“Encuentro” received a major grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)

Texas Mexican food has long flourished in native Mexican American restaurants all across Texas, in cities and towns from Amarillo, to Abilene, San Antonio, Dallas, Corpus Christi and Brownsville. “Encuentro” will be a by-invitation gathering, a first-time encounter among chefs and stakeholders, to explore the uniqueness of Texas Mexican food, also called comida casera, the home-style cooking of Mexican American families. It will also include a general public event.

The meaning of an “Encuentro” underscores the importance of in-person interactions, explains Adán Medrano who is the Project Director. He says that “Encuentro” will be a two-day culinary encounter that will be held in Houston, Texas. Over those two days, organizers will gather a small group of chefs for cooking demos and also convene a much larger public gathering for 250 people that will feature film and presentations by acclaimed scholars. “Texas Mexican food is complex, so we are making sure that history, culture and food will come together at ‘Encuentro,'” Medrano said.

Christine Ortega, who is the Executive Director of the project, says that “Encuentro” will highlight the fact that successful restaurants rely on the dual powers of delicious flavors and genuine hospitality. She says that “the chefs will not only cook their favorite comida casera dishes, they will also share their personal stories, about the history and meaning of their cuisine for their community.”

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