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0:00 Escucha el podcast de Negras. 0:02 Este programa se emite los viernes a las 3 de la tarde 0:05 por Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico 0:07 en el 89.7 FM San Juan 0:10 y el 88.3 FM Mayagüez. 0:14 Todo un mundo de música e información. 0:17 Oye, oye a Negras por Radio Universidad. 0:24 Cadena Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico presenta 0:27 Negras, producido por Colectivo Ilé, un espacio para visibilizar proyectos antirracistas y educar de forma crítica e informada sobre la negritud y la racialización. 0:47 Hoy en Negras les saluda Bárbara Abadía Rezach. Para conversar sobre comida puertorriqueña me acompaña la chef Raquel Fleetwood. 0:55 Raquel nació y se crió en Manhattan, Nueva York y tiene ascendencia boricua. Es madre de cuatro y actualmente trabaja en su propio negocio de catering en Long Beach, California. Bienvenida Negra, Raquel, ¿cómo estás? 1:07 How are you doing, Raquel? 1:08 Muy bien, thank you for having me. 1:10 It's a pleasure. I was looking at the show and then I have the courage to email you. 1:17 Yeah, I was excited when I saw it. 1:20 I was like, okay, we were away. 1:22 We just got back. 1:23 So I'm like, as soon as we got back, I was like calling her. 1:26 And now my niece has said the audacity to email you. 1:31 And when I saw your answer, I was so happy. 1:33 Oh, good. 1:34 Thank you for the opportunity. 1:36 Raquel, siempre comenzamos el programa preguntando sobre las experiencias de la niña, las memorias. 1:42 ¿Qué memorias tienes de tu infancia en Nueva York? 1:44 uh growing up with a single mom who was puerto rican it was always she worked a lot she went to um 1:52 school back to school to get her phd when i was eight so i um started to learn how to cook earlier 1:59 than that and was actually able to cook for me and her and a lot of the recipes i actually learned 2:03 from my grandmother okay so for me my my childhood was always wrapped around food and puerto rican 2:09 food, I felt like it always helped me 2:11 feel confident in 2:13 knowing who I was and where I come from. 2:15 Es interesante que cuando hablas de tu infancia 2:18 es comida. 2:19 Always. 2:21 Your memories are food. 2:22 Everything's food. Smells, I'm like, 2:24 oh, that smells like Christmas 2:26 in 1991. 2:28 ¿Y qué olores recuerdas 2:30 de esa época viviendo en Nueva York? 2:33 Habichuelas, 2:34 arroz blanco con el pegado, 2:36 bien rico. 2:38 Yum. 2:39 Qué interesante. ¿Dónde vivías en Nueva York? Bueno, en Manhattan, pero... 2:45 The Upper West Side. 2:46 The Upper West Side. So for me, and my grandmother was in Washington Heights, 2:50 so I had a lot of friends that were also Dominican, a lot of Puerto Rican and Dominican, 2:55 and I feel like the Puerto Rican and Dominican, the experience of being raised in New York, 3:00 you have a lot of Dominican influence. 3:02 so for me it was not only 3:06 redefining Puerto Rican 3:07 cuisine but redefining it by 3:09 my own memories by my 3:11 own experiences 3:13 growing up and like 3:15 I honestly I had 3:17 some Dominican food in my life 3:19 that I didn't even know was Dominican for a minute 3:21 because it's what we ate 3:23 ok que interesante 3:25 y si pensamos en Puerto Rico 3:27 there's a huge Dominican 3:29 population in Puerto Rico so 3:31 So, we are like, you know, we have differences, but we have a lot of similarities. 3:36 Yes. 3:37 When it comes to food, it's very common to be in something Dominican that we thought 3:42 is Puerto Rican or otherwise. 3:43 Yeah, and you're like, oh, I didn't know, yeah. 3:45 ¿Y cómo describes tu vínculo con Puerto Rico? 3:48 When you was in New York, you traveled to Puerto Rico, or how was that? 3:53 I went to Puerto Rico in the summers as a kid. 3:56 My family owns a farm in Cabo Rojo. 3:58 Okay. 3:59 They have Pasofino horses. 4:00 So I would spend time out there 4:02 And then I always, I just remembered 4:04 Feeling like I belonged 4:07 As soon as I landed 4:08 It was like everybody's like me 4:10 And it was a very comforting feeling 4:13 And I feel like that feeling kind of attracted me 4:15 More towards the island 4:17 I got married in Puerto Rico 4:18 We got married at the El San Juan Hotel 4:21 Okay 4:21 We got engaged in Puerto Rico 4:23 So I just, you know, the island to me 4:25 It feels like home 4:28 I can feel my blood 4:29 Y me parece interesante eso que dices porque muchas veces New Yorkians says that when they went to Puerto Rico, people try to, los tratan como, tú no eres de aquí, no hablas español, etc. Sin embargo, tú dices que te sentías como, I belong here. 4:47 Yeah, well, like we would go in Isla Verde 4:50 My mom had a friend in the Wilda 4:53 And we walked up to this restaurant 4:54 And they were like 4:56 Ah, mira, aquí vienen, ya vienen los gringos 4:58 And I was like, ah, nice to meet you 5:01 ¿Cómo tú estás? 5:03 ¿Tienen arroz con gandules? 5:04 ¿Pení? 5:05 ¿Tiene cuerito? 5:06 And they were like, okay, never mind 5:08 So again, it was through my love and my knowledge of food 5:11 That I feel like made me more accepted 5:13 Because I'm like, I could cook it 5:16 And I know what it is. 5:18 Y tu abuela y tu mamá te hablaban with nostalgia about Puerto Rico. 5:24 ¿Y qué las hizo migrar hacia Estados Unidos? 5:28 My grandmother came to the States when she was 19. 5:31 So my grandmother, my mother was actually born in Spanish Harlem in 1949. 5:36 But my grandma came at 19 because she was super poor in Puerto Rico. 5:42 They couldn't even afford to eat. 5:43 She said she used to have to go to the mango trees and pick the mangoes up off the floor to try and eat. 5:48 So her and my grandfather came to the U.S. to try and make a better life for themselves. 5:53 They actually flew over in a cargo plane with like chickens and livestock and stuff to get over here. 6:00 And then she worked at a purse factory, a Pierre Cardin. 6:03 They don't have those anymore, but they used to be like like nice stuff. 6:06 And then my grandfather was a chef at a hotel. 6:09 Oh, so he was a chef too. 6:11 Okay. 6:11 And they came over with my great-grandmother. 6:13 So my great-grandmother took care of my uncle while they all went to work. 6:17 So my great-grandmother was the one that did a lot of the cooking in the house. 6:20 Okay. 6:21 And my grandmother learned from her later. 6:23 So it's all 180. 6:25 It all comes back full circle. 6:27 Okay. 6:27 Y luego, bueno, saltó una generación a tu mamá y llegó a ti. 6:31 Ajá, exactly. 6:33 But, yeah, you know, I think my grandmother's experience with not having the food in Puerto Rico, 6:38 like, we always had food at the house. 6:40 Like it was always she always made a pot of rice for like 25 people. 6:44 And my grandma four people were eating. 6:46 But it was just the abundance, the security of knowing that she could feed her family because of the move she made. 6:52 So for me, you know, it was it's been amazing to be able to share share these flavors with people that at one point my grandmother couldn't even afford. 7:01 And going back to something that you said earlier, that when you are in Puerto Rico, you feel like you belong there, etc. 7:07 ¿Cómo era vivir en Nueva York como una niña de padres, abuelos, puertorriqueños, no blanca, no sé si con accent, no sé si your first language was Spanish? 7:21 It was, it was, it was, but I stopped speaking it earlier. 7:27 And then I went to dual immersion school, so I learned how to read it and write it in school and all that. 7:32 My mom actually helped start the dual immersion schools in New York. 7:35 She was part of ASPIDA. 7:36 and she helped with the opening of 7:39 el Museo del Barrio, which was a big Puerto Rican 7:41 thing, she was the first 7:43 Puerto Rican 7:45 professor at Columbia University 7:47 so I think that that Puerto Rican 7:50 pride was kind of, it was bled 7:51 into who I am and also to just 7:54 excuse my friend, she and my mother just 7:56 bust her ass, she busted her ass 7:58 and to know that 8:00 she did it, so I'm like, I always knew I could 8:02 because I had it better than she did 8:03 Gracias por compartir 8:06 eso y qué bueno saber de la historia de tu madre. Ahora tengo mucho más interés también por conocer 8:12 más de tu mamá. Eres una persona racializada como una blanca. ¿Cuál ha sido tu experiencia 8:19 como una persona afrodescendiente, latina, en Estados Unidos, ya como adulta también? 8:26 Growing up in New York, not so much, because all the Latinas and Latinos, they look like us. 8:30 And they're all different colors and shades of brown. So, you know, I would walk in, 8:33 they'd be like hola chica como esta ok cool you know you go get your hair done by the dominicans 8:37 it's a thing so moving to california i realized that it wasn't and i feel like for one of the 8:43 first like real times in my life like i walk into a spanish place and they don't speak they won't 8:49 speak to me in spanish and when i speak back in spanish they still speak to me in english 8:53 and they go pero como habla espanol and i'm like because i'm latina oh oh oh is it puerto rico and 9:00 then it's like oh well of course you are because all puerto ricans are black and i'm like no 9:04 not really so i think that having different experiences and living in different places 9:10 in the country like it all it all depends on on your your your just overall experiences being 9:15 latina but i feel like once in the latin community here in california because it is so tight once 9:20 they realize that you are one of them then they're it's open arms they let you in and 9:24 En mi caso ha sido como que the opposite 9:27 Porque, bueno, me hablan en inglés 9:29 Incluso en Puerto Rico 9:30 Pensando que no soy puertorriqueña porque I'm too black to be puertorriquean 9:34 Y muchas veces aquí en Estados Unidos 9:36 Cuando digo I'm Puerto Rican, incluso en Europa 9:38 Me han dicho, pero hay negros en Puerto Rico 9:40 Right? 9:41 Not everybody knows that J-Lo or Ricky Martin 9:44 And I bet you J-Lo got a black grandma somewhere 9:47 Exactamente 9:48 That's what it is, we all look different 9:51 So like my family there 9:53 My grandpa looked more tallino 9:55 And then my grandmother was from San Germán 9:57 So she had red hair and green eyes 9:59 Very blanca, she looked like 10:01 Irish 10:01 My mom came out looking like Italian 10:04 And then my dad is black 10:07 So I'm the brownest one in my family 10:09 ¿Y qué área es tu papá? 10:12 ¿De dónde es la familia de tu padre? 10:13 He's black, he's from the U.S. 10:15 I didn't really have much upbringing 10:18 Around his family 10:19 So for me, I think that's also where the stronger 10:22 sense of connecting came from 10:24 because it was like, people would be like, 10:26 I'd be like, no, I'm Puerto Rican. 10:28 I eat Puerto Rican food. I listen 10:30 to Luis Miguel 10:32 and the Gypsy Kings 10:34 and Juan Luis Guerra. 10:36 Those are my songs in the holidays. 10:38 So, you know, that was, it was definitely 10:40 it was my way 10:42 of proving and showing that like, no, no. 10:44 I understand the culture. 10:49 Definitivo. 10:50 Raquel, vivimos en una sociedad 10:51 racista, sexista 10:53 y tú estás criando 10:55 a cuatro personas hermosas 10:58 ¿Cómo describes 10:59 tu papel como una madre 11:01 de cuatro personas que son visiblemente 11:03 negras? 11:05 Para mí, es 11:06 expulsar a todo. 11:08 Nosotros compamos en un carro 11:10 y hicimos un viaje de la calle 11:12 de California a Nueva York 11:14 y todo el camino, nos llevamos seis semanas 11:16 y regresamos. Es cuando me llamaste, me estaba en mi viaje 11:18 porque 11:19 Porque part de mí, siendo así, 11:22 me siento como era en Manhattan, 11:24 donde había muchas diferentes culturas 11:25 y muchas diferentes cosas y personas juntos, 11:27 que no es la norma en el U.S. 11:31 Así que, en el momento de estar en California, 11:33 no sé si están en la historia. 11:34 No creo que tienen un entorno real. 11:36 Así que, en el momento de estar en la U.S. 11:38 Y hay confederate flags, 11:40 hay todo esto que están viendo 11:42 y que no han visto antes. 11:43 Y es sobre prepararles, 11:46 prepararles, no shelterarles, 11:47 pero preparándolos para poder lidiar con lo que es Black en América en la vida. 12:17 ¿Cómo va a ser mi bebé? ¿Qué le voy a enseñar? ¿Cómo le voy a proteger? 12:23 Y cuando no pueda estar con esa persona 12:26 protecting them, ¿cómo le voy a preparar? 12:29 Entonces, algo adicional. 12:32 Para mí, es solo asegurarse que tienes que poner a personas muy confiables 12:35 que saben su wealth y saben su valor. 12:38 Para nosotros, por otro lado, por la comida, porque mi esposa es creol, 12:43 así que mis hijos son negros y puerto rican, como yo. 12:45 um food for them so like they know they know who they are because they know every christmas they 12:51 have pasteles de yuca and they have gumbo like so just really exposing them to their culture 12:57 which i can do the best is through food and just making them just feeling secure and knowing that 13:03 it's important to not hate back it's important because you can't it's too much hate and it 13:07 just comes to the point where you you know you got to understand and just keep you know i it's hard 13:12 to really put into words, but 13:14 I really do feel that it's just 13:16 about instilling the confidence in them 13:18 that they're worth it 13:20 and to know their value. 13:22 Exactamente. Y me parece muy importante 13:24 eso que dices de no odiar, 13:26 ¿verdad? Y vivir con 13:28 confianza de quienes somos, 13:30 del valor que tenemos. 13:31 And sometimes you find that 13:33 people just don't understand 13:35 it's not always racism. 13:37 Sometimes it's that there's no exposure. 13:39 You know, middle America, they're like in a 13:41 bubble. They don't know anything else around 13:43 them. So sometimes it's just about 13:45 educating. And I think for so long, it hasn't 13:47 been okay for us to say something, 13:49 you know, but like when they're like, oh, can we touch 13:51 your hair? Like, no, I really don't want 13:53 you to touch my hair. 13:56 Exactamente. And just speaking up 13:57 for yourself, sometimes it helps. 13:59 Sí. Bueno, 14:01 gracias por compartir esas 14:03 experiencias que tienen que ver más con tu vida, 14:05 con tu familia y esa vulnerabilidad 14:07 tambi de hablarme sobre c cr a tus hijas y a tus hijos hablemos de comida Has dicho p que aprendiste a cocinar con tu abuela 14:19 mencionaste que oriunda de Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, 14:22 también tienes abuela de San Germán, que tenían una granja, 14:26 pero también eso ya más después, mientras eras adolescente, 14:29 pero la historia de tus abuelos también es una historia de empobrecimiento 14:34 en Puerto Rico, etcétera, y eso les llevó a Estados Unidos. 14:38 Y también viendo a Julia Child en la televisión. 14:41 Y yo leí una entrevista que me dio mucha gracia porque tú decías, me ponía en Sesame Street y yo lo cambiaba. 14:49 My big bird. 14:50 My big bird. 14:52 No, my grandmother was very, she was very set in her ways. 14:57 So, like, I always had interest in food and she would not let me cook. 15:00 She said, get out of here. 15:01 You're in my way. 15:02 Get out, get out. 15:03 So, by watching Julia Child and kind of, like, understanding things, like, I was able to just kind of, like, sneak in. 15:07 and she got tired of kicking me out. 15:09 So I think that knowing, you know, my grandmother's beans, 15:13 like I don't change anything. 15:14 No, no, I might change a couple of things. 15:18 But, you know, like I still, 15:20 there's still some really some recipes from her 15:22 that I still stick to as a trained chef. 15:24 Like it's not, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. 15:27 But then I do think that my experience 15:30 and, you know, I've traveled the world. 15:31 I've been to different countries. 15:32 So being able to taste how other people use coconut, 15:36 how other people use cilantro, how other people use achote, you know? 15:42 It helps me kind of create this understanding of what I feel Puerto Rican food is. 15:49 It's not what it can be. 15:50 It's what it is. 15:51 Because you put a caldo santo on the plate, it's caldo santo. 15:54 It's still a Puerto Rican dish. 15:55 It doesn't matter if you put it with sea bass or king crab, 14 karat gold or caviar. 16:02 Sigue siendo caldo santo. 16:03 y viendo a tu abuela cocinar que te decía como 16:07 echa para allá, no te metas la cocina 16:08 echa para allá, man 16:09 I used to get papá with the chancla and everything 16:12 she'd be like, no, get out of here 16:13 please 16:14 ¿Cómo comparabas, por ejemplo, mirar a Julia 16:17 a Julia Childs y a tu abuela 16:20 cogiste cosas de ambos lados 16:22 como quizás la parte 16:24 I don't think I really got anything from Julia Childs 16:26 I think it all came from my grandmother 16:28 I just think that she, as a woman 16:30 in the kitchen, I was drawn to her 16:32 right away, because especially growing up in the 80s, 16:34 you didn't see women in the kitchen. 16:36 It still is a very male-dominated. 16:38 So even from young, just watching this, 16:39 and she's just having fun. 16:42 So for me, I was like, 16:44 oh, it made me want to see more of what 16:46 my grandmother was doing in the kitchen. 16:48 Okay, okay. Qué interesante. 16:50 ¿Y cuál es tu comida puertorriqueña favorita? 16:53 Pasteles de yuca. 16:54 Okay. ¿Los de masa no te gustan? 16:57 Sí, lo gusto, 16:58 pero de yuca lo he hecho 17:00 en aluminum foil. 17:02 Con aceite de achote 17:04 And we put them in the oven 17:05 So they're real crispy on the outside 17:07 Ay, ay, ay 17:07 Qué rico, ahora me dio, hombre 17:09 It's so good 17:11 And my husband, for Christmas, we put gumbo on top 17:14 Oh, wow 17:15 Así que hay una combinación ahí 17:17 Man, it's a good combination 17:19 A mí me encanta la yuca y me encanta 17:21 Bueno, en Fajardo 17:23 Yo nací y cría en Fajardo 17:24 Y mi abuela todavía le llama empanada 17:27 Pero haciendo como los pasteles de yuca 17:30 Con pescado guisado 17:32 y me encanta, me encanta la yuca 17:35 y cuando te escucho hablar de eso 17:39 es como que se me hace la boca agua 17:40 yeah, we're gonna do, we're gonna open up my 17:43 To Go Puerto Rican spot here, so like the whole idea 17:45 of like elevating, so we're gonna do like 17:47 yuca with a parmesan truffle 17:49 on top, so just, you know 17:50 just adding, adding the things in there 17:52 to get people to start tasting this stuff 17:54 because I really do feel like I've been given 17:56 the opportunity to have this platform 17:59 and I truly 18:00 and honestly believe that Puerto Rican food 18:02 is some of the most delicious food ever 18:04 and the idea of being 18:06 able to just let people taste it 18:08 I'm like, you're welcome. I strongly 18:10 agree. 18:13 Y tengo como que todavía más curiosidad 18:15 de qué representa la comida puertorriqueña 18:17 para ti. Cuando hablas de la comida 18:18 puertorriqueña, la gente no está viendo que 18:20 yo te estoy viendo mientras te converso 18:22 contigo y es como que se te 18:25 ilumina el rostro cuando hablas de la 18:26 comida. For me, it represents 18:28 me. It represents my grandmother 18:30 my grandfather my mother my great grandmother my uncles my aunts it represents every holiday I 18:35 spent as a child every holiday I still spend because Thanksgiving I'm like we have a rocón 18:40 gandules turkey in Penin like we have everything so for me I feel like I've been blessed with this 18:45 gift to really show people who I am oh and like we used to go to Puerto Rico and the first stop I 18:54 No sé si has oído de él, Bebos. 18:56 Sí, Bebos también. 18:59 Dime la mayor plaza de cuenito que tienes, por favor, gracias. 19:05 También es una de mis paradas cuando voy a Puerto Rico, además de piñones, 19:09 siempre tengo que parar en un kiosco en particular que se llama Las Dos Palmas. 19:15 Ese es mi kiosco favorito porque era el que me llevaba antes de que era una niña. 19:18 Y a veces llevábamos hasta las bicicletas y nos asomábamos a la playa 19:23 mientras esperábamos las alcapurrias porque son acabaditas de pregui. 19:26 Alcapurria. 19:28 Yes. 19:29 Alcapurria, bacalaitos, and then chichahitos. 19:32 That was later, the chichahitos with the anise. 19:35 Exactamente. 19:35 Que ahora hay chichahitos de muchísimos sabores. 19:38 Así que. 19:40 So, like, for us now at the catering company, 19:42 so because people don't really understand Puerto Rican food, 19:46 I present it in a way that people are like, okay, 19:49 so, like, we do basically alcapurrias, 19:52 but we make them like churros. 19:54 So we take the alcapurria dough 19:56 and we pipe it long. 19:58 So we serve it long, 19:59 like a steak like this. 20:00 And then we take skirt steak 20:02 and put it around. 20:02 So it's like all plays and riffs 20:04 off of things. 20:05 ¿Y es esto? 20:06 ¿O está relleno? 20:07 No, it's not stuff. 20:08 We put the steak on the outside 20:10 and then we put a garlic sauce on top. 20:12 So it's not, 20:12 it's not, 20:13 it's not an alcapurria, 20:14 but I could call it alcapurria sticks 20:16 in New York 20:17 and they'd be like, 20:17 oh, that sounds great. 20:19 Whereas out here... 20:19 Es como una alcapurria deconstruida. 20:21 Yes, deconstructed 20:23 That's how you make it fancy 20:25 La masa, la carne aparte 20:27 And it's delicious 20:29 People are like, oh my gosh, it's so good 20:31 But I think we're going to do 20:32 We're going to do alcapurrias at the restaurant 20:34 ¿Y cómo consigue? 20:36 No sé, porque sabes que en Puerto Rico 20:37 Hace las alcapurrias, hay gente que las hace de guineo 20:40 Yautia, hay gente que las hace solamente de yautia 20:43 Aquí lo hago de yuca 20:45 Pero I've done them before with the green 20:47 The green bananas 20:49 que también eso cambia 20:51 la creatividad del plato 20:55 cuando no necesariamente se tienen los ingredientes 20:57 exacto 20:58 and out here like I can't find ajice peppers 21:01 ajice dulce 21:02 no, nunca consigo aquí tampoco 21:05 incluso los plátanos 21:06 es bien difícil 21:08 si quede un tostón crujiente 21:11 con plátano verde porque a veces 21:13 el plátano está como pinto 21:14 yeah it doesn't work, you know I found that 21:16 they sell them in the Goya 21:18 los que están frisados 21:21 sí 21:21 pero como he said peppers 21:25 he bought some back from New York 21:26 I have a garden 21:27 so I'm like I'm going to grow my own peppers 21:28 but I feel like stuff like that 21:30 so being able to really expose 21:33 the rest of the country 21:35 to Puerto Rican food 21:36 allows for more of that to be seen 21:38 in the grocery stores 21:39 it allows for the farmer in Puerto Rico 21:41 that has the ají said pepper farm 21:43 to get more 21:44 so I feel like that's also 21:45 hopefully my way of giving back 21:48 es just 21:49 due exposure 21:50 you know 21:50 we're part of 21:51 the United States 21:51 and I feel like 21:52 we're the least 21:53 people don't know 21:55 like I had 21:56 a Puerto Rico hat on 21:56 and they were like 21:57 oh what's that 21:58 Cuba 21:58 like oh 21:59 do you need 21:59 a passport 22:00 no 22:00 or they say 22:02 Costa Rica 22:03 no Puerto Rico 22:04 Puerto Rico 22:05 and they're like 22:06 but you're black 22:06 you're not Cuban 22:07 I'm like no 22:07 y la labor que hace 22:11 Raquel 22:11 al presentar 22:12 la comida 22:12 puertorriqueña 22:13 de forma 22:14 internacional 22:15 y todo eso 22:15 que nos has contado 22:16 es un acto político 22:17 lo que acaba 22:18 de decir de que se reconozca Puerto Rico 22:20 y la comida puertorriqueña. 22:22 ¿Qué te motiva a exponer la comida 22:24 puertorriqueña a nivel internacional? 22:26 ¿Qué es lo que tú dices? Esta comida es súper rica 22:28 y deben conocer sobre ella. 22:30 ¿Qué es lo que te motiva principalmente 22:32 a exponerla internacionalmente? 22:34 For me, I love food. I mean, as a chef, 22:36 food is my love language. It's my everything. 22:38 I cook every day. 22:40 It doesn't matter if I cook for 100 22:42 people, I come back home and I cook. 22:44 So, you know, 22:45 Y, knowing, living in New York, had I not left New York, 22:50 I don't think I would have understood how unrepresented Puerto Rican food is 22:54 in the rest of the country and in the rest of the world. 22:58 So for me, it's just, I feel like it's just what I was put here for. 23:03 And I have all these amazing, like, I don't see it as like, oh, you know, 23:07 shame on them for not, I see it as a platform. 23:09 What an amazing opportunity to have an area of anything now in the world 23:14 that just hasn't been exposed. 23:16 And I'm like, Puerto Rican, 23:17 like it deserves it. 23:18 And I, one of the judges, 23:21 Rav on the show, Rav Neet, 23:22 shout out to Rav Neet. 23:24 She pulled me over when I was going home 23:26 and was like, you know, 23:27 I just want to let you know, 23:28 she's like, your food is absolutely amazing. 23:30 She's like, and I want to go to Puerto Rico. 23:32 She's like, I would have never wanted 23:33 to go to Puerto Rico before. 23:34 She's like, I want to go to Puerto Rico 23:35 and I want to taste this experience. 23:38 And so that's for me, I'm like, 23:40 oh man, it's working, it's working. 23:41 Y también cuando uno piensa en las similitudes con otras cocinas también, viendo el programa, había una de las chefs al principio de un país de África que ahora no recuerdo si era Camerún o no recuerdo. 23:55 Camerún o Congo, una de las chicas, sí, ella es increíble. 23:59 Y cuando uno mira lo que está haciendo, es como, hay cositas también que se parecen, obviamente porque tenemos las raíces. 24:05 Yes, I'm like gingambo, gingambo, the saltfish, all that. 24:10 It's all from Africa. 24:11 So I'm like, it's such, and so people go, you know, well, what's the difference between 24:15 American food and Puerto Rican food? 24:16 Because they have rice and beans too. 24:18 And my response is the African influence. 24:21 Exacto. 24:21 Ver a Dom cocinando con pana. 24:24 En algunas islas del Caribe están los árboles llenos de pan. 24:28 Everywhere. 24:28 No se la comen. 24:29 Y en Puerto Rico la hacemos en tostones, hervidas, rellenos de pana. 24:34 La bandilla, la cual se hace con el pan. 24:36 Oh, Dios mío. 24:37 Exactamente. 24:37 Estoy muy emocionado. 24:39 Y la cocina puertorriqueña se describe como una que utiliza ingredientes sencillos y económicos, 24:45 aunque no necesariamente se consiguen aquí en Estados Unidos. 24:48 ¿Cómo entonces elevas la cocina puertorriqueña? 24:52 ¿Cómo la introduces a esos esquizote palates? 24:56 I think, again, through my experience as a chef, 24:59 So I understand flavors and combinations like for the Caldo Santo, Puerto Rican food isn't spicy. 25:06 Like we don't, you know, we don't have a lot of heat in our food, but I put a chili in it. 25:09 I put instead of using achote, I use saffron, which yields a stronger flavor. 25:13 So just having experience of other foods and how other foods work, I feel like it helps me just kind of elevate, elevate, you know, just puts the lime. 25:22 It's like putting lemon on the dish. It's good, but the lemon makes it better. 25:25 Así que utilizando otros ingredientes 25:28 Digamos similares que realzan 25:30 Los sabores 25:32 So the 25:34 Caldo Santo broth I made there 25:36 I also took the bones 25:38 From the crab, like all the leftovers 25:40 And I boiled it down and got all the flavors 25:42 In there, so just 25:43 Puerto Rican food is very flavorful 25:46 You know, it's very flavorful 25:48 It's very, the first bite you're like 25:50 Oh my god, this is delicious 25:51 I think as long as I can capture that in the dish 25:54 then it turns out good. 25:56 ¿Y cómo describes tu concepto de modern Puerto Rican cuisine? 26:01 Modern Puerto Rican cuisine. 26:03 It's taking wholesome, real ingredients found in the Puerto Rican food 26:11 and elevating it. 26:13 So I'm trying to think of one of the... 26:16 Oh, so usually we do at any party, 26:19 we do the queso blanco with guava, the guava and cheese. 26:23 So I took the queso blanco 26:26 I wrapped it in filo 26:27 And put it in the oven 26:29 And did a guava dipping sauce 26:30 So you're still getting the same 26:33 And I put it in a box 26:34 With a cigar smoke 26:37 I got a real Puerto Rican cigar 26:39 And I smoked the inside of the box 26:40 So when you open it, you smell the cigar smoke first 26:44 It's in the platanolí 26:45 So the whole experience 26:47 The smell, the look, the taste 26:49 But at the end of it all 26:51 You're still having guava and cheese 26:52 but it's elevated 26:54 y como 26:56 llega toda esa cosa 26:58 esa creatividad, como pensar en todos 27:00 esos detalles, voy a buscar una caja de cigarros 27:02 no voy a hacer forma de cigarros 27:04 it just comes to me and I also find 27:06 that being in LA or close to LA 27:08 we have so many different foods 27:10 and restaurants and like I can 27:12 keep up with things by just going 27:14 out to eat and seeing what other chefs 27:16 are doing, I've always been good at tasting food 27:18 and being able to replicate it 27:20 So even like, oh, this is good, but I could do it like this 27:23 Like I had something the other day 27:25 And I had like a black crispy rice 27:26 And I was like, ooh, I can do this with bagao 27:27 So just being able to take other experiences 27:30 Do other food and kind of mold it into my own 27:32 My brain is always going 27:34 It's awful 27:35 My husband's like, I just want to have leftovers 27:37 And I'm like, but I want to make something 27:39 ¿Tú escribes esas recetas y las cosas que vas haciendo 27:44 Y las nuevas creaciones 27:45 O solo haces fotos? 27:46 I just do it, they stay in my brain 27:48 They stay in my head 27:49 I dream, I dream about food, I think about food, it's constant. 27:53 It's an addiction, but I'm like, it's a good one. 27:57 ¿Y cómo, si tienes todas esas ideas, o sea, llegan nuevas, nuevas formas, o sea, cada día que llegas a la casa a cocinar, 28:05 ¿ya tienes en la mente qué vas a hacer o vas planificando un menú de la semana? 28:10 No, I kind of, and I'll just pull stuff out of the fridge and just make stuff out of nowhere. 28:15 Es como pararse así frente a la nevera y mirar lo que hay, ok, voy a hacer eso. 28:19 No he visto contigo pero he visto algunos episodios I was on season seven episode eight 28:33 and they cut my episode completely 28:35 because we were wearing masks 28:37 and they thought the ratings were going down. 28:39 But, like, just that show was very significant 28:41 of, like, my life, 28:42 of just having stuff thrown at you 28:44 and having to figure it out. 28:45 And I think it's the only way. 28:47 I have to, I can't take myself so seriously 28:50 all the time with four kids 28:51 because you drive yourself crazy. 28:53 So I can't be like on Monday, I'm going to do this. 28:56 On Tuesday, I'm going to do that. 28:57 I'm like, I'm going to make you guys something. 28:59 Sometimes if I only have flour and water, 29:00 I'll make them fresh pasta with butter. 29:03 Tastes good. 29:04 Tastes good, right? 29:06 Bueno, vamos a hacer una pausa. 29:08 En breve regresamos con Negras 29:10 y continuaremos dialogando con Raquel Fleetwood 29:12 sobre gastronomía puertorriqueña. 29:13 Siga en sintonía con Radio Universidad. 29:21 por Radio Universidad 29:23 Está escuchando el podcast de Negras 29:27 Este programa se emite los viernes 29:29 a las 3 de la tarde 29:30 por Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico 29:32 en el 89.7 FM San Juan 29:35 y el 88.3 FM Mayagüez 29:39 Todo mundo de música e información 29:51 en la cocina, cocinando 29:54 salsa para la gente latina 29:56 Esto no es ensaladita 29:59 light, arroz con 30:01 habichuela y viandas 30:02 bloqueadas. No, no es 30:04 ensaladita light de dieta 30:06 Usted está escuchando Negras 30:08 inspiradas en las grandezas de nuestras 30:10 ancestras. Les saluda Bárbara 30:12 Abadía Rezach. Hoy tengo el placer de 30:14 conversar sobre comida puertorriqueña 30:16 con la chef Raquel Fleetwood. 30:18 En el segmento anterior Raquel me estaba explicando 30:20 lo que significa su concepto de modern Puerto Rican cuisine, comida puertorriqueña moderna y elevada. 30:27 Hablábamos de su experiencia como una persona latina, racializada en Estados Unidos, 30:32 su vínculo con Puerto Rico y el amor que tiene por la comida, 30:37 que evidentemente le llega por muchas fuentes familiares también y ancestrales. 30:44 Raquel, ¿qué te hizo llegar de Nueva York a California? 30:49 Ok, so 30:51 En 2006 30:54 I took a road trip to Atlanta 30:56 With some girlfriends 30:57 And met my husband 30:58 So I moved to Atlanta 31:01 And we lived in Atlanta for 9 years 31:03 Ok 31:04 That's where I learned to make the best soul food ever 31:08 And then 31:10 From Atlanta we moved to California 31:12 Because my husband's family is from here 31:14 And he wanted to go back home 31:16 And the only reason why I didn't fight it 31:18 es porque no me gusta el negrito en Nueva York. 31:22 Así que fue como la decisión perfecta. 31:24 Sí, yo estaba como, si fuera el weather, 31:26 yo lucharía, y regresaríamos a Nueva York. 31:28 Pero en California, California, el weather es increíble. 31:31 Sí. 31:32 Para mí, como caribeña, puertorriqueña, 31:36 desde que he vivido en San Juan y en Fajardo, 31:38 a veces es frío. 31:41 En San Francisco, ¿no? 31:42 San Francisco y con la neblina y todo, 31:46 pero sí, sigue siendo un mejor clima que estar en un lugar donde cae nieve. 31:52 Y mucho nieve. 31:53 Uy, no. 31:55 Bueno, hemos estado hablando de tu participación en un reality show 31:59 que tuvo lugar en Londres, en London, en United Kingdom, 32:03 y yo vi la serie dos veces con la misma emoción 32:08 de saber que había una puertorriqueña y con el mismo nivel de estrés. 32:12 Sí. 32:12 de qué va a pasar, a pesar de que lo había visto ya una vez, 32:16 la segunda vez igual estaba como... 32:19 Pero obviamente estaba pensando mucho más en los detalles 32:22 para tener esta conversación contigo. 32:25 ¿Cómo fue esa experiencia de haber sido elegida, 32:29 de viajar a Londres, compartir con el chef Michel Rue, 32:34 los jueces, el otro grupo de personas que estaban compitiendo igual que tú? 32:39 So, most of the people on the show had a month to prepare 32:44 I had five days 32:46 They called me, I was in my kitchen 32:48 They were like, okay, we have a show that's for your caliber chef 32:52 Can you be in London in five days? 32:54 And I just was on hold for a show for another Netflix show 32:58 So I already had a whole suitcase packed 33:00 And I was like, okay 33:02 I told my husband, I was like, well 33:04 And he was like, well, you better go 33:05 So I shot for two and a half weeks 33:07 y él tenía todos los niños, 33:09 le quedó el trabajo, 33:10 le quedó el trabajo, 33:11 que era mi rock. 33:13 Así que yo fui a la hora 33:14 y luego tomé un 10 y un par hora 33:18 y landed y empezó a filmar 33:21 en el momento. 33:22 Así que todo el confesionado, 33:24 así que todo el tiempo 33:25 que escucha me respondiendo a cosas, 33:27 que fue hecho antes 33:28 que se hizo el show. 33:30 Ellos básicamente 33:31 se preguntan a series de preguntas. 33:34 Así que yo estaba 33:35 10 y un par horas 33:37 straight in, cameras on 33:39 and I don't know if you noticed 33:40 by the first episode in 33:42 I had no voice 33:43 I lost my voice 33:44 Estaba ronca, sí? 33:47 They had me record more things when I got home 33:50 because they couldn't hear what I was saying 33:51 so they had to put it in and act like I was saying it at that point 33:54 but I just 33:56 I feel like that show 33:58 gave me 33:59 a feeling 34:02 about myself that I've never had 34:04 when I 34:05 Y la gente que ha hecho y la cosas que ellos crearon, 34:09 yo estaba como, ¡eh! 34:11 ¡Has hecho! 34:12 ¡Has hecho! 34:14 La calidad de la que ellos han hecho es absolutamente increíble. 34:19 Me y Laura, 34:19 nosotros hicimos en la hora de hacer esto con la llamada. 34:23 Estamos trabajando en bringing her over a los Estados Unidos 34:25 para hacer algo que ella es... 34:27 ¡Has hecho! 34:28 ¡Has hecho! 34:29 La creatividad que viene de la cabeza de la cabeza es absolutamente increíble. 34:34 y ella es un force 34:38 y creo que producen her 34:39 a la gente diferente 34:40 pero no es 34:43 no es un joke 34:43 es absolutamente 34:46 así que estoy 34:47 estoy emocionado 34:48 tengo un buen 34:50 relación con la gente 34:51 y para mí 34:54 poder hablar con alguien 34:56 sobre la comida 34:57 es siempre so exciting 34:58 ¿no? 34:59 si el winner 35:01 tom 35:01 ¿He took some of the ideas 35:04 Of other chefs 35:05 To bring to the menu? 35:08 Do you know? 35:09 I don't think so 35:10 I think they just launched his 35:12 I think they just launched his restaurant 35:14 In London two weeks ago 35:16 I believe 35:17 I haven't had much communication with him 35:20 I know that he was on hold 35:22 For a year before they actually 35:24 Bought the show out 35:25 They didn't want the restaurant to launch 35:27 Until it came parallel with the Netflix show 35:29 Okay, I understand 35:31 ¿Y habías tenido experiencia previa en algún tipo de competencia así que requiere tanta creatividad, tanto estrés? 35:40 Yep. 35:41 I've shot five other shows before, and this was the only one that actually came out. 35:45 I've done some pilots for the Food Network and definitely took this opportunity to showcase my Puerto Rican food. 35:52 My husband was like, you know, Rock, you're an amazing chef. 35:55 Like, all the stuff you make is amazing. 35:57 He was like, but you have an end with this Puerto Rican food. 36:01 Y yo creo que debería ir a Londres 36:02 Y debería hacer Puerto Rican food 36:04 Y yo dije, ok 36:04 Qué bueno tener el apoyo también 36:08 De tu compañero 36:10 He's amazing 36:12 He's the only reason why I was able to do 36:14 Everything that I can 36:15 Y still live my life 36:16 Just because he understands that support 36:18 Y yo creo que como mujeres 36:19 Sometimes it's hard for us 36:21 To do what we want 36:23 Y still be a mother 36:26 Y a wife 36:27 So I'm like, I'm definitely lucky 36:31 Qué bien. Y has estado hablando sobre la importancia de la representación de la comida puertorriqueña y eso a su vez implica reconocimiento de la cultura puertorriqueña. Y en el show principalmente hacías distinciones, ¿no?, de la importancia de la comida puertorriqueña en comparación con otras comidas caribeñas o latinoamericanas que tienen más presencia, por ejemplo, aquí en Estados Unidos y no me imagino en Londres también. 36:57 y resaltaste a través de los platos que hiciste nuestras tradiciones africanas e indígenas 37:04 y tu comida fue elogiada por el sabor. 37:07 O sea, siempre decían, pero qué rico, ¿sabes? 37:10 Nunca hubo una crítica al sabor de tu comida. 37:13 No, and you know. 37:14 Excepto el ajo, quizás. 37:16 I sent me home. 37:17 Sent me home. 37:19 I'm good. 37:19 I said, I told my husband. 37:21 I said, they sent me home because of the garlic. 37:23 I said, and I'm going to take one for the tea. 37:25 I would not. 37:25 I was trying to come up with a menu 37:30 On the way to London 37:31 I had just worked a huge event 37:33 So my brain is firing in all these things 37:36 And I'm like I feel like that last episode 37:38 If I could do it different 37:40 I would have 37:41 I don't think that 37:42 The way they said it's a traditional Puerto Rican dish 37:45 It's not a traditional Puerto Rican dish 37:47 That last dish I made 37:48 That was me giving a nod 37:51 To the New Yorkerican 37:52 And the New Yorkerican experience 37:53 I'm like, because we would go out in the club and get tore up in the floor, 23-year-old, no responsibility drunk. 38:02 And we would wake up and we would go to Malecon and we would get tres golpes done. 38:07 You know, so for me, it was my experience. 38:09 And like, I have friends that are like, oh, man, you made mongu. 38:12 Like, that was her. 38:13 But then I also made pan de agua. 38:14 I made café con leche to kind of blend it in a little bit more. 38:18 But I'm like, I would have definitely done. 38:20 I didn't know, see, I also didn't know 38:22 that in London, oatmeal is like a huge thing. 38:25 Okay. 38:26 No idea. 38:27 And I'm like, my grandma's avena was the best ever. 38:30 And I'm like, I would have made avena. 38:33 I would have made a breakfast mofongo instead. 38:35 Like, so I'm like, you always look back 38:37 and you're like, woulda, coulda, shoulda, but. 38:39 Sí. 38:40 Y sobre todo, pensar en la historia de este tipo de comida. 38:43 O sea, el mangú con tres golpes se puede comer en la mañana 38:46 porque era lo que a la gente empobrecida les daba la energía 38:50 y casi el lado completo 38:52 para el resto del día 38:54 que también tiene una historia que tiene que ver 38:56 con procesos de colonialismo 38:58 de sobrevivencia 39:00 más que una vena 39:02 I remember them, they were on me 39:05 about the yuca because I said 39:07 the yuca is poisonous 39:09 if you don't cook it all the way 39:10 oh my gosh, these people, they're like 39:12 well, you know, when you said 39:15 that, was it possible for the judges 39:17 to die? and I'm like 39:18 no, they got like 3 little sticks 39:21 of yuca, it was literally like 4 39:23 maybe 5 little matchsticks and I'm like 39:25 it was cooked, and they're like 39:27 well how do you know, I'm like the same way 39:28 they're eating chicken and not dying, if you 39:31 undercook chicken it'll kill you, right 39:32 and they're like oh well then 39:34 how do you know that, is that a fact 39:37 and I'm like yeah, they're like well we can't find it anywhere 39:39 and I was like my mom helped open 39:41 the first Puerto Rican museum, I was like 39:43 she knows 39:44 y by the way lo mencionaste ahorita 39:48 pero thank you for spreading the interest 39:50 to know more about Puerto Rico 39:52 to people like Josh Ravnit 39:53 y mucha otra gente que 39:56 ve el show pues me imagino 39:57 y algo que me gustó mucho es que 40:00 you were so happy 40:01 oh my god I'm so happy 40:03 it's so much fun 40:04 y que bueno que eligieron esos 40:07 clips de tu participación 40:10 demostrando 40:12 tu alegría, tu vulnerabilidad 40:14 obviamente al final cuando 40:16 ya dejaste el programa 40:17 I didn't cry, but like me and 40:19 me and Michelle Rue, like we had a thing 40:21 he's a really nice guy, and so 40:23 they were like, okay, and I'm like, alright, and then he's like 40:25 can I have a hug, and I was like 40:27 sí, fue muy lindo 40:30 ese gesto 40:31 fue muy lindo ese gesto 40:33 de él, de que era 40:35 he's a really, he's good 40:37 he's good people, they're all, they were 40:39 se ve como una persona muy 40:41 Muy amable y muy humana. 40:43 Real normal, like real normal, but like so talented. 40:46 Like, wow, you know, to be basically like culinary royalty, 40:49 to come down from all those lines of Michelin stars, 40:52 and to still be so humble was, he was, it was, 40:55 the whole experience was just absolutely amazing. 40:57 Like, I'd do it again. 41:00 Y me imagino que tus ancestras y tu abuela y tu bisabuela 41:03 también estarían muy contentas. 41:05 Oh, she's buzzing. 41:06 She's like, yes, yes. 41:07 And then she got her picture up there. 41:09 I was like, yes, my grandma's lovely. 41:11 Qué bueno, qué bueno, gracias por toda esa labor. Raquel, un poco para la audiencia que no ha visto el show, no voy a decir el nombre exacto para cuestiones de copyright y todo lo demás, pero en el episodio uno serviste un banquete de tostones, arroguizados, chicharrones, pernil, las rajitas de aguacate por el lado, 41:34 de los carrillos que mencionaste, ¿verdad? 41:37 De hojaldre con guayaba y queso. 41:40 En el episodio 2, tu plato Five Stars, cinco estrellas, 41:44 fue lubina, yuca, caviar, patas de cangrejo 41:49 y ese caldo santo que se veía exquisito para chuparse los dedos. 41:54 En el episodio 3, tuviste la oportunidad de trabajar con Dom y con Lara 42:00 en equipo para complacer a un cliente que tenía un antojo de hamburger 42:04 mac and cheese y una torre de postre. 42:08 Luego sorprendiste a los jueces con esa bandeja de desayuno 42:12 con tu versión de mangú de tres con tres golpes, como ya mencionaste, 42:15 pan de agua y café, que eso era transportarse a Puerto Rico. 42:19 Y fue interesante cuando Michelle dice, eso también es francés. 42:23 Se come en Francia. 42:25 Y ese mangú, como mencionaba, refleja la convivencia de los boricuas 42:31 y dominicanos en Nueva York, en Puerto Rico. 42:33 Cuando yo estoy en Puerto Rico a veces voy a Barrio Obrero a un lugar que se llama La Morenita para comprar mang con tres golpes Ah hacen una adem de el morir so pero hacen avena con lim 42:46 que yo nunca antes de ese sitio había bebido eso. 42:50 Y eso es como mi bebida favorita. 42:54 My grandma used to make it with lemon peels. 42:57 Sí, pues yo nunca lo sabía. 42:59 The oatmeal, yeah, she put lemon peels in it. 43:00 Eso sale súper, sabe riquísimo. 43:02 It's delicious, I know. 43:03 Es como transportarme a Puerto Rico, a Barrio Obrero. 43:08 Así que es parte, o sea, que tu comida no solamente eleva la cocina puertorriqueña, 43:15 pero también, como decías ahorita, tu experiencia como una persona nacida y criada en Nueva York, 43:22 rodeada de otras personas de otras culturas. 43:25 ¿Cómo tú? 43:29 Hemos hablado un poco de ese asunto de la creatividad 43:32 ¿Cómo construir estos menús? 43:36 ¿Cómo tú estabas pensando en ese avión? 43:39 ¿Qué es lo que voy a hacer para que te consiguiera los ingredientes? 43:42 ¿Cómo es ese proceso? 43:44 So they were, man, they, they 43:46 I was like, okay, so the first challenge was 43:49 you need to have a dish that allows the judges 43:52 enough for them to keep your concept 43:54 um and there were there were 12 people there were 12 people and they didn't show all of them on on 44:01 this thing but there were 12 chefs and out of all those 12 i was one of three that got pushed on 44:07 like no you're delicious absolutely yes 100 because i knew and i didn't even play with it 44:13 too much like i that was that was benin they have been me i the only thing i did was i dehydrated 44:19 the skin. I had them dehydrated overnight 44:21 and then I put it in the fryer so it puffed up 44:23 like chicharrón. 44:25 But that was arrojunto because they couldn't 44:27 find gandules. They had no idea what a pigeon pea was. 44:30 And it was 44:31 tostones. I make this garlic sauce 44:33 called mojo. I put that on there. 44:35 The avocado was regular avocado. 44:37 I took the seeds of the tomato and you call it 44:39 tomato caviar. But it was as 44:41 close to a dish you would get 44:43 in Puerto Rico as possible. 44:45 I just made it, put 44:47 bells and whistles and make it look pretty 44:49 Y el arroz junto 44:51 Yo hace tiempo no escuchaba eso 44:53 That was my grandma's thing 44:55 Arroz junto 44:58 Arroz blanco 44:59 O arroz con gandules 45:00 Ok 45:01 Y era arroz guisado 45:04 O sea 45:05 No tenía ni habichuela 45:06 No había 45:07 No tenía habichuela 45:09 Tenía 45:10 Tenía kidney beans 45:11 Ok 45:12 ¿Qué fue lo que pudieron conseguir? 45:13 Ajá 45:14 With sofrito 45:15 And tomato sauce 45:16 Like just real 45:16 Real classic 45:17 Ok 45:18 Y entonces, 45:19 también, 45:20 so, 45:21 they also make you prep 45:22 for dishes 45:22 because I kept doing so well 45:24 and didn't have to do 45:25 the elimination challenges. 45:26 I had other dishes 45:27 that I had ready to go 45:29 and one of them was, 45:30 I was going to make Rabos. 45:32 Mm-hmm. 45:33 Stoob Rabos 45:34 with a yuca mash 45:36 and I have to look at it, 45:37 my other stuff 45:38 that I had planned. 45:39 Okay. 45:39 And then there's 45:40 the tea thing I had, 45:42 where was the name 45:43 of the place in Puerto Rico? 45:44 There's a place in Puerto Rico 45:45 where all the buildings 45:46 are hot pink, 45:47 yellow, 45:48 Blue 45:50 I feel like I have to look it up 45:52 So my tea party 45:55 Was going to be based on that 45:56 So just 45:56 The thing from Puerto Rico with the salt flats 46:00 Which is like a real thing 46:01 So I was trying to 46:04 To do everything 46:06 All I want 46:07 And then 46:10 Each of us had our own producer 46:12 That would get us the stuff we need 46:13 And they couldn't even find my stuff 46:15 I wound up having to leave the hotel 46:17 to go look for my own things for the show. 46:20 Oh, wow. 46:21 Pero como dices, ¿no? 46:23 Era tradicional, con los ingredientes básicos, 46:27 con un sabor. 46:28 And just do it well. 46:29 Do it well. 46:30 People are like, oh my God, that was delicious. 46:32 What did you put on that? 46:33 And I'm like, adobo, garlic powder, oregano, and vinegar. 46:39 Y ya. 46:40 It just cooked well. 46:43 So I'm like, yeah, that's part of it. 46:44 I think that's part of knowing Puerto Rican food 46:47 And having that be one of the first flavors 46:49 My palate remembers tasting 46:51 I feel like it helped me become a better chef 46:53 Because they've mastered the simplicity 46:56 Of ingredients 46:57 And just the cooking 46:58 The best turkey I've ever had in my life 47:00 Was in my mom's friend's backyard 47:03 In El Junque 47:04 And she dug a hole 47:05 And she lined it with platano leaves 47:08 And they put a turkey in there 47:10 And wrapped it up 47:10 I don't know what she put on it 47:12 But it was delicious 47:14 Tengo amigos de Perú 47:19 Que también hacen platos así debajo de la tierra 47:21 Y se quedan riquísimos 47:23 Y bueno, yo como antropóloga, afrofeminista 47:28 Viendo el show 47:29 Me quedé pensando en muchas cosas 47:31 Y reflexionando sobre temas como los roles de género 47:35 El tema de la etnicidad y la diversidad que hubo en el show 47:38 Pero también los estereotipos que se tienen 47:42 ¿Qué se espera que cocine tal persona? 47:44 ¿De acuerdo? 47:44 O como a veces la cámara, ¿verdad? 47:46 Parte de la producción 47:47 ¿Cómo construyen una idea de lo que es el puertorriqueño 47:51 O que es ser caribeño 47:52 O que es ser español o española, etcétera? 47:55 ¿A qué desafío te enfrentaste 47:58 Como una chef autodidacta, self-taught 48:01 No blanca, latina y puertorriqueña? 48:07 um 48:08 you know 48:11 I just for me 48:12 I just I always I'm so excited 48:14 for the opportunity that I try to not even 48:17 let that I always just want to be myself 48:19 so I'm like you take you see it 48:21 you like it you don't like it I don't care 48:22 or I love it or I don't care 48:24 and so I don't 48:26 I don't feel like I really had time to really 48:29 reflect on it until after the show came 48:31 out because everything was so quick 48:33 and then but like 48:35 So the episodes actually took two days 48:38 So you see one episode as one episode 48:41 But it's two days of filming 48:43 So like the first day I got there 48:45 I landed, we filmed 48:47 I went to bed and I woke up 48:49 I was on set at 5.30 in the morning 48:52 And we filmed until 11.30 o'clock 48:55 11.30 midnight 48:56 And then woke back 48:58 So it was like 48:59 So you know for me 49:01 For me it was about giving myself grace 49:03 And if people had negative things to say 49:07 I just, I don't got time for it 49:09 No, yo creo que tu 49:12 Estar ahí en el show 49:14 Era, es eso que dices, no? 49:17 Este es Raquel 49:18 That's it 49:19 Mira como ella disfruta lo que está haciendo 49:21 And they did my interview 49:23 Before the actual show 49:26 So they made the interview seem 49:29 Like I was reacting and saying things 49:32 To what happened 49:32 but it hadn't even happened already. 49:35 So they just, they applied it 49:36 to that last episode I was on. 49:39 So I was like, that's not what I meant. 49:41 That's not what I said. 49:42 And when I was like, you got to get a little nasty, 49:44 it's because we're in the competition. 49:46 I'm going to get nasty with this food. 49:47 I'm going to cook my ass off, is what I meant. 49:51 Pero esa idea como no puede trabajar en equipo, 49:55 es como que, pero el líder no sabe tener, ser líder. 49:58 Pero entonces como que estas cuestiones 50:02 Como de género 50:04 Para mí están muy presentes 50:06 Vivimos en una sociedad 50:08 Como te preguntaba al principio 50:09 Hablando de tu crianza, de tus hijos 50:12 Vivimos en una sociedad sexista 50:14 Y eso se refiere a ti 50:15 Siempre, porque yo respondí a una persona 50:18 Porque ellos estaban como, oh, sabes 50:19 Y yo estaba como, primero de todo 50:21 No tenía una actitud 50:22 No les mostró cuando estaba besando a Laura 50:24 Porque ella estaba casi en las llaves 50:26 No les mostró cuando estaba diciendo a todos 50:28 to just smile, it's okay, 50:30 let's get through it. They didn't show any of that. 50:32 You know, so I'm like, I just don't... 50:35 Gordon Ramsey 50:36 has a whole show 50:37 about being mean 50:40 and 50:41 confrontational, and 50:44 nobody's saying that he makes all 50:45 white men look bad. 50:47 Sí. Pero que a pesar de que 50:50 eso es como la lectura 50:52 que uno puede tener, de que es la 50:54 intención, tú no 50:56 lograste lo que ellos estaban 50:58 diciendo 50:58 que estaba pasando, porque 51:01 no eres tú. 51:03 No, it's not me. 51:05 Para mí era como que, pero, ok, 51:08 pero si ella no está haciendo eso, y está 51:09 obviamente en una competencia, y esta persona 51:11 no está escuchando, no está haciendo... 51:14 Yeah, did you see that at one point? 51:15 I'm like, I'm not... 51:18 Even if it's a competition show, 51:20 it's a kitchen. 51:22 And when somebody's in charge, they're in charge. 51:24 And if we go down, if he goes 51:26 down, I'm going down with him. 51:27 But I am not, if you're the person that's leading that thing, I'm not putting down a piece of food in front of those judges without you tasting it. 51:35 Taste it. 51:36 But I just think he was completely overwhelmed. 51:39 Sí. 51:39 Sí, y uno se ve, o sea, yo no me puedo imaginar, yo estaba acá estresada, viéndolo desde mi cama. 51:46 Yeah, and Lara was like, she was like, oh, because she's super organized. 51:51 She's so organized and like so on point. 51:54 And I think it was, she was working in a way she'd never worked before. 51:57 Y para mí, no es que no se lo tomo la show seriously. 52:02 Yo tomo la show serio en términos de ser un vessel para mostrar el mundo lo que yo hago. 52:08 Y lo que un gran oportunidad de poder saber que millones de personas han visto mi comida. 52:12 Como un chef, que es increíble. 52:14 Pero al mismo tiempo, mi beer es still cold cuando me geteje de casa. 52:18 ¿De lo que me diga? 52:20 Mi mojito still tiene ice en el mundo cuando me geteje de casa. 52:23 No voy a estar conmigo. 52:25 No voy a estar conmigo y no voy a ir a la locura. 52:26 So I'm like, man, they really, they really cut that to look different. 52:30 Pero lo que siempre va a resaltar es ese caldo santo. 52:34 Man, I make it all the time now. 52:37 I'm like, we got to put it on the menu. 52:39 Esos cigarros de queso y guayaba, eso siempre va a quedar. 52:43 Así que también has mencionado que la población puertorriqueña en Long Beach es grande, es amplia. 52:51 Pero there's a lack of Puerto Rican food. 52:53 There's no Puerto Rican food in Long Beach. 52:55 no Puerto Rico 52:56 no, zero 52:58 the only one is like 15 miles 53:00 out of Long Beach and then they have a new one 53:02 in LA that just opened 53:03 but it's not elevated 53:06 it looks absolutely delicious 53:08 but it's not elevated 53:10 but then I go back and forth to my restaurant 53:12 I think I want a traditional 53:14 non-elevated and then an elevated 53:16 one, I'm not sure 53:17 yet because I just don't 53:20 I want people to really taste 53:21 to taste the food 53:23 ¿Cómo te desarrollas y desarrollas un negocio en uno de los más expensos países en los Estados Unidos? 53:31 Mi compañía de comercio muy bien. 53:34 Hemos un negocio muy bueno. 53:35 Así que yo hago un evento de comer. 53:37 Tenemos tres de semana para 150 personas, 175 personas. 53:43 Así que tengo un negocio que es able a mantener esto de nuevo. 53:47 y en la línea. 53:49 Así que, 53:49 y yo ya tengo un restaurante, 53:54 así que ya tengo el que necesito. 53:56 Yo ya tengo el POS system. 53:59 Ok. 54:00 Yo ya tengo que encontrar el chef y preso en. 54:02 Así que, 54:03 yo creo que yo he estado muy feliz 54:05 con lo que lo ha hecho. 54:06 Y también lo que ha hecho. 54:07 Y también lo que me ha hecho. 54:09 Part de lo que me ha hecho, 54:10 y me ha hecho un poco, 54:12 porque a lot de veces, 54:13 esto es un poco de tiempo, 54:13 es que tengo cuatro hijos 54:16 that need to see that you, I tell them all the time, if you don't try it, you failed. 54:22 So if you try and you fail, you're not any worse than had you not tried it at all. 54:27 So, you know, I want to, I hope that it does well. 54:29 I feel like it will. 54:31 But if it doesn't, you just, you keep moving. 54:33 Got to keep going. 54:34 Y gracias también por hacer la comida puertorriqueña affordable. 54:39 Si pensas, una elevada y otra quizás no, sigue siendo elevada, 54:44 porque ya un grupo de chefs ha dicho que sabe súper rica. 54:49 Así que... 54:50 Yeah, yeah. 54:51 It's simple but elevated. 54:53 Yeah, so I'm like this way. 54:55 I want everyone. 54:55 I don't want to limit who can have the food. 54:58 I don't want to do that. 54:59 I don't want to take something that comes from such humble beginnings 55:02 and put a huge stamp of money on it so that I want it to be accessible to everybody. 55:09 Raquel, ya se me acaba el tiempo y hay una pregunta que es muy importante 55:13 para nosotras en Colectivo y Lea 55:15 y aquí en Negra siempre hacemos esta pregunta 55:17 ¿Con qué sueñas? 55:18 What do you dream about? 55:20 I dream about 55:22 all this stuff 55:25 that I'm doing and all these things 55:26 that are in the works, like, actually happening. 55:29 I dream about later in life 55:31 when I have my grandkids 55:33 and my family. I dream about 55:35 all this stuff and, like, where it's 55:37 going to wind up being. It keeps me going. 55:40 Gracias, Raquel, 55:41 por compartir conmigo 55:43 esta hora, por toda 55:45 la información que has compartido 55:47 con la audiencia, por tu vulnerabilidad 55:49 por tu alegría, por la comunidad 55:51 puertorriqueña 55:52 cuando abrimos en Long Beach tienes que venir 55:55 yo voy 55:56 estoy cerca 55:59 estoy cerca así que 56:03 me avisas y ahí voy a estar 56:05 perfecto 56:05 como siempre agradecemos al personal técnico 56:08 de Radio Universidad por su apoyo 56:10 en esta edición de Negras. 56:12 No olviden sintonizar Negras el próximo viernes a las 3 de la tarde. 56:16 ¡Feliz viernes a todos! 56:22 Cadena Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico y Colectivo Ilé presentaron Negras, 56:28 asumiendo nuestro justo rol como forjadoras de cambio. 56:36 Acaba de escuchar el podcast de Negras. 56:38 Le invitamos a que nos sintonice los viernes a las 3 de la tarde por Radio Universidad de Puerto Rico en el 89.7 FM San Juan y el 88.3 FM Mayagüez. 56:51 Todo un mundo de música e información.
