By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
Two women food entrepreneurs from the border, one from Ciudad Acuña, one from Del Rio, are putting their resources together for an April 4 book-signing in Del Rio.
Acuña’s author, photographer and social media influencer Dora Ramirez has produced a plant-based cookbook that Isela Hernandez, founder of HERNÁN, is featuring and promoting under her brand.
Ramirez’s brand is built around her website, Dora’s Table. Much of Ramirez’s brand centers around her large social media presence, revolving around her plant-based recipes and cooking.
HERNÁN is a brand specializing in authentic premium Mexican culinary products that includes Mexican kitchenware, and award-winning specialty foods like Mexican hot chocolate and Moles. Meanwhile, Hernandez is hyper-focused on building HERNÁN’s distribution by selling to distributors, specialty and gourmet stores plus cafes and restaurants throughout the U.S. Her line is also available on her website and locally in Del Rio at Russell’s and the Whitehead Museum Gift Shop.
However, April 4, all of their focus will be on their event, from 7 to 10 p.m. at Hernan’s offices in the Roswell Bldg, 139 W. Garfield Ave.
Texas Standard said of Ramirez’s book, “This cookbook features
over 100 vegan Mexican recipes, blending traditional and modern dishes. In “Comida Casera,” Dora collaborates with indigenous cooks to share naturally plant-based recipes, aiming to dispel myths about vegan cuisine lacking flavor or cultural significance.”
Despite the fact they were raised miles from each other, they never met until bumping into each other at a San Antonio event.
“I went up to her, and I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m from Acuña and I do vegan blogging and content creation, we should work together,’” Ramirez said. “So, now she promotes my products and I promote hers.”
Hernandez agreed. “We do a lot of markets together and we share each other’s social media posts.”
Since the book’s release, Hernandez has shared more on her various platforms about her friend’s book than her own products.
Their partnership is now featured on the cover of each other’s websites so people can buy the book from either, but only Hernan’s offers the “autographed” copies packaged with a cast-iron comal set.
Both have gotten the national spotlight on their individual brands. Ramirez’s Dora’s Table has been featured in Parents magazine, Buzzfeed, VegNews, Entrepreneur, Petalating and Women’s Health while Hernandez or HERNÁN has been featured in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Food & Wine Magazine and on the Food Network’s Iron Chef America.
The duo agree that the vegan community isn’t huge on the border. “In Austin, even San Antonio, people are more open to it, but on the border, not so much,” Ramirez said. “My parents didn’t understand it at first but now they’re fully supporting.”
Now, her dad has a ‘secret’ vegan or plant-based menu at Tacos Grill in Acuña. “The cooks had to learn how to make it so that I could eat when visiting,” Ramirez said.
Hernandez offered her perspective on the vegan lifestyle. “There’s this misunderstanding that, oh, it’s going to taste like cardboard, or it’s going to be flavorless, it’s not going to be what I like,” Hernandez said. “But the truth of the matter is, is, and sometimes it’s even more delicious and it’s good for you and it’s better for you health wise.”
Not only will those who attend the book-signing event get to try samples, but will be able to meet the author and buy a signed copy of the book April 4 from 7 to 10 p.m. at HERNÁN’s offices in the Roswell Building at 139 W. Garfield.
The writer can be reached at JoelALangton@gmail.com .
