Empanadas are rooted from the Spanish verb ’empanar’ which means to coat or wrap in bread. And this story is not only about food it has an outer coating of family values and tradition. It all started with a humble man by the name of Jose, whom lived in Panama and ironically worked on the Panama Canal as a boating supervisor. While honing his skill as a foreman he also learned to appreciate different styles of cooking and food as he was exposed to various types from the international ships pass through. And this translated in his cooking style throughout the years.
Once he migrated to New York and settled in Queens, he began to see the importance of family dinners as the fast paced life style was a very different atmosphere than he was used to. In the fall of 96’ his wife was hospitalized and eventually passed away from heart failure leaving Jose to really take the lead role as the glue of the family. To everyone’s surprise his new found contribution to the household was preparing dinner every night, they didn’t even know he could cook! He choose this choir firstly because of everyone’s lack of time due to their busy schedules but mainly because of his belief that if he cooked they will come. This gave the family a reason to always come together not just on Sundays to have a home cooked meal and share in their daily events.
As time went on Jose became ill and eventually cancer took his life but not before passing this tradition down to his live in grandson, Jon. Even as an adult Jon would sit his friends down, whom he always viewed as family to have “family dinners” no matter how busy their schedules may have been. Sometimes even against their will, lol! This lead to him preparing meals for everyone and preaching the importance of “breaking bread with loved ones”. Coincidentally Jon’s go to dish was also Jose’s as well; “empanadas”. While keeping to his grandfather’s recipes Jon felt inclined to experiment in the kitchen to build upon his grandfather’s legacy and then came the birth of YourPanadas LLC.
YourPanadas LLC is a local Queens based startup empanada company that really pushes the boundaries of what we currently perceive as a “normal” empanada. When you think empanadas, one thinks of a corn or white flour shell with either: a plain beef, a plain chicken or even an a so called “out of the box” guava and cheese savory fillings. But their name says it all, YourPanadas; built their foundation on the premise that the customer chooses what’s on the menu. The items that currently exist on the menu have been either popular food items that have been converted into empanadas or creations of their customer’s ideas. What started out as a hobby grew to a small catering business and now is ready to take the next step into becoming a food truck. Starting August 2, 2015; YourPanadas LLC will launch a 30 day Kickstarter campaign in hopes to crowdfund $10,000. That will translate into a mobile kitchen that will not only allow for a more professional and easier way to participate in catering and popup events but most importantly grow a brand built on strong family values and the good ole American Dream!
