love of One’s Heritage. Every week, the children explored different dances from around the world. Older youth and adult instructors would teach the dances from their cultural backgrounds. MarCe would explain when the dance was popular, what the songs were about, where the dance style was from, and what if any, other countries had adaptations of that dance style!  Also, each week, they would get stickers representing different countries/territories to put in a passport-style booklet where they would add a unique thing about that country. The children eagerly awaited their stickers and were glad to report what additional facts they learned from that country the following week!   MarCe Zerrate and Amor and Heritage Dance is on track to achieve its mission to promote Diversity, Multiculturalism, and Kindness through DANCE!   The educational component fosters tolerance, understanding of other cultures, self-confidence, sharing kindness, and staying healthy. All this through the fun, exciting, and diverse world of dance!  If you would like to experience all the love offered by Amor and Heritage Dance firsthand, you can find them on Facebook and Instagram or contact them on their website: www.amorandheritage.org.  Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Community Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics Sports LEADING WITH LOVE THROUGH DANCE October 4, 2023/No CommentsRead More “UNAPOLOGETICALLY & UNCOMPROMISING” July 10, 2023/No Comments This month I am shining the spotlight on a woman whom I met a few years ago. When I met… Read More “MAKE LOVE HAPPEN!” June 7, 2023/No Comments As Juneteenth is quickly approaching, I decided to feature Jomo Akono. I have known him for over 15 years. He… Read More Load More End of Content.

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