tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43090453157735363482024-02-20T16:41:33.772-08:00Garífuna DishMariano Gotay is the owner of Café Gotay, the premier locale for Garífuna food in the entire country of Guatemala. Mariano is careful about using only the freshest, home-grown ingredients in conjunction with authentic Garífuna recipes passed down through generations. You simply cannot eat at a tourist restaurant and think you've tried authentic Garífuna food without visiting one of Mariano's two restaurants in Livingston. (After all, why would you eat Garífuna food in a Chinese restaurant?)Mariano Gotayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11353578970881626047noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4309045315773536348.post-10277536448150069602011-04-19T05:08:00.000-07:002011-04-19T05:08:40.066-07:00The Mystics of Gotay's Place<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday a group of Honduran Garínagu youths met at my humble abode (also known as Gotay’s Place) to listen to Tomas Sanchez and I give a short talk on doing service for the Garífuna community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They arrived through a contact of Tomas Sanchez, a friend of his from California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This meeting was especially ‘mystical’ since my place had been blown away by a tornado less than one month ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I had prepared something for the guests and I to eat, but first we joined some tables together to sit and talk about issues in the Garífuna community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, Tomas spoke about service to the Garífuna community and from there he was able to ease into a dialogue about issues of special import to the Garífuna community such as education, tourism and agriculture, with a special emphasis on tourism and agriculture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afterwards, I spoke of spirituality, what it means to our people and how it affects the modern Garínagu youths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">If you would like to know more about this meeting or about Garífuna spirituality in general (or about the food I prepared for the group), I invite you to leave a comment or email me directly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>Aba isieni,</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Mariano Gotay</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Mariano Gotayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11353578970881626047noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4309045315773536348.post-39160152203896483292011-03-25T08:11:00.000-07:002011-04-05T06:49:15.272-07:00Garífuna Dish<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">A <b>Garífuna dish </b>reminds me of the phrase <i>soul food</i> because Garífuna cuisine is a connection between the soul and the satisfaction that allows us to touch each other's life. Food is a source of life, however, when you can convert food into a traditional dish it is a link between you and me.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">My name is Mariano Gotay, the owner of Café Gotay in Livingston, Guatemala, serving a vast array of traditional Garífuna dishes. I lived in several different countries which has given me the experience necessary to know what a client looks for in a restaurant. Aside from the extraordinary views of either a quiet river or the bustling center of town you can enjoy at either of my two locations, what you desire is <i>good tasting food</i>. I do not purchase bulk quantities of spices and herbs --- why would I? Livingston's fertile soil is blessed with the footsteps and wisdom of our Garífuna <i>áhari</i>, our ancestors. In your travels around Guatemala you will have tried the usual, traditional Guatemalan fare, but Garífuna cuisine offers a sensory sensation of the likes you won't experience in Antigua, Panajachel, Guatemala City or Petén. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Equally important to the Garífuna culture is the relationship that links us with other cultures through the Garifuna dish. Here is an excerpt from a client who brought her parents to my restaurant for a special occasion.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"> “Before eating here I spoke with the owner, Mariano Gotay. I told him that I was dying to try the <i>tapado</i>, the traditional Garifuna dish prepared with plantain, coconut milk and lots of seafood, but I was a vegetarian. Mariano did not hesitate and replied that he would prepare a vegetarian <i>tapado </i>that I would love. The food was so flavorful that it almost brought tears to my eyes. Not since my mom’s Jamaican cooking had I experience such vibrant and exciting flavor”.</blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">I would like invite you to an experience of a lifetime. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>Aba isieni</i> ('one love')</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Mariano Gotay</div>Mariano Gotayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11353578970881626047noreply@blogger.com0