RevereTV’s Family Liaison Cooking Series was back for a special summer edition, and this time it was a family affair.
Estaphany Rodriguez, Family and Community Coordinator for Revere Public Schools, hosted a special segment of the cooking series that is part of RevereTV’s ‘What’s Cooking Revere?”.
After successfully hosting a half dozen episodes, Rodriguez, in celebration of Peruvian Independence Day, had her mother, Liana, and son, Jaedan, guide us through crafting a mouthwatering traditional Peruvian dish called Papa a la Huancaina.
View the full episode here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VanOFM0oXLs.
A Peruvian appetizer, Papa a la Huancaína, literally, Huancayo style potatoes, is made of boiled potatoes in a spicy, creamy sauce made of queso fresco (fresh white cheese) and sautéed or grilled ají amarillo (yellow Peruvian pepper), red onion, and garlic.
This dish derives from Huancayo, a city in the central Peruvian highlands nearest Lima, but has become a staple throughout the country. And like Rodriguez’s family, each Peruvian family has their own secret recipes passed down from generation to generation.
“It's emotional, but also beautiful knowing that this recipe was passed down from past generations to my mother, myself, and now my son, and eventually his children,” said Rodriguez. “It's important to keep culture alive. I’m Peruvian American; my son's Peruvian American; my mom was born and raised in Peru and came here 30 years ago and we love that we are still able to celebrate our culture with our food, our traditions, and our language.”
Rodriguez’s mother, Liana, an active member of the Revere community has dedicated her life as an activist and community organizer who has helped countless residents, families, and children regardless of race, culture, or religion.
“It’s really a blessing,” said Rodriguez about her mother. “She came here to pursue the American Dream, and I was able to go to college and pursue a career helping my community like my mom has done since I was little. This episode is so special because we are inviting Revere into our home, showing our traditions, and what we ate growing up. It’s beautiful.”
Rodriguez’s son, Jaedan, a Rumney Marsh Academy student, helped his mother and grandmother prepare the traditional dish—something Rodriguez said is very common in Peru.
“Take picarones (a type of Peruvian doughnut made from squash or sweet potato), for example,” said Rodriguez. “Growing up, the young men, children, and older men would all help to pound out and mix the dough for the picarones. So, when Jaedan was younger, the whole family would come together to make these donuts every weekend, and it was a beautiful tradition.”
RPS’s Family Liaison Cooking series kicked off in February through a partnership with RevereTV. The cooking series features RPS family liaisons from across the school district cooking recipes from their native countries.
The first episode featured Sujeiris Ryan, Hill Elementary School Family Liaison, making several dishes from the Dominican Republic in honor of Dominican Independence Day.
Since the series' launch, the program has featured recipes and liaisons from Morocco, Peru, Brazil, and Puerto Rico.
Part of Revere TV’s popular What's Cooking? Revere was the brainchild of RPS Assistant Superintendent of Equity and Inclusion Dr. Lourenço P. Garcia and RevereTV Executive Director Bob Dunbar.