Everything Chocolate
© Casa Cortés P.R. 

EVERYTHING CHOCOLATE

(or how to spend a few delightful hours
in a great new place in town)

San Juan -- Casa Cortés, the courteous house, is welcoming in more than one way.

A visit to its third floor will introduce you to a magnificent collection of Caribbean art that its owner, Ignacio Cortés-Gelpi, president of his family-owned chocolate manufacturing company, decided to share with the whole world.

Seeing so much wonderful art might leave you a little exhausted (though pleasurably so) and perhaps in need of some sustenance for which the remedy is close at hand. In fact, all you
have to do is go down the stairs to the first floor and step into the
perfect place for a pick me up of the most gratifying kind:  a bar
entirely devoted to chocolate. Spirits are welcome too.

This ChocoBar, the only one of its kind in Puerto Rico, is
more than a casual restaurant to enjoy all manner of chocolate and
chocolate infused food or concoction.

In keeping with Mr. Cortés' love of art, he and his wife Elaine hired
one of Puerto Rico's most stylish architects, Evelio Pina, to design
the restaurant and transform it into the truly eye grabbing, hip space
that it is.

Colorful and airy, the restaurant is awash with bright colors, photo
montages on the walls, intriguing decorative pieces that Cortes
commissioned from different artists and a marble topped bar that
is a fitting resting area for any glass holding elixirs of the chocolate
or alcoholic kind. At the entrance, two magnificent armchairs keep
company with a sculpture of a silver cacao tree bearing large gold
pods of chocolate treasure.

Every detail resonates with charm. One wall is entirely covered with
hundreds of old, silver-colored chocolate molds that create a most
intriguing textural effect. In the back of the restaurant, a small
open room celebrates another type of pleasure: reading. Years
ago, the chocolate company used to distribute small story books.
The memory of those little books still remains in the minds of
many people, including an elderly woman who wrote to the
company to thank it for introducing her to the joy of literature.
A large size replica of that letter is now reproduced on one wall.
For those curious about the art of chocolate making, two large
screens run a 20-minute video about the amazing process from
beginning to end.

The menu at ChocoBar ranges from soups and salads, panini
sandwiches and tapas to desserts and sweets. Selections for morning
breakfast include churros, chocolate-filled croissants, chocolate
pancakes in addition to less sweet-toothed choices such as
scrambled eggs and oatmeal.  Prices are moderate.

Whether to rest from an art expedition, while away a bit of leisure
time while drinking hot chocolate in wonderful surroundings, or
find a comfy nook to write or browse the internet on your computer,
ChocoBar invites one to visit and linger.

CHOCOBAR, 210 San Francisco Street old San Juan
787.722.0499 Tue-Sun 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Photography by Denise Blasor

When one tugs at a single thing in nature,
he finds it attached to the rest of the world.

-- John Muir

                 ☛   EYE ON PRODUCTS:
                         KIRK'S ORIGINAL COCO CASTILE

This hypoallergenic skin care bar made with all natural coconut oil is
a really pleasant bar of soap to use. It does not irritate and is very
mild on the skin. According to its manufacturer, Kirk's Natural LLC, it
contains no animal by products nor synthetic detergents like sodium
lauryl sulfate. Its ingredients are: coconut soap, water, vegetable
glycerin, coconut oil, and natural fragrance. Price per bar: $1.69.
Available at Supermax stores in section for baby products.

Courtesy of Juliette Blasor

Your silence was effortless and windless,
like the silence of clouds or plants.
All silence is the recognition of a mystery.

-- Vladimir Nabokov

A Night at the Theater

Los Angeles: "Wild in
Wichita" is back in town
and this is the chance for
those who missed it the
last time around to enjoy
this prize-winning Latino
comedy about love
among the young at heart.

In the play, written by
Lina Gallegos,  an
elegant Puerto Rican
woman and an irreverent
Mexican caballero find
themselves together as
the only Latinos in a
nursing home in
Wichita, Kansas. Sparks
fly and well, the rest is a
love story that is sweet
yet feisty.

The play opens tonight, Oct. 11, at The los Angeles Theatre Center
in a production directed by Denise Blasor who stars along with Sal
Lopez, Crissy Guerrero and Alberto de Diego. Through Nov. 3.

For a list of performances, check thelatc.org website.

Los Angeles Theatre Center
512 South Spring St. 213.489.0994

Photography by Denise Blasor

  ©  2013 by Lorraine Blasor  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

                                   EPISTLES 

 Multimedia artist Yamcy Leslie

A woman in a red strapless dress is stopping foot traffic on
Loiza Street and she's doing it in a cinematic way: a short video film
playing in the window of a flower store, Fioridella.

The woman is Puerto Rican artist Yamcy Leslie and the video
takes center stage in her installation Epístolas (Epistles). So
striking is her presence that after stopping to take a closer look
at the window display, one is immediately drawn to this strong
featured, dark-haired young woman as she delivers a strangely
hypnotic performance that focuses entirely around her face and
her reactions while carrying out a series of gestures that seem
to implicitly comment on womanhood and aspects related to
the female gender: femininity, sexuality, resilience, sorrow,
empowerment, love.

The video has the virtue of a silent movie and the intensity of
a short story.

It begins simply with Leslie standing against a black background
and looking straight ahead into the distance and slowly builds up
to evoke increasingly more intense emotions until reverting back
to its original calm. The 10- minute video is filmed in a direct,
conventional manner. It is pretty straightforward, in fact, except
for one disquieting effect: Every so often the image suddenly jerks,
as if it were inside a cocktail shaker, and then a double and
triple image of the woman appears onscreen. This lasts
momentarily; then, the picture reverts to normal.

The intriguing scenario that plays out across Fioridella's large
street-level window consists of a few but thoughtfully selected props:
piles of white papers, many of them blank while others are covered
with different genres of writing -- manuscript pages, journal entries,
love letters -- and loosely spread out or crumpled up as part of the
mise en scene; old tomes; two silver candelabra, a vase with a long
stemmed lilly, and a TV set that plays the video in a continuous
loop. (The TV set at Fioridella is occasionally turned off. If that is
the case, go inside and ask the store owner to please turn it on for you).

When asked to comment on the video, Leslie said it was inspired
by Lucrezia Tornabuoni, a 16th century Italian noblewoman who
married into the Medici family to become an influential woman
and gifted poet.

"She greatly influenced writers and artists like Botticelli.
Nevertheless, her value as an artist was almost forgotten.
Some time ago, they discovered 49 of her letters in which she
reflected on the life of women in her time, her passions and her faith."

"There are emotional needs that, with the passage of time, possibly
remain the same and are often frustrated by social patterns
and even though centuries have passed, they still torture our
conscience," Leslie commented through an e-mail. This is
her first effort with this type of media, said the artist, who is
also showing her work at the Muestra Nacional de Arte at
the Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española in Old San Juan.

Given its aim to pay homage to a woman of a different age whose
aspirations to express herself mirror those of contemporary women,
the project also incorporated other women's contributions.  To
that end, Leslie invited family members and friends to contribute
their own "epistles" which they wrote on the papers that are strewn
across the installation.

"They represent thoughts and ideas that are there, that we shun,
retain, discard," Leslie wrote in her e-mail, musing that on opening
night there were people still writing down their thoughts on paper
so they could be part of the window display.

Epístolas is a terrific installation. Don't miss it.

FIORIDELLA, #1604 Calle Loiza (next to Bebo's Café)
787.728.4888

Photography by Dimitra Doupi

Every man's memory
is his private literature.

Aldous Huxley

A SIMPLE TIP:

A fresh lemon is all you need to whiten linens and other
items that have lost their luster.

Here's how: Place a pot of water on the stovetop, add slices
of fresh lemon, bring to a boil, turn off the heat. Next, add
the linens and soak for an hour. Launder as usual and hang
out in the sun to dry.

I live in the moment when I'm happy.

Edith Wharton, "The Age of Innocence"

Photo by Denise Blasor

☛Eye on Products:

Soap is something you use so frequently during the day that
most often one does not even pay attention to this common
item. Until you use One With Nature soap, that is.

Made with a vegetable base and without artificial colors,
fragrances or animal ingredients, these soaps are so
soothing and easy on the skin that they are a joy to use.
They have a lovely fragrance based on pure essential oils
and come in beautiful hues, which the company says
derive "from a blend of plant and naturally-occurring mineral
pigments found in the diverse climate zones of the Dead
Sea region."

A bar is $4.50 and lasts for weeks. Check out the website
for store locations near you, or to order online.

www.onewithnature.com

Artwork by Lorraine Blasor

I am certain of nothing but
 the holiness of the heart's
affections & the truth
of the imagination.

John Keats

© 2013 Lorraine Blasor all rights reserved☂

EXPANDING CHOICES FOR LOCAL CONSUMERS

SUNDAY AT THE URBAN MARKET

PHOTOGRAPH BY DENISE BLASOR

Draw a thick red circle around Dec. 5 on your calendar: that's the date for the next Urban Market at Ventana al Mar park in Condado. You'll find natural and organic products, reasonable prices, and an upbeat vibe. A visit won't disappoint.  


This colorful market connects consumers with farmers and entrepreneurs from around the island in a convivial atmosphere that allows the public to engage with these small business owners and learn about their products in a friendly, personal manner.  


Launched last December, it is a joint collaboration between the Puerto Rico Agriculture Department and the Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico. "We want people to get used to asking for local products. We want them to know (these products) and ask for them," said EDB President Lizzie Rosso Tridas.  


Held on the first Sunday of every month, the market takes place under two giant white tents set up on the grounds of La Ventana al Mar, the park next door to the Condado Beach Hotel. About 30 to 40 businesses participate each time and, depending on the weather, the activity draws between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors, according to Rosso.  


Entrepreneurs in attendance may vary from one month to another but all have one thing in common: all run small businesses, some of which already have a proven track record while others are still trying to establish a foothold in the competitive marketplace. Those who showed up at the market on Nov. 7 brought along a potpourri of products, many of them made by hand like the colorful soaps that Marisabel Román and business partner Lucy Cintrón have been crafting since January when they kicked off their eco-friendly venture De Hojas following the loss of their regular jobs. Or the tantalizing cakes and ginger cookies prepared by Cookie Couture, which Madeleine Muñoz started four years ago. 


The goods displayed like pirate treasure on tables set around the perimeter of the two tents encompassed baked goods, marmalades, spices, condiments, fresh bread, liqueurs, coffee, tea, sangria, beauty and health products. Produce was practically absent that day, with the exception of fresh pineapples and plump hydroponic tomatoes. This is one area Rosso said needs building up. At least one of the businesses in attendance represented a totally new type of venture in Puerto Rico: cheese making. "This had never been done here," said Wanda Otero, a microbiologist who teamed up with chemical engineer Rosa Avalo to launch Quesos Vacanegra, a company devoted to producing artisanal cheeses. Otero is keeping her day job for now, she said with a smile that hinted at a potential career switch should the venture turn out to be a success. 


Plants and flowers rounded out the offering. Nursery owners and plant growers brought the best from their orchards, especially herbs and fruit plants for which there is a lot of demand these days as the recession prods people to reduce their expenses by growing their own food. While ornamental plants are stagnant, "everything having to do with home gardens sells very fast," said Deborah Rojas of Jardines de Borinquen, which operates a nursery in Juncos. Herboristeria Loma Linda made starting such a garden a lot easier by selling a diminutive six-pack collection of herbs including Genovese basil, purple basil, Greek oregano, thyme, Italian parsley, and lemon basil. The price: $4.  


Entrepreneurs had nothing but high praise for the activity. "It is excellent," said Tita González de Fenn, who sells a line of gourmet vinaigrettes through her eponymous Tita's Homemade, Inc. "People are looking for more natural products and are more aware about buying locally. This type of activity gives gastronomic artisans the opportunity to present their products," she said. Tita's products also sell at Walmart and Amigo Supermarkets. "The market is a way to introduce products to local distributors and proves that quality products are available in Puerto Rico. It's a promotional tool, " said Ivette Vargas, creator of the popular Montes Albó Chimichurri condiment which she began producing out of her own home in 2005 and now distributes through La Famosa.


With so much to choose from, the only problem for visitors at the market was making up their minds about what to buy. On another level, it was heartening to see the breath and talent of Puerto Rican entrepreneurs. You could see from the care they put into labels, product packaging and presentation, how passionate they are about what they do. In addition to free samples by participating businesses, visitors who bought products at the market were gifted bright yellow bags, emblazoned with the Urban Market logo, to carry their purchases. It made it easy, while walking along the Condado, to spot all the people who had made a stop-over at the market.  

URBAN MARKET IS HELD ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH 
HOURS: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 


"Nothing is too small to know and nothing too big to attempt." William Van Horne



A SIMPLE TIP

Enhance the taste of fresh milk by transferring it from its paper or plastic container into a glass bottle or jar. You will be surprised by the noticeable difference in taste.

Photograph by Denise Blasor

"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words." Goethe










Caught our Attention

In a world where just about everything is disposable, it is refreshing to see a new product on the market that advertises itself as "reusable." That's the case of Scotch Reusable Strips, a product for hanging lightweight items that can be reused again and again. According to the product information, you can even "refresh stickiness" of the strips by washing them with soapy water. The double sided adhesive strips can be used for hanging and securing artwork, photos, lists, cards and other light items. It sells for $3.79 at Walgreens.



Duly Noted:

-- Concalma (Calmly), a retailer based in Old San Juan, has a simple business philosophy to fit its laid-back company name: be gentle on the environment by making functional cotton bags and support local industry by using available material resources and contracting a co-op to manufacture its products. For Christmas, the company has unleashed a colorful rainbow of bags, pouches, and totes with the trademark bi-color shoulder strap. Check out those polka dots! As an added incentive to internet buyers in Puerto Rico and the U.S., the company will throw in free shipping for purchases through Nov. 30. Prices: from $20 to $48. http://shopconcalma.com







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