Venezuelan Lunch & Dance Party

Bordering the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean to the north, Andean mountains to the west and the edges of the Amazonian basin to the south, VENEZUELA is a country abundant in natural resources and biodiversity. Culturally too, modern Venezuela reflects the assimilation of, broadly, native Indian American, African and Spanish cultures on its language, music and cuisine.In this gastronomic foray to South America, our hosts: MICHELLE PAULIN, DORIS FARIAS and SIURY PULGAR are excited to share the tastes and stories of their Venezuela. Given the political and economic turmoil that's besieged their home country for the past 20 years, each of our hosts made the decision to move to the UNITED STATES in a bid for a more stable life, away from the threat of violence and food shortages. MICHELLE PAULIN grew up in Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela. At 27, she took a job in Cincinnati, Ohio to join her partner (now husband), making the difficult decision to build her life away from Venezuela in order to ensure a safe environment to raise a family. DORIS AND SIURY are the mother and daughter team who run GALIPAN CATERING [https://www.instagram.com/galipan.catering/] in San Jose, named after the mountain in Macuto, Doris' hometown north of Caracas. "I started this out of a desire to keep our VENEZUELAN ROOTS ALIVE THROUGH TRADITIONAL FOOD AND SWEETS. It also gives VENEZUELAN IMMIGRANTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT AWAY FROM HOME WITH FAMILIAR SMELLS AND FLAVORS THAT TAKE THEM BACK TO THEIR CHILDHOOD," says Doris. Read more about their respective stories on our blog: Michelle Paulin [https://tapestrysuppers.org/venezuelan-celebration-michelle-paulin/], Doris Farias [https://tapestrysuppers.org/a-venezuelan-celebration-doris-farias/]. ------------------------- ENTERTAINMENT In addition to a delectable menu of classic VENEZUELAN FAVORITES, we've lined up not one, but TWO LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMERS sharing different aspects of Venezuela's culture. AREPA SWING will start us off musically at LUNCH. This VENEZUELAN-owned company shares our music and the traditions of our rich culture with all Latinos and people of all nationalities. At this event we will have a group of 3 musicians delighting everyone at LUNCH WITH TRADITIONAL VENEZUELAN MUSIC FROM ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY. Fernando Lezama (owner) will provide musical direction and also add his voice and talent with his Cuatro, Ricardo Leon at the electro acoustic guitar, and José Gregorio Kansau in voice and background vocals. After dessert everyone will get to wear their dancing shoes and tap into the vibrance of the VENEZUELAN SPIRIT THROUGH DANCE. DANZA VENEZUELA BAY AREA [https://www.facebook.com/DanzaVenezuelaBayArea/] will be in attendance to get everyone up on their feet and dancing to traditional VENEZUELAN DANCES LIKE CALYPSO, Joropo, Tambores, Gaitas, Salsa and so much more! ------------------------- __ _"We are cooking the staples of VENEZUELAN CUISINE. When deciding on the menu I asked myself: what are those flavors, those dishes that have accompanied me throughout my life and which convey what our traditions are. Simple and versatile dishes that can fit any budget and that are serve regularly in VENEZUELAN HOUSEHOLDS. Dishes that people are happy to cook at home or to order in the fanciest restaurant." ~Michelle Paulin _MENU*: WELCOME SNACKS: Papelon con limón _Papelon (unrefined cane sugar), limes, water _ Tequenos (W, D) _Fried cheese sticks wrapped in pastry dough served with guava chutney_ APPETIZERS _(ALL VEGETARIAN & GLUTEN-FREE)_: __Arepitas _Mini Arepas stuffed with cheese and butter  _ Cachapas _Mini-corn pancakes stuffed with cheese_ MAIN COURSE: Pabellón criollo _Venezuela's national dish featuring pulled beef, rice, black beans and plantains _ Guiso de Vegetales (veg option) _Vegetable stew of eggplant, zucchini, onion, and peppers seasoned with raisins, olives and capers_ DESSERT: Jalea de mango  _Mango Compote_ _**Allergen indicators: D = dairy, W = wheat, N = nuts._ ------------------------- _ _ADOPTED CHARITY: Tapestry Suppers commits to donating at least 15% of all proceeds from this year's events to our adopted charity for 2018: UNDOCUFUND [http://undocufund.org/about/]. This fund was set up last fall to help undocumented immigrants in Sonoma County rebuild their lives after the wildfires of October 2017 with a goal of raising $5 million towards this endeavor. To date, the fund has disbursed $2.3 million to more than 1,000 families, helping close to 4,000 people, about half of whom are children. You can learn more about the UndocuFund and their impact at: http://undocufund.org/faq/ [http://undocufund.org/faq/] ------------------------- FAQs Is my ticket transferable? Yes. If you are unable to attend an event you are welcome to pass this along to a friend who can take your place. Please send a note to hello@tapestrysuppers.org informing us of this change. What's the refund policy? For cancellations up to a week (7 days) prior to event date: 100% refund minus $3 cancellation fee. For cancellations up to 3 days prior to event date: 50% refund minus cancellation fee. No refunds for cancellations made less than 3 days prior to the event. HOW CAN I CONTACT THE ORGANIZER WITH ANY QUESTIONS? Send an email to: hello@tapestrysuppers.org.