A Kitchen Chat with House & Green store manager Beatriz de Castillo

Text/Photo by Shannon McCullough What kitchenware is most in demand at House & Green? There is a wide spectrum of cooks that shop at House & Green. For example, for those who like to bake, we have a large variety of cake and cupcake molds; cookie sheets; decorating tubes; and many other items that add to the joy of baking. […]

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Cajetería Ajpop in Guatemala

Jesús Manuel García and the art of the box Text/Photos by Hilary Kilpatric “My favorite part of my work is shaping the pinewood into boxes. I love the feeling of starting out with a simple piece of wood and finishing with a finely crafted box,” explains Jesús Manuel García, leader of the artisan group Cajetería Ajpop. García was born in […]

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Edible Flowers in the Mayan Diet

The focus this month is on an edible flower from the tree referred to as muc in the Q’eqchi’ language; orejuela in local Spanish of Guatemala. The scientific name is Cymbopetalum penduliflorum (Donal) Bail. Family: Annonaceae. Flowers played a major role in Mayan culture, as sacred flowers, as perfume, as seasoning, as food and as medicine. The flower from the […]

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Growing Roses in Guatemala

Guatemala is a major exporter of roses to the United States and Europe. The epicenter of rose production used to be La Antigua Guatemala, but rising real estate prices have pushed it far afield, especially since hothouse construction has never been so easy and inexpensive. Step one is to dig a hole, leaving ample depth and sides. Digging a hole […]

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Rigoberta Menchú, Changing the World

When a Guatemalan indigenous woman stepped forward to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992, a light was momentarily cast upon indigenous people throughout the world. Rigoberta Menchú Tum, who was living in self-imposed exile at the time, was awarded the prestigious accolade in recognition of her work: highlighting the exploitation and persecution of the country’s indigenous people during its […]

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It’s For the Birds

by Al Thompson My last substantive endeavor, near on 85 years, had been oil painting and other related dabbling with artful musings. As it got more and more tedious leaning forward to touch brush to canvas, well, the spine, the eyes and the disposition yelled, “Enough is enough!” Crochet? Knit? Needlepoint? Argue with the wife? That’s for the birds! Birds! […]

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Winners of the Revue Photo Contest, July 2013

Ganadores por decisión de los jueces del equipo editorial / Winners by editorial decision Ganadores por voto popular en Facebook / Winners by popular votes in Facebook Todas las fotografías participantes / All the photos participating Agradecemos a todos lo que participaron con una fotografía en nuestro concurso fotográfico. We thank all the people participating in our photo contest.

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The Zen of Caber and Cupo

The word room was in our first-grade spellers. So why are we forever mistranslating this word? I have discussed in a previous column “smurfy” Spanish verbs. Well, room is a smurfy English noun, so if you think our language is never smurfy, get over it. Room, when you think about it, can be abstract or concrete. The former is usually […]

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Ecosystems of the Mayan Rain Forest

An incredible diversity of life exists in the Mayan Rain Forest, the biological crossroads of the Americas For centuries the land of the Mayan rain forest has been of particular interest to biologists because of its unique location. It is at the crossroads of two of Earth’s major life zones: the Nearctic Realm (North America) and the Neotropical Realm (South […]

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Kitchen Paradise

If you enjoy quality cooking equipment, House & Green in Guatemala City is the place for you Text/Photos by Shannon McCullough Building a great collection of kitchenware takes time, sometime years. I know, I once had the ultimate collection of kitchen gear and cookbooks. I collected at garage sales, second-hand stores, specialty kitchen stores and restaurant supply stores. My most […]

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Time Capsule: 2013 – 2065

A sealed container to be opened in 52 years A time capsule that was inspired by the ancient Maya has been installed by cultural officials in Guatemala City to show the country’s future generations what life was like in 2013. Messages, cards, articles from the present day and predictions for tomorrow were deposited into the container, which will be opened […]

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Honduras Cuisine

by Monish Welcome From corn to the most delicious refried beans in Central America, Honduran food is typically described as a regional variation of what is known around the world as Mexican food. This is due to the common cultural heritage of Mesoamerica during pre-Columbian times. For flavorings, Honduran cooks rely heavily on spices such as cumin, curry, allspice, and […]

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What system is used for property measurements in Guatemala?

A common question I receive is about property measurements, probably expecting the short answer as whether we use feet (imperial system) or meters (metric system). No easy answers here. When the Spanish came in 1524, European measurements were based on Marcus Vitruvius’ (80-70 BC—15 AD) “De Architectura,” known today as the “Ten Books of Architecture.” According to Vitruvius, architecture is […]

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June 2013 in Revue Magazine

The submissions for the June Revue photo contest, Rivers and Lakes, are spectacular. They bring to mind the beauty of nature in Guatemala; water, a life-giving potion, without it there would be no survivors. There is a renewed love and appreciation of nature when you look at photographs that beckon you to the outdoors; pictures that take your breath away […]

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