The UConn Health community is celebrating their beloved Hispanic heritage and cultural roots by sharing their favorite family recipes with the community.

UConn Health’s Assistant Director of Food and Nutrition Services Ashley Sepúlveda, 35, from New Britain’s family originally hails from Guayanilla, Puerto Rico.  This is her second time working at UConn Health, with 11 years already under her belt.

Interestingly, at UConn Health she is following in her father’s career footsteps and is celebrating her culture through food.

“I work in the same kitchen at UConn Health that my Dad did for 34 years!” she shares. “That’s why I am in this food business. UConn Health is my home.”

Each week beginning on Friday, September 20, during the four-week run of Hispanic Heritage Month, the main café located in the Main Building at UConn Health, will be offering new special menus created by staffers.

Sepúlveda’s menu is extra special: “Pollo guisado is my Dad’s favorite meal.”

September 20^th offered menu creation of Ashley Sepúlveda:

Arroz blanco y habichuelas guisadas- White Rice and Stewed Beans

Pollo Guisado– Stewed Chicken

Ensalada de coditos– Macaroni Salad

Beef Empanadillas– Beef Turnovers

Boricua Style Baked Ziti

Lily Paradis, 37, is also of New Britain and is of Puerto Rican descent. She’s only been with UConn Health’s Salad Bar for seven months but loves her job.

“I really like my job,” Paradis shared. “This is an opportunity to share what my food tastes like, and our culture.”

Her recipe is close to her heart too, and in memory of her late mother.

“I picked my recipe because my mom’s favorite was pork shoulder and yellow rice,” Paradis says.

She loves working at UConn Health because it’s just like her family and Hispanic culture.

“We are very family-oriented, and we like to help others,” she concluded.

September 20^th offered menu creation of Lily Paradis:

Arroz con Gandules– Yellow Rice with Pigeon Peas

Pernil– Puerto Rican Style Pulled Pork

Ensalada de papa– Potato Salad

Flan

Platanos Maduros-Sweet Plantains

Enjoy the new special food offerings presented each week this 2024 Hispanic Heritage Month offered through October 15 by UConn Health’s very own.

Each year Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated September 15 – October 15. It is a celebration of Hispanic and Latine history and culture. It is in extra recognition to the many contributions made to the history and culture of the United States, including important advocacy work, vibrant art, popular and traditional foods, and much more.

In addition, Hispanic Heritage Month provides an additional opportunity to explore the incredible impact Latinas and Latinos have had on the United States for generations. The Latine presence in America spans centuries, predating Spain’s colonization of what is now part of the United States, and they have been an integral part of shaping our nation since the Revolutionary War. Through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Treaty of Paris that followed the Mexican-American and Spanish-American wars, the United States gained territories in the Southwest and Puerto Rico. This incorporated the people of this area into the United States and further expanded the presence of Hispanic Americans.

This Hispanic Heritage Month menu initiative is a collaboration between Morrison Healthcare, the UConn John Dempsey Hospital (JDH) Diversity Council, and UConn Health’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI).