Hispanic Heritage Month

The Spanish painter Pablo Picasso may be the most well-known Hispanic artist, and one of the most well-known 20th century artists overall. But there are many other Hispanic painters who have achieved worldwide fame. Diego Rivera is known for his Aztec-influenced portrayals of Mexican social issues. Frida Kahlo, who was twice married to Rivera, also painted themes of Mexican culture and has arguably surpassed her husband in fame in recent years.

The Latin American writing tradition is rich with talent, large personalities and, most notably, incredible works of art. Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982 "for his novels and short stories, in which the fantastic and the realistic are combined in a richly composed world of imagination, reflecting a continent's life and conflicts." Pablo Neruda, a Chilean writer, also won a Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1971. His passionate and often political poetry made him a controversial figure and he was often writing in hiding and his funeral became the first major demonstration against Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. And of course, Laura Esquivel is best known for "Like Water for Chocolate", a story that blends the Mexican Revolution with our favorite subject…cooking!

How could we not honor the food artists of the Hispanic world? Chef LaLa inspires many with her Mexican cooking and helpful nutrition advice. Daisy Martinez, from Brooklyn, New York, is the star of Daisy Cooks and expands on her Puerto Rican experience to bring Latin American cooking to a whole new audience. Cuban-born Chef Pepin is one of Univision's biggest culinary names, where he adds his own flamboyant style to the traditions he learned from his grandmother, mother and wife.

There are some even more important chefs we’d like to celebrate during Hispanic Heritage Month…you! Here are some great culinary traditions that your friends are passing on: