VINO con VIDA

CHARO: Cuchi-Cuchi to Concert Guitarist

2010-09-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

Special muchisimas gracias to my guest today, the one and only - CHARO! I knew she was a unique person, but to talk to such a witty, smart, energetic and pioneering Latina in the world of entertainment is a dream come true. What can I say? I grew up on 70's TV. I didn't realize the personal struggles she and her sister endured at such a young age to help her family financially. Before there were Latinas using their "real" names, her upbeat attitude and continuous work ethic made her a pioneering survivor in Hollywood. And her success has allowed her to make her music her way. Here's a video clip from the recent MDA Jerry Lewis Telethon and the debut of her new single, Roda de Samba. Though she's campy and over the top, Charo is CHOOSING to showcase her talent and music in a lively performance. This is one Latina legend who is now calling her own shots in the world of music and TV. CHARO WE LOVE YOU!

Charo performs at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville tomorrow, Friday, September 10. For tickets and more info visit: http://www.lincolntheater.com

Vino & Harvest Updates

2010-09-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

Wine Country con Sabor! Thursday Sept. 2 @ 9amPST on KVON 1440 and KVON.com

Harvest is underway and some areas of California are just getting ready! This weather has been wacky; winemakers and vineyard managers are adjusting to cool days and heat spikes. How does this affect wine production and what you'll taste in the bottle? We'll talk to winemakers and vineyard reps for updates from throughout various regions in the State, including our dear friend, Sal Godinez, winemaker at Vine Hill Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains - hey any winery with a bottle named "Gatos Locos" is bueno in my book!

Run Hombre Run! - Barefoot Running & the Tarahumara Indians from Mexico's Copper Canyon

2010-09-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

WINE COUNTRY CON SABOR! - Thursday Sept. 2, 2010 @ 9amPST on 1440 KVON or KVON.com

Christopher McDougall is one coco loco! As contributing editor of Men's Health and a former war correspondent for The Associated Press, he's seen some pretty crazy things and met some even crazier people. But when he was asked by the New York Times to track down Mexican pop diva turned accused kidnapper Gloria Trevi, he knew he was on to a unique aspect of his writing career - exploring physiological oddities and extreme human endurance. In his latest book, BORN TO RUN: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen, McDougall explores a deep seeded tradition, bizarre and socialogical study of the remote Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's Copper Canyon who run the rugged terrain BAREFOOT. For centuries, the Tarahumara and their unique barefoot running techniques allow them to run hundreds of miles without stopping. Yet they are serene, healthy and immune to many common illnesses. (What! No blisters or shin splints?? Como puede ser?) They are known to out run deer, so the deer stop from exhaustion and make for an easier kill. Christopher McDougall joins me to talk about the Tarahumara indians, their way of life and their manner of running which continues to inspire with awe the world of superathletes.

Ed Stafford - Amazon Explorer - MIA!!

2010-08-26T13:08:00.000-07:00

OK, so Ed Stafford can walk the 4000 mile trek down the Amazon River, but he couldn't connect with me for our interview this morning! Considering he's in London and I'm in Napa it is a bit of a time difference. I was able to connect with Ed AFTER our live show and got to sit down with him to record our interview. I'll air that in a couple of weeks. You DEFINITELY need to hear for yourself how he was able to make it through the 859 day journey hacking his way through dense jungle, illegal cocaine processing plants, indigenous villages; navigating his way to the end using Goggle Earth.

Stafford began his epic walk in Camana, Peru on April 2, 2008. He was joined four months later by Gadiel "Cho" Sanchez Rivera in August 2008 and both completed their journey on August 9, 2010 - that's about 2-1/2 years of walking!! Ed became the first known person to walk the entire length of the 4000 mile Amazon River from its source in Peru, across Columbia and ultimately to the Atlantic shores of Brazil. It is the longest jungle expedition ever taken.

http://www.walkingtheamazon.com

Wine Country con Sabor! Thursday 8/26 - Amazonian Feat & Mexican Wings

2010-08-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

I'm excited about my guests on tomorrow's show!

Amazonian Feat - Ed Stafford

Maraua (our resupply target) did not exist from Walking the Amazon Videos on Vimeo.

Can you imagine yourself walking in the Amazon jungle for 2-1/2 years?! Well Ed Stafford did just that! On August 9 he became the first person known to walk the entire length of the 4000 mile river from it’s source in Peru to the Atlantic shores of Brazil. Stafford took 859 days to walk and hack his way through dense jungle, passing through illegal cocaine processing plants, staying with indigenous tribes, crisscrossing logging roads and navigating his way to the end via Google Earth. On the longest jungle expedition ever undertaken, Stafford walked through 3 countries; Peru, Colombia and Brazil repeatedly risking his life in his quest to raise awareness of deforestation. He'll talk to us about his experience and how he and his guide Gadiel ‘Cho’ Sanchez Rivera stayed on course - physically and mentally.

Can Mexicana Airlines' Keep its Wings? - Nicholas Kralev

This iconic Mexican airline is facing turbulent financial trouble - canceled flights, filing for bankruptcy, and most recently a buyout from a Mexican business consortium. What happened to this once shining example of Mexican industry and hospitality? Travel Expert Nicholas Kralev joins us to talk about the company's history, airline industry challenges, Mexicana's challenges, its filing for bankruptcy and the most recent news of an investor buyout. Also, what does this all mean for the many people who depend on Mexicana for business and personal travel?

Turner Classic Movies & the Mexican Revolution

Get your TiVO ready! In celebration of the 100 year anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, Turner Classic Movies has announced it's line-up of classic cinema by acclaimed Mexican director Ismael Rodriguez and American films by director Elia Kazan. Films include Mexican and Hollywood heavyweights like Dolores del Rio, Maria Felix, Marlon Brando, Pedro Amendariz, Pedro Infante and Anthony Quinn, who won an Oscar for his outstanding portrayal of Emilio Zapata's brother, Eufemio. I'll let you know which movies are featured and when they'll air.

Tune in this Thursday at 9am PST 1440 KVON or on KVON.com by clicking "listen live"

More to MOLAA Than You Know

2010-08-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

I hope you enjoyed my other guest on today's show, President and CEO Richard P. Townsend of the Museum of Latin American Art. It was fascinating to talk to him about how MOLAA has grown so much in about 15 years! Here is more info on the upcoming and rare David Alfaro Siqueiros exhibit. So worth booking a cheap flight on Southwest and making it a weekend trip!

The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) is proud to join the Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil (MACG), Mexico City, in presenting Siqueiros Paisajista / Siqueiros: Landscape Painter. This exhibition reveals the renowned Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros as a major landscape painter.

This exhibition, the first of its kind to be presented anywhere, includes approximately half of the 150 landscape paintings that Siqueiros produced during his lifetime. “This is the most significant exhibition of Siqueiros to be seen in the last ten years,” stated MACG Director and exhibition curator Itala Schmelz. “It is the result of more than three years of collaboration that included the precedent-setting gathering of artwork from more than 20 different museum and private collections in Mexico and the U.S., scholarly research by Christopher Fulton and additional research by a team of nine talented catalogue essayists.”

Featuring a selection of the most important landscape paintings and drawings, the exhibition reveals Siqueiros’ dynamic vision of futuristic cities, allegorical places and the environment. Utilizing an explosive color palette and experimental techniques, the landscape imagery is charged with the emotions of creation and destruction always present in the art of Siqueiros. “Traditionally landscape paintings offer views of idyllic vistas, but these landscapes offer scenes of a troubled world,” said MOLAA Senior Curator, Cynthia Mac Mullin. “The gathered works poignantly emphasize Siqueiros’ concern for humanity’s inability to serve its fellow men. Although several paintings are about the past, such as The End of the World from 1936 painted in response to the Spanish Civil War and The Explosion of Hiroshima of 1955, protesting the inhumane ending World War II, they are still relevant today, mirroring humanity’s constant engagement with war and destruction.”

Siqueiros Paisajista / Siqueiros: Landscape Painter
Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach
September 12, 2010 - January 2011

Puttin' the PUDIN in Vegan

2010-08-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

Special gracias to my guest Vegan Chef Terry Hope Romero. Here is a tasty and delicioso vegan dessert recipe she's sharing with all our Wine Country con Sabor!/KVON listeners. It's from her new cookbook, VIVA VEGAN! 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipes for Latin Food Lovers. Pick-up the book or check out her website - veganlatina.com for more info and recipes.

FRESH MANGO AND GUAVA BREAD PUDIN
• Serves 6 to 8 • Time: About 1 hour

Bread pudding gets a lot of love in Latin America. Latin bread pudding is dense and firm enough to hold its own shape like a slice of cake, while being as sweet as a smile. This Caribbean-inspired version has strips of aromatic guava paste and slices of fresh mango baked into the top crust. I love pudÌn served warm with a scoop of ice cream, but if you find yourself eating spoonfuls straight from the fridge, that’s just as well, too.

Tip: Guava paste is a chewy, ultrasweet fruity confection made from guavas and sugar cooked down forever. It comes in round tins or blocks, sometimes wrapped in dried banana leaf (look for bocadillos of paste). Guava paste sometimes includes milk caramel (you’ll see tan layers in the paste), so read the ingredients to make sure it’s completely cowless. For easier slicing,
try chilling guava paste first.

1 pound day-old good-quality vegan white bread, cut or torn into small chunks
2⁄3 cup granulated sugar
1⁄4 cup light brown sugar
1⁄2 cup dark raisins
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
31⁄2 cups soy milk or favorite rich nondairy milk
1 (3 by 1-inch) strip lemon or orange zest
3 tablespoons nonhydrogenated vegan margarine
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons dark or spiced rum
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 ounces guava paste, sliced into thin strips
1 large ripe mango

1. Lightly grease a 9 by 11 by 2-inch baking pan. Place the bread pieces in a large mixing bowl. Add the granulated and light brown sugar, raisins, and cinnamon, and toss together. Set aside 1/2 cup of the soy milk in a measuring cup and pour the remaining 3 cups of soy milk into a large saucepan. Add the orange zest and, over medium heat, simmer the milk for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the margarine and stir to melt. Remove the orange zest and pour the hot soy milk over the bread mixture. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, fold the ingredients to completely moisten the bread. Set the mixture aside and let it cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The bread will fall completely apart and will be very mushy and wet. While the bread mixture is cooling, preheat the oven to 375_F.

2. Into the remaining 1/2 cup of soy milk in the measuring cup, whisk the cornstarch, rum, and vanilla until smooth. Pour onto bread mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared baking pan and top with strips of guava paste and strips of mango, poking them partially into the
pudding. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned; the guava paste will melt and bubble and the mango will brown. A knife inserted into the center of the pudding should come out mostly clean (a few sticky crumbs are okay). The pudding will be like molten lava right out of the oven, so let it cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Buen Provecho!

Wine Country con Sabor! Thurs. 8/19 - Soyrizo y Siqueiros

2010-08-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

I've been on a soy kick lately. Si SOY as in milk from green pods. I picked up a Vegan cookbook and started making recipes from it. They weren't that bad, but there was only so much barley a chica can take! And I thought I'd have to swear off desserts forever. Nunca! So I trotted to my local bookstore to see if there was a vegan cookbook for tasty desserts. Diabetes runs in our family and is becoming more common in our Latino community. I had to figure out a way to still enjoy postres without the guilt or harm. As I hovered half sideways reading upright book binds, I came across Viva Vegan! 200 Authentic and Fabulous Recipies for Latin Food Lovers by hip Vegan Chef Terry Hope Romero. How could this be? No Chorizo! Was I really expected to make flan with non-dairy creamer and no eggs?? I was intrigued and I had to learn more. I contacted Terry and she was nice enough to send me a sample book and be on our show tomorrow to PROVE to me I can still have "chorizo" and that we can have our dulce de leche and eat it too!

Art is an important part of my life. As many of you know, my dad is an artist (visit his website at degonzalez.com). So needless to say we grew up with arte always around us, whether it was at 6-years-old falling asleep in some random corner at an art gallery reception waiting for my parents to wrap up the night, watching Salvador Dali documentaries on VHS or going to Judy Baca shows in LA, art lives in my life. So I'm always thrilled when I have the chance to interview artists or learn more about museums. My other guest on Thursday's show is President and CEO of MOLAA (Museum of Latin American Art), Richard P. Townsend. Based in Long Beach, MOLAA is the ONLY U.S. museum dedicated exclusively to modern and contemporary artwork produced by artist from Latin American countries. MOLAA has an upcoming David Alfaro Siqueiros exhibit that is sure to show him in a whole new light - as a major landscape painter.

Wine Country con Sabor! Thursday 8/12

2010-08-13T01:34:00.000-07:00

VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN: CELEBRATING THE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY OF MEXICO'S REVOLUTION

Steve Seid, Video Curator, Pacific Film Archive (Berkeley, CA)
This historical period, rife with heroics, betrayal, and sacrifice, inspired numerous Mexican films, five classic films remastered and produced from 1933 to the 1970's are set in the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution. these include: Fernando de Fuentes’s Revolution Trilogy, José Bolaños’s La soldadera (1966) illustrates the oft-neglected presence of women on the front lines of revolution. PFA’s own print of Paul Leduc’s Reed: Insurgent Mexico (1971) traces the political conversion of John Reed, an American journalist, as he traverses northern Mexico with Pancho Villa’s army. Five films, one revolution. Viva México.

August 14 through August 27

Pacific Film Archive

2575 Bancroft Way, Berkeley

Click here for more info

FESTIVAL DE LA ISLA

Linda August, Founder

This West Coast Puerto Rican culture festival is nine years running! Top Puerto Rican caterers will offer traditional dishes, musica, baile and familia will all come together to celebrate. A tribute to musical artists Hector Lavoe, Tommy Olivencia and Frankie Ruiz will take center stage.

Pena Adobe Park (Vacaville, CA)

Saturday, August 21 10am-7pm

Click here for tickets and more info