Building on the success of our “Chef for a Day” series, MIO welcomes
Patricia Trujillo
September 4th, 2010

In celebration of the upcoming “Bicentennial of the Independence of Mexico”, and “The Centennial of the Mexican Revolution” Patricia Trujillo will showcase her interpretation of Mexican cuisine as Chef for a Day at MIO restuarant September 4th.

Chef for a Day Patricia Trujillo came to Washington, D.C. over twenty years ago to work for then Congressman Bill Richardson—who is now the Governor of New Mexico. Patricia has extensive experience developing partnerships and diversity outreach in the non-profit, as well as governmental communities. Having served previously as an elected state legislator in New Mexico, in the past year Patricia has served as the Diversity Program Manager at the Federal Department level.  She has an impressive and dedicated record of outreach and support to the Latino community, as well as the other communities which enrich our social fabric.

“Real women. The one’s I’ve loved all my life.  Those women. The ones I’ve known everywhere except on TV, in books and magazines.  Las girlfriends.  Las comadres.  Our mamas and tias.  Passionate and powerful.  Tender and volatile, brave and above all fierce.” Sandra Cisneros, novelist and poet.

Patricia Trujillo exemplifies the above and encapsulates the following. 
“As women, mothers and daughters, tias y abuelitas, we cook for all seasons of our life.  We cook through the joys of a new baby, weddings, baptisms and even death.  We cook and celebrate with our familias with tears and laughter and with much love as we bring life into our food.  I hope to write a mother – daughter book on cooking through life with my daughter, Melyora. 

MIO is also proud to announce that a portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to

Language ETC.

Since 1993, Language, Education, and Technology Center (Language ETC), a community-based program, has offered English and literacy training to low-income adult immigrants in the greater Washington area using volunteer teachers and tutors.

$45 Prixe Fixe three Course Dinner Menu
Limited seating, RSVP 202 955 0075 or Open Table 
 
Mio – Mine, Yours, Ours, SALUD !!
1110 Vermont Ave NW # 1  Washington, DC 20005-3575         

www.miorestaurant.com

6:00-9:00PM

Mirah, Melanie and Jon take off their suits and ties to step behind the bar as guest bartender to shake Macchu Pisco cocktails at Mio, the best urban Latin American DC restaurant, in benefit for Lucky Dog.

Come wag your tail and join us for a taste of the “Lucky Shot” and speciality evening cocktails such as the “Woofitini” whose sales will help raise funds to save Melvin.

Lucky Dog:
Lucky Dog Animal Rescue is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) dedicated to saving the lives of homeless and abandoned animals. We work primarily with rural shelters that have euthanasia rates of 80% or more, rescuing dogs and puppies before their time is up.  Working with local vets, boarding partners, and trainers, we stretch every dollar raised to its limits while providing our dogs with the best care possible.  We also serve as a resource to the community by providing information about responsible pet ownership.

A few lines about Mirah, Melanie and Jon:

Mirah Horowitz is the founder and Executive Director of Lucky Dog Animal Rescue.  Her friends complain that she never has time for anyone or anything but the dogs so they convinced her to come bartend as a fundraiser!  Come show her what she has been missing!  Should she falter behind the bar, Mirah can go back to her day job as legal counsel.  She has served Supreme Court Justice Stephen Beyer, Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Bob Menendez.

Melanie Asher is the founder and CEO of Macchu Pisco, the featured spirits of the night!  Melanie and Mirah met on the very first day of school at Duke University.  She challenges anyone in attendance to order a pisco based drink she cannot make!  If you have not tried Macchu Pisco before you’re in for a surprise, it’s the only all natural spirit in the world and Melanie guarantees “all the highs without the lows”.

Jon Smith is a vet at Hayfield Animal Hospital and a Lucky Dog board member.  He grew up in the DC metro area, and said that he’d do a shot for every one of his friends that show up! 

Part of the proceeds of the night will go to helping puppy Melvin, Jr. who needs surgery to correct a rare condition that prevents him from being able to swallow and process food efficiently

http://helpinmelvin.blogspot.com
We really hope to see at MIO RESTAURANT
 
Mine, Yours, Ours, SALUD!!
 

1110 VERMONT AVE NW SUITE 1
Washington, District of Columbia 20005
T. 202 955 0075

Live the moment like only the World Cup makes us do!

NEXT EVENT: Brazil vs. S.Korea 2pm / Wednesday 6-16 9:30am España vs. Suiza / Wednesday 6-16 2pm Sudafrica vs. Uruguay / Thursday 6-17 2pm Francia vs. Mexico

We will keep you posted

Arepas y Gozadera! The Venezuelan Vibe at Mio!

May 22^nd 2010

If your Venezuela short list only includes Los Amigos Invisibles and superhuman beauty queens, let our “caraqueño” friend and latest “Guest Chef for a Day”, Alexander Gutiérrez, introduce you to its rich cuisine by bringing you the convivial and rich table of traditional Venezuelan food on Saturday, May 22nd, 2010. Urban Latin cuisine from the megapolis of Caracas and Venezuela’s countryside will be displayed by Alexander, where Criollo, Spanish, Italian and current global culinary influences will be present in a night of true Venezuelan “gozadera”!  

Alexander Gutiérrez was born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1970. When he was a child, his family moved to the countryside, where his father worked as a petroleum engineer. During his childhood, Alex would develop a deep and lasting relationship with Nature and its bounty of readily available fruits, vegetables, and spices. Here he began his lifelong journey into the tastes and smells of fresh ingredients offered in rural areas throughout the Caribbean. Alex’s mother reveled in cooking for the family’s large circle of friends, and Alex’s nose and tongue took note of the ingredients his mother blended together and her preparation methods. He never strayed far from the kitchen during these moments: there was too much to learn! Being Venezuelan, local cuisine is influenced by Italian and Spanish dishes. It is no secret to friends of “Chipa,” as he is affectionately known, that he relishes being at the beck and call of the kitchen and its new discoveries to be savored and shared with others.

 Join us and part of the proceeds of the night will be donated to Mary’s Center.

Established in 1988, Mary’s Center provides vitally important health, social and educational services to multicultural populations throughout the metropolitan Washington, D.C. region, serving individuals and families who have limited or no access to health care. Part of the proceeds will go to support the Mary’s Center Teen Program Scholarship Fund.

Prix Fixe 3 courses Menu

Limited seating, RSVP 202 955 0075 / Open Table

A  Woman On the Verge of A Culinary Shakedown! Saturday, April 17 at Mio!

Con deleite y amor. With “delight and love”. Those are the sentiments that our first woman Chef for a Day will pour over the same dishes she has prepared for friends and families over the years, and soon to our Mio family when she hosts our first woman-led Chef for a Day event on Saturday April 17^th. Isabel embodies the openness and conviviality for which Mio’s kitchen has become known, all in our pursuit of a truer representation of our refined and deeply rich Urban Latin American culinary heritage. Isabel’s deep attachment to her San Juan ties and Puerto Rico’s almost 600-year old culinary tradition, are elegantly married with accentuations gathered throughout her global travels.

For Isabel, cooking is more than just a passion-it’s a labor of love that keeps her connected to family and friends through her legendary dinner parties. Her culinary exploits began in college where being away from home didn’t mean she had to go without a home cooked meal. Since then she’s been refining her culinary skills, always experimenting with new recipes and bold flavors. From the cuisines of Europe and Asia to Latin America and the Caribbean, Isabel isn’t afraid to experiment and slice, dice, and sauté her way into the hearts of family and friends.

Prixe Fixe Three course Menu Dinner: $55.00*

* A portion of the  proceeds of the night will be donated to Trekking for Kids is a non-profit, 501(c)3 that organizes purpose-driven treks in the world’s most remote locations to raise funds for needy orphanages in the areas in which the treks take place. Trekking for Kids provides socially-conscious trekkers from around the world with a unique opportunity to combine their thirst for adventure and the outdoors with the desire to help those less fortunate, leaving a lasting contribution for the improvement of the area in which the treks occur.     

 Menu: Will be posted at Miorestaurant.com   Mio, Mine, Yours, Ours, SALUD!!    Limited seating, RSVP 202 955 0075 / Open Table

Can a Cuban Mojito Crisis be averted? In between savory Cuban dishes and desserts, Mio’s newest guest chefs will dare to put a spin on a beloved Cuban classic, The Mojito, by reinterpreting it with a delicious urban accent. Enter “The Champagne Mojito”. In what promises to be a warm night among friends in an elegant throwback to the slow tropical evenings of Havana of yesteryear, Mio is delighted to welcome this newest creation and three good friends to our kitchen. Please join us in also celebrating the elegant heritage of a Cuba Señorial as we open our house to memories old and new to one of greatest culinary traditions.

Cuba Chef for a DayTM – Alfredo José Estrada

Alfredo was born in Havana, Cuba and graduated with honors from Harvard University. After practicing law in New York City, he moved to Washington, D.C. and founded HISPANIC, an award-winning magazine for U.S. Hispanics. Estrada later moved to Paris and wrote a novel, Welcome to Havana, Señor Hemingway, and the nonfiction Havana: Autobiography of a City. He now lives in Austin and is the Editor of LATINO, which launched in 2008. Focusing on issues, politics, and culture, it reaches a select audience of Latino opinion makers, influencers, and community leaders. Estrada is a nationally recognized expert on Hispanic media has served on the boards of KRLU-TV, the Harvard Hispanic Policy Journal, and other organizations.  

Alfredo’s grandmother, Adelaida Crews, was a cooking instructor in Havana, Cuba at La Escuela de Hogar and she passed on her passion for food to Alfredo. Alfredo’s recipes draw upon Cuba’s diversity, which he described in his book, Havana: Autobiography of a City. 

Sous Chef for a DayTM Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza

“Rocky” is Vice President of Multicultural Markets at AARP, spearheading organization-wide planning and execution of AARP’s work to promote positive social change within the Hispanic community and deliver value to all AARP members. Prior to AARP, she served as Director of Community Development and International Strategy for Ford Motor Company Fund and as VP of Legislative Affairs, for AT&T Florida, where she developed AT&T’s strategic government relations program, and previously she was the Executive Director of Miami-Dade County’s Legislative Delegation, Florida’s most diverse bipartisan legislative delegation. 

Ms. Egusquiza participated in HACR’s first Board Leadership program with Harvard University and currently serves on the Boards of Girl Scouts of the USA, the National Latino Children’s Institute and the Smithsonian Latino Center.  She has received numerous awards and accolades for her philanthropic efforts and support of the Hispanic community.

“Rocky” – “I have always had a passion for food and as a little girl cooked in the kitchen with mom, dad and grandma.   From my dad’s flan recipe to cooking traditional cuban food and baking desserts, today I love to cook for friends and entertain at home”.

Bar tender for a DayTM Carlos F. Orta

Carlos is the President and CEO of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR), a nonprofit organization established in 1986. HACR’s mission is to advance the inclusion of Hispanics in Corporate America at a level commensurate with our economic contributions.

A Portion of the proceeds of the night event will be donated to NHLI

The National Hispana Leadership  Institute (NHLI) is the premier executive leadership organization preparing Latinas for positions of national and international influence, public policy impact and to contribute to the advancement of the Hispanic community. www.nhli.org

Lula Chef brings her Urban Mexican Cuisine to D.C. as MIO’s Guest Chef!

Forget Mexican food as you know it.

This is not even close. It respects tradition, but demands a new relationship. It projects into the unknown but remains accessible. It makes no apologies. This is México’s 21st Century cuisine and for one night we are being invited to live it with gusto!  Meet Lula Martin del Campo, Mexico’s hottest urban chef from Ciudad México and for several special days she will commandeer MIO’s kitchen down a revolutionary road of the new, the daring, and the best of an urban Mexican cuisine that refuses to be confined by conventional wisdom.

As part of the celebration off the upcoming “Bicentennial of the Independence of Mexico” and “The Centennial of the Mexican Revolution”, Manuel Iguina, owner of MIO Restaurant, will serve as Washington, D.C.’s host to a series of events bringing the best of Mexico’s gastronomy to the Nation’s Capital. Sponsored by The Embassy of Mexico, the Mexico Tourism Board and Mexicana Airlines. MIO and Chef Martin del Campo are thrilled to kick off these series of events in celebration of Mexico’s vibrant urban culture, its proud cultural heritage and revolutionary heart.

Lula Chef’s MIO Dates:

March 10th – Kick off fundraiser in support of the Spanish Catholic Center*, open to the public 
March 11th – Mexican Dinner (Taste Mexican Wines), open to the public
March 12th – MexiRico – Urban Puerto Rico and Mexico, open to the public
March 13 th – Cooking Class, 12:00PM ONLY 20 seats available
March 13th – Mexican Gala Dinner, open to the public

*A portion of the proceeds of Chef Lula’s kick off dinner on March 10th will be donated to the Spanish Catholic Center of Washington, D.C.

RSVP 202 955 0075 / Open Table

We’ve all heard stories of the pros and cons of eating pork, well at MIO restaurant, which features an array of urban Latin American cuisine of metropolises like Mexico City, Lima, and San Juan to name a few, the other white meat is a staple. My good friend and business associate, Manuel Iguina, is the proprietor, and most gracious host of the establishment. Earlier this week Manuel gave my good friend Derrick and I an up close and personal look at a whole pig that was prepared for an event that evening. COMPLETE STORY

CHEF FOR A DAY

Roger Villalobos

MARZO 6, 2010

Our next CfD (Chef for a DayTM) Roger Villalobos was born in Santiago, Chile. He was raised by his mother & grandmother (Mapuche) who was a chef after she moved to the city from Southern Chile. He learned many different techniques & tricks from her & her Mapuche roots. One of the procedures was to cook with rain water.

His grandmother always motivated him to learn how to cook since he was very young. Both of them spent at least three months every year in the south of Chile (Temuco), which was mastered by Mapuche culture & traditions (agriculture & cattle raisers), earth workers. He was exposed to so many things related with culinary matter. For example, bake their everyday bread in a home-made wood oven made out of oil drum. He helped to do all kind of harvest & its rituals that he would never forget his roots, we just had well water, no energy, rarely transportation, and everything was so natural & related with ñuke mapu (mother earth). Then, at the age of 13, he decided to carry on culinary art at high school in which he learned the basic knowledge before he started working in the culinary field. He graduated in high school in Chile with culinary specialty & started working with one of the top ten Chilean Chefs at that time & worked with him for three years before moving to USA.

He enrolled at Stratford University in culinary art development program. Technical knowledge mixed with natural background makes him have a very particular style to create unique dishes with a very personal touch on every culinary activity. In the last six years he has been working with high profile chefs in DC area.

He is dedicating his Chef for a day event to his Grandma, Fresia. Love you vieja.

Prixe Fixe Three course Menu Dinner: $55.00*++

*A portion of the proceeds of Roger’s Chef for a Day dinner event on March 6^th will be donated to Mary Center of Washington, D.C.

About Mary’s Center Mission and Summary
The mission of Mary’s Center for Maternal and Child Care is to build better futures through the delivery of health care, education and social services. The Center embraces culturally diverse communities to provide them with the highest quality of care, regardless of their ability to pay. Founded in 1988 by President and CEO Maria Gomez, Mary’s Center developed as a community- based, nonprofit organization focused on maternal and child care for immigrant women from Latin America who were displaced by civil wars and other life casualties. As a National Council of la Raza affiliate and a full-service Federally Qualified Health Center, Mary’s Center serves more than 16,000 families, many of whom are recent immigrants from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

We envision a day when everyone will receive the highest quality of health care, education, and social services. By working together, we help members of all communities be their own advocates and produce generations of leaders ready to contribute to their community’s growth and well-being.

Please join MIO this coming Saturday February 27th, as part of the “Chef for a Day”TM,  welcoming a very good friend, Francisco J. Astudillo of Elite Wine Imports, on an evening of new and traditional Iberian cuisine (with a touch of Urban Latin!). Originally from Castilla and educated in Valladolid, our newest guest Chef for a Day has been an integral part of Washington’s increasingly sophisticated wine market since 2000 representing several of the most promising labels in the market.
 
In addition to wine, food has always been his passion, personally striving to preserve Spain’s cultural accent on today’s global cuisine. His biggest inspirations have been his grandmother and his mother, as well as some of the Great Chefs from Spain, who taught him new techniques that help enhance the traditional recipes he learned along the way.
 
Food is his passion, but wine is his life. He considers himself very fortunate to have been able to meet some of the best wine producers in the world. His preference is the Tempranillo grape and his heart is in the Rioja region, specifically a small winery called Bodegas Exeso, whose wine embodies not only the best of the terroir, but also the honorable the character of the people behind it.
 
See you at MIO!

Prixe Fixe Three Course Dinner Menu $45usd ++

Limited seating, RSVP 202 955 0075 / Open Table