Eat Your Colors- Spring

Hey there Moises, how are you?

I'm good really, just here doing my thing, ya know?

Actually, I don’t know- what are we doing here?

I invited you to meet me here because this is where I play with the fellas. I created the team- Uptown Express a few years ago. It kept my friends off the streets, outdoors breathing fresh air and it later became an opportunity to feed them my amazing food.

Amazing? Well I’ll be the judge of that- jajajaja!

You’re a funny dude.

I’m just playing, I know that if the food tastes at least 1/3 as good as it looks on IG and Tiktok then it is amazing!

Today, I have chicken leg quarters and chuletas (porkchops).

What’s in those huge tins?

Ahhh- that’s my homemade arroz con gandules and my saladsmacaroni and like a garden salad. The chicken and the pork, I’ll grill right here.

Right where? Where’s the grill?

I got in in the truck… the canopy too. Be right back.

Moises returned a minute later with a couple of friends carrying all sorts of things. I saw prep tables going up, canopy tents being raised and coolers being chilled with ice over canned & bottled refreshments. It looked like a well-oiled machine, the entire setup. A moment later and the grill was ready to go.

I’m already impressed! How did all this start- I can see that you’ve been cooking for a long time?

I’ve been a young father and had to cook for my family. I never got caught up in that machismo mess that men aren’t supposed to cook. What I did not know how to cook, cook properly, I’d call my mother. She’d say- put a little bit of this, a spoon of that, a touch of this and BOOM- dinner was done. I’ve been doing this a long time.

That’s incredible- shout out to all the Mothers out there!

There were also a couple of other teams out there playing in other leagues. It was a relaxed day filled with fun and excitement (“I like GRAY!”) When Moe’s game was over, we headed back to his grill- the food aromas were intoxicating.

There are a few posts on social media platforms, where Mount Sinai Morningside is thanking you for what you were able to do for them. May you share that?

Sure- not a problem. During the height of the Pandemic, like many people, I found myself without a job. But I’ve been hustling since forever. I must provide.

I know that’s right!

photo courtesy of Moises Figueroa

It’s my family depending on me, you feel me? So I created an opportunity to provide my delicious meals to 50 people at Mount Sinai Morningside. I shopped, cooked and packed 50 individual meals for our Heroes at the Hospital. They were very grateful because some haven’t had a home cooked meal in weeks. They had a job to do too so we were able to help each-other during the crisis. Man- 50 individual meals during the Height of the Pandemic. Wow! It was a lot, but I was happy to do it.

What lesson(s) have you learned from that experience?

That when push comes to shove, I can accomplish more than I thought possible- and all with my food. Since then, I’ve catered for events, parties and even intimate weddings.