Diego Rivera

Diego Rivera was a Mexican painter and muralist born in Guanajuato City, Guanajuato. Studied painting in Mexico before going to Europe in 1907.
While in Europe he took up cubism and had exhibitions in Paris and Madrid in 1913; he then had a show in New York City in 1916. In 1921 he returned to Mexico, where he undertook government-sponsored murals that reflected his communist politics in historical contexts.

He married Frida Kahlo in 1929, and their tempestuous marriage got to be as famous as their art. In the 1930s and '40s Rivera worked in the United States and Mexico, and many of his paintings drew controversy. His 1933 mural for the RCA Building at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan featured a portrait of Communist Party leader Lenin, the resulting uproar led to his dismissal and to the mural's official destruction in 1934.
Similarly, a 1948 mural for the Hotel de Prado in Mexico that included the words "God does not exist" was covered and held from public view for nine years.

His personal life was as dramatic as his artwork. In 1929, he married Kahlo who was roughly 20 years younger. The two had a passionate, but stormy relationship, divorcing once in 1939 only to remarry later. She died in 1954. He then married Emma Hurtado, his art dealer. Rivera died of heart failure on November 24, 1957, in Mexico City, Mexico.

Rivera's talent for historical murals and his tributes to earthy folk traditions made him one of the most influential artists in the Americas and one of Mexico's most beloved painters

El Festival Internacional Cervantino

Every year in the month of October the famous Festival Cervantino is held in honor of the illustrious author Miguel de Cervantes- the author of Don Quijote de La Mancha. There are musicians such as Banda Elastica, Banda de Guanajuato, Ramon Vargas, Susana Harp and many more. There are exhibitions, plays, concerts, cinema and all sorts of events, turning the city into a hotbed of culture.

Every year the festival invites a different country of honor, as well as a specific Mexican state, to bring traditional and contemporary performances from that region. The attendance is very wide, drawing spectators from throughout Mexico and the world and often tickets to performances (as well as local hotels) are booked months in advance.

Guanajuato is the capital of the state of the same name, birthplace of Mexico’s independence. El Festival Internacional Cervantino (The International Cervantes Festival) is the most important artistic and cultural event in Mexico. According to my mexican friends, this festival started when students at the University in Guanajato presented the entremeses (farces) of Cervantes in the city's plazas. Slowly these plays grew in importance, until the local government took interest. The first Festival Internacional Cervantino began September 29th, 1972. Today the festival is sponsored by the federal government of Mexico,Consejo Nacional Para La Cultura y Las Artes (the National Council on Culture and the Arts) and the government of the state of Guanajuato.


In its beginnings, the festival was devoted mainly to artistic creation in the Spanish language, in homage to Miguel de Cervantes. In the course of time, the universal scope of the influence of Cervantes gradually took the form of the vast variety of artistic and cultural expressions included in the festival today.

In recent years, the festival has become a magnet for a younger generation, more interested in the party atmosphere that accompanies the festival than in the performances themselves, and the streets are often jam-packed. In recent years, this young partying affluence affected in certain degree the festival reputation because many just went to excessively consume alcohol and some drugs. However, in 2007 edition, the Festival Internacional Cervantino was renewed and alcohol sale was regulated and making it illegal to consume it in the streets. In addition, the police increased its presence in the event, making its cultural sense to prevail.

This year's 36th edition of the International Cervantes Festival will bring together the most outstanding artists of Asia, Europe and America. Around 2,000 artists from 24 countries will be participating in this event, celebrated from October 8 - 26. The guests of honor for 2008 are the autonomous community of Catalonia and the Mexican State of Campeche.

Churros con Chocolate

Churros with hot chocolate is usually eaten for breakfast but also can be eaten as a snack. In addition to being something you eat it is also a social ocassion . In countries where many Spaniards live you might be able to find places that sell churros. Sometimes you might even find a street vendor making churros.
Many people get toguther in small places called churrerias to visit and eat churros together.
When you order churros in Spain you get a cup of thick hot chocolate and a plate topped with hot churros.
Some people say that the custom of eating churros dates back to the XIX century when people sold churros very cheap at fairs. Thanks to the americas for the chocolate,we can now eat churros with chocolate. So, if you go to Spain or other countries see if you can find a place to seat and try these delicious churros with chocolate.

6 porciones
Ingredientes:

4 tazas de agua (4 Cups of water)
3 1/2 libras de harina para torta (3 1/2 lbs of cake flour)
1/8 libra de mantequilla (1/8 lb of butter)
Sal y Ron al gusto (salt and rum to taste)

En un recicpiente hervir el agua, la mantequilla, la sal y el ron durante 5 min. Incorporar la harina y mezclar constantemente. Retirar la mezcla del fuego y colocarla en un batidora para eliminar los grumos.

(Boil water add butter,salt,rumfor for 5 minutes. Add flour mixing constantly. Retired from heat and pour into a mixer to eliminate any lumps)

Depositar la mezcla en una manga pastelera con boquilla de estrella y hacer churros de aproximadamente 20 cm. Freir los churros y pasarlos en un cama de azucar y canela en polvo hasta que queden totalmente cubiertos.

(Place the mixture in a sleeve with a star tip to make the churros with an approximate length of 20 cm. Fry the churros and place them on a tray with sugar and cinamon until all covered.)

Chocolate:

2 Latas de leche evaporada (2 cans evaporated milk)
1 Vainilla en rama (1 vanilla pod)
2 clavos de olor (2 cloves)
1 Cucharada de Maizena (1 TB cornstarch)
1 Cucharada de leche(1 TB milk)
1 libra de chocolate (1 lb. chocolate)
1 lata de leche condensada(1 can condensed milk)

Hervir la leche evaporada, la vainilla, y clavos de olor. Retirar del fuego y agregar la maizena y la leche. Añadir esta mezcla al chocolate hasta que se derrita y luego incorporar la leche condensada y mezclar.

(Boil evaporated milk, vanilla,cloves. Take away from the fire and add cornstarch and milk. Add this mix to chocolate until it melts and later add condensed milk and mix)

Servir 3 churros en un plato acompañado por una taza de chocolate caliente.

(serve 3 churros on a plate with a cup of chocolate)

Enjoy!!!