Try out one, two, or all of these delicious recipes to discover flavors from Hispanic culture. We asked some of our staff to share their favorite recipes and did some of our own research to find the tastiest recipes for our community to explore!

Arroz Valenciana

6 Servings

1/2 pound chicken thigh or breast chopped
3 pieces chorizo de bilbao sliced diagonally
1/2 cup malagkit glutinous white rice
1 cup Jasmine rice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 medium red bell pepper cut into strips
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1 teaspoon paprika
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk
1 medium tomato diced
1 medium yellow onion diced
3 cloves of garlic crushed
3 boiled eggs
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of Spanish saffron
salt and pepper to taste

View full recipe and cooking directions.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Empanadas

10 Servings

9 ounces all-purpose flour (2 cups)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 poblano chile
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten

View full recipe and cooking directions.

Dulce de Coco

6 Servings

1 coconut
4 cup of evaporated milk, or 6 cups of full milk
1/2 cup sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, (optional)

View full recipe and cooking directions.

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th, coinciding with the date of the independence of several Latin American countries, through October 15th. 

With this shortlist of Hispanic-owned businesses, you are invited to experience the richness of Hispanic culture as showcased throughout Southern California. Gather with your friends and family for delicious food as you dine in restaurants that showcase traditional Latin flavors. Decorate your home with lively plants or your body with artistic hand-made goods. You can even add a few self-care tricks to your daily routine. We hope that you will find a business that connects to you and welcomes a mas amor for our cuidad! 

FOOD & DRINK

El Rincon Criollo

www.bestcubanfood.com

There may be other Cuban restaurants in Los Angeles, but none catch the true flavor of the native land. Cuba was the place to go for food, fun, music, and gambling. El Rincon Criollo in Spanish means “the creole corner” and this little corner on Sepulveda is the place to enjoy lunch or dinner anytime.

4361 Sepulveda Blvd
Culver City, CA 90230

Esperanza

www.esperanzamb.com

Esperanza is the South Bay’s newest dining destination – serving a contemporary twist on traditional Sonoran recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients, as well as expertly crafted, playful cocktails.

309 Manhattan Beach Blvd
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Taco Mesa

www.tacomesa.com

Taco Mesa offers contemporary cuisine honoring our ancestors, our bodies, and the earth.  Our new menu features GMO-free corn infused with herbs and spices from our in-house Tortilleria Organica.

647 W. 19th Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92627

Mil Jugos

www.miljugos.com

This kitchen offers the flavors of the unexplored cuisine of Venezuela to all food lovers. This is authentic home cooking, 100% Gluten, and MSG-free. Our menu is full of flavor,  made with fresh and natural ingredients with unique Latin flavors that combine all the different regions of Venezuela.

320 W 5th St
Santa Ana, CA 92701

PLANT LIFE

PLANTIITAS

www.plantiitas.com

Plantiitas is a queer and POC-owned small business plant shop. Carrying a carefully curated collection of tropical houseplants, stylish planters, and handcrafted goods. Great for your personal collection or as a gift idea, you are sure to find what you need at reasonable prices.

The L.A. Garden

www.thelagarden.com

Founder Dianna Martinez decided to take a leap of faith and leave her day job to create what we know today as The L.A. Garden or TLAG for short. As time progressed so did her ideas. She began to think out of the box and created her first "cajita" featuring her highly acclaimed succulent arrangements and customized Latin-inspired art.

The Plant Chica

www.theplantchica.com

Born in South Central LA to Salvadoran immigrant parents, Sandra and her siblings grew up helping their mother choose flowers and plants for the church where her father worked as a pastor. Sandra quickly inherited her mother’s love of plants and the joy they bring to people’s lives.

GIFTS & GOODS

Lil' Libros

www.lillibros.com

Lil’ Libros was created to inspire parents to read to their children and encourage them to do so in two languages. At Lil’ Libros, we celebrate Latin American culture and important figures in its history.

Siembra Heritage

www.siembraheritage.com

At Siembra Heritage, we work directly with artisans from remote areas of Argentina to bring you one-of-a-kind, handmade pieces crafted with natural materials. This means, no two items are exactly alike. Our hands-to-store approach allows the artisans to create freely, while our shop remains loyal to small batch production.

Mi Vida

www.shopmivida.com

We fully support the DIY ideology and hand-crafted artwork, jewelry, fashion, and home decor. Our Chicano team is all about craft and design Hecho con Amor. Mi Vida team members design, print, and manufacture all of our products in Los Angeles.

BEAUTY & WELLNESS

CALIVOLVE

www.calivolve.com

Lilly Cabral and My Thai come from very family-centric cultures, Latinx and Asian - where food is culture. Calivolve is an extension of our cultures, our love of food, and California roots. That is why we painstakingly use only the highest quality ingredients, combining decadent chocolate with natural hemp extract.

Majestic Bliss

www.majesticblisssoaps.com

We strongly believe that using natural and eco-friendly products is the safest and most effective way to lift your spirit and feel your best. We do this by crafting the highest quality natural products that contain only the purest, non-toxic ingredients with an added hint of magic. Reclaim your POWER one bar of soap at a time.

Wildland Organics

www.wildlandorganics.com

Built on a foundation of conscious self-care and environmental stewardship, Wildland is committed to helping you live a lighter, more sustainable life. More essentialists than minimalists, we aim to provide a full line of multi-use, travel-friendly, and eco-conscious hair and body care products, that allow you to live light and live luxuriously.

So you just signed up for a Sender One membership or you’re new to the gym and now you’re thinking, “how do I find people to climb with?!” Lucky for you, Sender One has created a number of ways for members and guests to connect and climb together. Everything from meet-ups to online community pages, we’re here to help you find solid climbing partners and to make new friends!

BELAY OR BOULDER BUDDY FINDER

Located on the Community Boards at each Sender One location is a Belay or Boulder Buddy Finder. It’s a short questionnaire that you can post on the Community Board to help you connect with others. Each post will stay up for about a month. Hopefully, you only need to post once because you’ve found your climbing buddies!

FACEBOOK COMMUNITY GROUPS

For a more virtual take on finding climbing partners, check out our Facebook community groups! Each location has a designated group where you can find someone to climb with or post about selling climbing gear. These pages are also great to stir up conversations and discussions about climbing in general. As always, please treat others with respect and follow the group rules.

GET CREATIVE

We’re all about supporting your journey in finding more climbing buddies. Here’s a creative way we’ve seen from people (successfully) finding climbing partners.

Step 1: Post on Instagram (via Story or Post) that you are in search of more people to climb with. You can include specifics like type of climbing, days and times, etc.
Step 2: Mention and tag us @senderone and the specific location account.
Step 3: We’ll re-share and let the connections flood into your DM!

Sender One is here to help you discover and connect with others while building lasting climbing partnerships. It’s just more fun that way!

The Hispanic and Latinx community has a strong history in the United States, and specifically in California. Their contributions and background have become ingrained in our own culture and society. Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th, coinciding with the date of the independence of several Latin American countries, through October 15th. 

During this time Sender One will be offering blogs that showcase how you can celebrate and enjoy the spirit of the Hispanic Culture. 

We hope that with this list of events you will be able to discover something new about Hispanic history and connect with people from across Southern California!

Upcoming Local and Virtual Events Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month:

El Grito 2021 

Wednesday, September 15th 5p-10p 

FREE 

In celebration of Mexico’s cry for independence, El Grito is a gathering of families and friends to enjoy time together with music, free entertainment, great food, and children’s activities.

 Moreno Valley Civic Center Amphitheater
14177 Frederick St, Moreno Valley, CA 92553

Latino Heritage Month: A Learning Circle (Virtual, Online)

Wednesdays September 15th - October 13th 6p

FREE 

Explore the cultures of ancient Mesoamerica in our Learning Circle. Each week you will watch three episodes from The Great Courses’ Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed on your own and then meet up to reflect on what we have learned.

Arroyo Seco Regional Library 

La Fiesta: A Celebration for Hispanic Heritage Month

Thursday, September 16th 6p-8p 

Free with Entry (Day pass, punch pass, or membership)

Connect with the Sender One community through games, music, & crafts while learning the history of their Hispanic origin!

Sender One LAX & SNA

Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration 

Saturday, September 18th 2p-4p 

FREE

Family Entertainment including performances by Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuellar, Ballet Folklórico de Los Angeles, and West Covina's Ballet Folklorico International. There will also be games and giveaways. Admission opens at 1:30p. Guests are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs. 

Plaza West Covina 
112 Plaza Drive, West Covina, Ca 91790  

Healthfest L.A! 

Sunday, September 19th 12p–6p

FREE

LA’s traditional and hugely popular Hispanic Heritage Month celebration has been re-imagined to address the health concerns affecting the Latino community. Event-goers will enjoy music, food, games, and shopping, all at the birthplace of Latino LA. HEALTHFEST L.A! is not just another health fair, it’s a celebration of life!

Olvera Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Baja Splash Cultural Festival  

Saturday & Sunday, October 2nd & 3rd 9a-10a 

Cost: General Admission $26.95 - $36.95

Live Music and dance representing cultures in Mexico and Central and South America, plus educational programs and other special activities. 

Aquarium of the Pacific 
100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802 

National Hispanic Heritage Month 

Thursday, October 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th

Cost: General Admission $10.95 - $13.95 

National Hispanic Heritage Month traditionally honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans as we celebrate heritage rooted in all Latin American countries. Join us as our local partners come to share about their culture through stories, art, dance, and music.

Pretend City 
29 Hubble, Irvine, CA 92618

We hosted a special Global Climbing Day event in a partnership with The North Face at Sender One LAX on Saturday, 8/21/21. It was a day to celebrate climbing and the community it brings together, although this is something we like to acknowledge every day! We were fortunate to have The North Face athletes, Margo Hayes and Maureen Beck, join us for the afternoon. They climbed with members and guests, enthusiastically providing tips and advice when asked. In addition, we held an open Q&A where Margo and Mo shared stories and experiences.

Thank you to both of them for being with us for Global Climbing Day. It was truly a great day for us and the community.

A bit serendipitous, but it turns out that Maureen Beck (aka Mo) will be competing in the 2021 IFSC Paraclimbing World Cup so we wanted to share a little more about her. Check out her answers from the Q&A below.

Q: What age were you when you started your sport?
A: I was 12 years old when I had my first climbing experience, but this was in the mid-90s in the Middle-of-nowhere, Maine. There were no climbing gyms for me to go to so it was kind of hard for me to get into the sport in a sustainable way until I went to college. 

Q: What is the best part about climbing?
A: My favorite thing about climbing is, well, there are two things. So the rock doesn't care who you are or the routes don't care who you are. If you're able or disabled, if you're male or female, short or tall.  It is the rock. It doesn't care about you. And as harsh as that sounds, it's actually kind of refreshing because we live in a world of caring for the wrong reasons.  And then my other favorite part is for all of those groups I just listed climbing is about every time you go climbing,even a little bit, you're making the impossible possible. Whether it's a route that’s easy for you, you're still learning, you're still growing. And if you're projecting something, you're taking something that the first time you touched it, you could never do. You could never dream of doing  it and you just chip away at it and before you know it you are Superman because you've done the impossible.

Q: What music do you listen to when you work out or climb?
A: I have a playlist on my Spotify called “Amped Up” and it's actually super embarrassing. I don’t want to admit what’s on there. Orange Theory has these playlists that get you going during workouts and it works, like when I’m on the treadmill. I actually don’t listen to music when I climb. I can lose my feet, but for other types of training, that music is pumping pretty good in my head. 

Q: Do you get emotional when you’re projecting or training?
A: I think I do get very emotional for competitions because that's like a date on the calendar. You train for and then like right then and there, you know, you did it or you didn't. And I'm either super happy or I'm just like “well shoot”. It’s either one or the other. Outdoor projects are interesting because at least for me you spend so much time “almost” there. Like you “almost” send. So that when you do finally do it is almost anti-climatic, like “Why didn’t I do that three months ago”, but then there is always something else to do. So as soon as I clip the chains, I think, “I'm done and onward”. It's this weird detachment almost, which is in itself an emotion.

Q: What's the best piece of advice you can give to future climbers?
A: I would say if you're a new climber getting into it, don't wait to push yourself. Don't wait for someone to come along and invite you out or invite you to try something new. I feel like my climbing career is a decade behind where it could be because I spent so much time being shy and thinking, “I haven't earned that, or I'm not as knowledgeable so I don't deserve to be in the space XYZ”.  And it's a really hard thing to advocate for yourself. Whether it's like, “Hey, I see you're going outside. Do you mind if I tag along or can you show me how to use the hangboard? Can you show me this?” The climbing culture is getting a lot better, but it was formed in this like gatekeeping, where you have to be an expert in order to be a climber. And that's just so not true. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and get a little uncomfortable. I wish I had. And now that I'm in my mid-thirties, I feel like I'm finally in that space where I’m like, “Okay, I don’t care what people think of me”. I'm going to go. I'm going to learn. I'm going to admit when I don't know. I wish I had that mindset forever ago because I just feel like in such a different place, but it's never too late to change and to start really getting uncomfortable in the best of ways.

Q: What did it feel like to see Climbing in the Olympics?
A: There are some people that think that the Olympics have ruined other sports and will ruin climbing. I don’t see it that way. I definitely see competitive climbing and crusty, dirty outdoor climbing as two different sports. I freaking love gym climbing and I freaking love outside climbing.  But the other thing about growth in the sport is that the more people who care about the sport and the more people who get outside and experience the power of nature each one of those people will then care about preserving access and preserving our environment. So I just don't believe that more people involved in our sport is a bad thing. I think the more people that care, only good can come from that.

We hope you've enjoyed learning a little bit more about Maureen Beck and look forward to seeing her compete at the Paraclimbing World Cup in October. Let's go, Mo!

Learn more about Paraclimbing and this significant event on our Guide to the Paraclimbing World Cup blog.