Today@Sam Article
Sam Houston Dining Debuts La Latina Cocina with Chef Grace Ramirez
April 5, 2022
SHSU Media Contact: Wes Hamilton
By Laurel Stevens
In response to a growing demand for more authentic, global cuisine, Sam Houston Dining is bringing a new Latin food experience to residential dining. SHSU’s dining service provider, Aramark, along with its higher education field culinary team, has partnered with Chef Grace Ramirez to launch a new station, La Latina Cocina, offering authentic Latin dishes to campus diners. This new offering debuted this week and will run through the end of Spring semester.
A chef, dedicated humanitarian, author, and broadcaster, Ramirez has become a world leader who brings her Latin American heritage and charisma to the vast audiences of Oceanía and the Americas. A blend of celebrity power and rooted knowledge of the culinary complexity of Latin American tradition, Grace has made a life of her own design. She is committed to shaping the future with authentic vibrancy and sustained care for nourishment, values inherited from a long lineage of powerful women. Miami born and Venezuela-raised, the current New Yorker’s diverse Latin heritage was the inspiration for her cookbook, “La Latina,” featuring her interpretation of traditional recipes from Latin America.
“La Latina is the name of my first cookbook, and the word Cocina means kitchen or to cook. The kitchen in Latin American foreign food and culture is the hub, the heart of the house, where the party happens, and where people gather. It's not only about the place, but it’s an action because La Latina Cocina means the Latin girl cooks, and it is about bringing all the flavors from Latin American culture into one concept,” Ramirez said.
La Latina Cocina’s menu items not only draw heavy inspiration from Ramirez’s cookbook but were also developed as a collaboration between Ramirez, Aramark’s corporate culinary development team, and chefs from its higher education business. The higher education chefs selected for this collaboration have each been recognized in Aramark’s Chef Spotlight series that brings the company’s diverse chefs to the forefront and showcases their stories, experiences, and culinary talent throughout the year.
“We are super excited to have Chef Grace Ramirez join us here at Sam Houston and bring her signature flavors to campus,” said Brad Blackburn, SHSU Dining’s resident district manager. “Her recipes are her take on the food of Latin America, her travels, and memories throughout her life. We are happy to be able to share her experiences and her love of cooking with the campus community.”
Sam Houston Dining will feature La Latina Cocina as a station located at Old Main Market. Students will have the option to order the following items:
- Mojo Pulled Pork, featuring black beans, arroz rojo, platano maduro, salsa verde
- Chicken Tinga, featuring pulled chicken in chipotle adobo, salsa rojo, pickled onions, fresh cilantro on corn tortilla
- El Choripán, featuring split & grilled chorizo sausage with guasacaca on a crunchy toasted roll with a side of tajin flavored potato chips
- Chipotle Mushroom Tostada (Vegan), featuring chipotle mushrooms, crunchy cauliflower tortillas, pico de gallo, vegan cheddar, chipotle mayo
- As well as Tres Leches and Salpicon desserts and Aguas Fresca beverages
About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world with food, facilities, and uniform services. Because our culture is rooted in service, our employees strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and our planet. Aramark ranked No. 1 In the Diversified Outsourcing Services Category on FORTUNE’s 2022 List of ‘World’s Most Admired Companies’ and has been named to DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list, the Forbes list of “America’s Best Employers for Diversity,” the HRC’s “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality” and scored 100% on the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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