Norris Square Creative Cooks

PHOTO BOOK

FA L L 2 0 2 0

NORRIS SQUARE

CREATIVES

Norris Square Community Alliance in partnership with

The Galleries at Moore and Heidie Mojica

Jada Santiago Michael Mendez Yadiel Machuca

Special thanks to Blanca Gil Ambar Marte Eliezer Vila Elizabeth Mojica

Alex Lozada Jada Abraham Denilson Ponce-Alvarez Jeremy Zayas Yeniel Aponte

and all of NSCA Staff

This project was made possible with support from the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation, Moore College of Art & Design and Norris Square

Taina Pabon

Community Alliance.

01

About

Beginning in October, Norris Square Cooks, a partnership program between Norris Square Community Alliance (NSCA) and The Galleries at Moore, began its first of four two-hour sessions with nine middle schoolers participating in NSCA’s Intensive Preventive Services program. Youth worked with a teaching artist to research and produce written and visual content for an online cookbook, culminating in a live cooking class led by a local chef.

02 Through navigating the many contingencies of a global pandemic, what resulted was an exploration of identity, community and environment by the agency of photography.

I am pleased to have seen so many creative lenses activated and to have witnessed NSCA youth experiment with visual literacy 01

Leah Comiskey, Education & Public Engagement Coordinator at The Galleries at Moore College of Art & Design

02

A note from teaching artist Heidie MojicaMachuca

as a defining language in their lives. The following is a presentation of works produced by these Norris Square Creatives.

Th Nor Squ Colle

he rris uare ection

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Self-portrait of Jada A. Santiago, 12

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Food memory

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Favorite food: chocolate covered strawberries

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Alex L

Lozada

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Favorite food

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Self-portrait of Alex Lozada, 14

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Food memory

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Alex Lozada and Yadiel Machuca

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Taina

Pabon

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Taina Pabon, 13

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Favorite food: chicken

Michael Mendez

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Food memory

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Portrait of Michael by Taina Pabon

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Self-portrait of Jada Abraham, 12

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Recipe investigation

15 The food I eat is from another country. My mom is from there and I live with my mom.

I eat all their food and she knows about my favorite dish, which is an okra dish.

It contains okra, rice, salt, fish, sweet peppers, and onions. That is my favorite.

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Portrait of Jada by Michael Mendez

Jeremy Zayas 17

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Staging

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Self-portrait of Jeremy Zayas, 10

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Self-portrait #2 of Jeremy Zayas

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Favorite food: sushi

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Favorite food: Pizza

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Food Memory

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Staging

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Portrait of Denilson, 14, by Taina Pabon

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Favorite foods: pastelillos and pernil

Yadiel Machuca

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Self-portrait of Yadiel Machuca, 13

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Portrait of Alex Lozada

by Yadiel

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Portrait of Jeremy Zayas by Yadiel

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Yeniel

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Aponte, 11 Self-portrait of Yeniel Aponte

Norris Square Community Alliance (formerly Norris Square Civic Association) is a community development corporation founded in 1983 by a group of community women who desired to take control of their neighborhood and provide a healthy and safe environment for their children.

The mission of NSCA is to empower residents to become self-reliant and to unite and build the community by developing and improving the physical, economic, social, cultural and educational aspects of the neighborhood.

Residents are invited to be active at every level of the organization. Area residents are active at every level of the organization, serving on the staff and board and lending their voice through community forums and surveys.

For over 30 years, NSCA has responded to the needs of the community by providing comprehensive solutions such as affordable housing, community organizing, employment training, early childhood education, youth after-school and summer enrichment programs, homeownership counseling and comprehensive case management services.

The Galleries at Moore support Moore College of Art & Design’s educational mission and role as a cultural leader by providing a forum for exploring contemporary art and ideas, and enriching the artistic climate and intellectual climate of the college, the Greater Philadelphia community, and beyond. As a gateway between the College and the city of Philadelphia, The Galleries are a catalyst for creative exploration, experimentation and scholarship and function as a gathering place to meet, reflect, learn, challenge and create. The Galleries’ exhibitions and programs - which are all free and open to the public - create community through dialogue and participation, and inspire an appreciation for the visual arts as a vital force in shaping contemporary culture.

Norris Square

Cooking Class

Beef Empanadas

Recipe Ingredients

Needed Supplies

• 3 lbs of ground beef

• Medium sized pot

• 1 head of garlic (peeled or mashed)

• Cooking spoon

• 1 medium diced yellow onion

• Metal fork

• 3 tsp of Goya sofrito

• Tongs

• 1 can of Goya salsa

• Frying thermometer

• 2 tsp of adobo

• Plates

• 1 tsp of chopped dry oregano or fresh

• Paper towels

• 3 packets of Sazón Goya with cilantro and achiote • 2 oz of water • 3 packs of white Goya discos grandes

Overall Time • 1.5 hrs (90 minutes)

(refrigerate one day prior to use) • 1/2 gallon of canola oil (or preferred frying oil)

Total Servings • 30 empanadas

Meat Preparation 1. Place stove on medium heat.

2. Add two tablespoons of oil to the pot.

3. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and stir for half a minute to a minute, making sure not to burn. Note: If you think the oil is too hot, lower the heat to prevent burning the onions.

4. Add 3 teaspoons of sofrito, garlic, and Sazón. Stir for half a minute and add salsa. Stir for another half minute and add all of the oregano and adobo. Once added, stir and let sit for 1 minute.

5. After a minute, add the ground beef and the 2 oz of water. Stir until everything is incorporated. Once everything is added, cover with a lid, set the temperature to medium-low and let sit for 20 minutes. Note: Make sure to look for a bit of bubbling. if there isn’t any bubbling it means the heat of the stove is too high.

6. After 20 minutes, stir it again and leave for 30 more minutes.

7. After 30 minutes, the appearance of the meat should be a little loose, not too dry. Note: If there’s too much liquid, you can remove it with a big spoon. It’s normal to see extra liquid or oil because the meat releases natural liquid.

Making the Empanadas 1. Open the pack of discs and remove a single disc from the pack and place it on a clean flat surface.

2. Add 2 small spoonfuls of beef.

3. Fold the disc in half and make sure the beef is in the center.

4. Once folded in a perfect semi-circle, apply pressure to the corners with the metal forks on both sides. Note: Don’t apply too much pressure to the point where the dough breaks through. Apply enough presure to where the mark is seen through the other side of the empanada.

5. Repeat this process with the other empanadas.

6. Once all of the empanadas are filled, place a pot on the stove with a half gallon of oil on medium-high heat. Place a thermometer on the edge of the pot and wait until the temperature reaches 285Âş.

7. Once the temperature reaches 285Âş, fry the empanadas for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden crispy. Note: To prevent burning your hands, use tongs to place them into the oil.

You may also flip the empanadas with the tongs.

8. Once the empanadas appear to be done or golden crispy, place them on a plate with paper towels. Note: Paper towels are in place to absorb the oil from the empanadas.

9. Enjoy the empanadas!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries Bonus Recipes provided by Philadelphia chef & baker Elizabeth Mojica-Machuca Specialty face masks provided to NSCA youth by Sarah Mojica