Bienvenidos! Welcome!

Alone one cannot share life  Video Blog

Bienvenidos,Welcome to the new zarela.com website.

All my life I’ve dreamed of having a salon of free-spirited friends who drop by for stimulating conversation over good food and drinks. This longing is rooted in the lively sobremesas (relaxed family after meal interludes) of my Mexican childhood. My restaurant Zarela has fulfilled this desire to some degree and, after 21 years, I’m still there most evenings and enjoy sharing moments with interesting and appreciative people from all over the world.

But cyberspace has opened a new kind of sobremesa with lovers of Mexican food and culture who reach out to me through Zarela.com to request recipes, share experiences or ask for information about everything from trip recommendations to making homemade chocolate or corn masa.

Our new platform will make it much easier to establish a dialogue with like-minded people and help me carry out my mission – to make my culture known and understood.

The new Zarela.com will be the place to go for information on upcoming events sponsored by the Mexican Cultural Institute and other cultural associations. Travel videos by CompulsiveTraveler.tv and tourist information from the Mexico Tourism Board and my own special discoveries and itineraries will entice you to forego the beach and explore the real Mexico. My how-to videos will teach you about Mexican basic cooking techniques and you’ll be able to upload your own. You’ll learn about projects that I’m involved in that you might want to be part of (MexEd.org and masany.org, the Latino Nutrition Coalition) and become a member of the Zarela community and salon. I look forward to sharing ideas, “dichos” (sayings), recipes, stories and adventures with you and hearing yours.

In this spirit I have started a video blog that you can see on www.youtube.com/user/zarelius in preparation for our  Sunday Sobremesa, a salon where the conversation will be spirited, that will debut in the new year.

“Gracias por tomarme en cuenta.” Thank you for taking me into account.

Taking Orders: Watch what you say and write. You might regret it!