WW9 ~ Lilly Ribeiro

Understanding Food History

Food is an important part of my upbringing connected very strongly to my Portuguese-American culture. The ritual of preparing and feeding a loved one their favorite dish was an act of love or an act of apology. Traditionally, our family would make a home-cooked meal together. My mother and grandmother had daily rituals of buying bread, fish and meat at the local market. They would soak cod in water for days. Peel potatoes. Cut green beans. BBQ Sardines. Make traditional Portuguese deserts. Together they worked at kitchen table to prepare meals. Then we would sit down at the kitchen table to enjoy their food.  For me, this tradition has been replaced with eating food “on the go”.  Rarely do I have the time to sit down at the kitchen table to enjoy my food the way I once did with my family.

In my “Superfood” project, I will explore my Portuguese-American traditions and culture  by looking closer at the foods cooked in my immediate family in the Unites States of America and my extended family in Portugal by collecting family favorite traditional recipes.

Gallery 

Old family photos taking part of the rituals of preparing and serving meals in Ironbound Newark, NJ.

A few of my favorite Portuguese dishes served in my home.

Here are some images of my past works which explore themes of identity and culture.

Bio 

For over 15 years, Lilly Ribeiro has worked as an activist, curated art shows, organized original and nationally recognized community-based events, theatrical productions and film events around the country. Lilly is a native of Newark, a co-founding member of _gaia, a collective of women artists, and currently works in New Jersey and New York City. She has worked with established arts and social service organizations implementing creative programs, some of which include Arts Horizons, Montclair Art Museum, Cornerstone Theater Company, Elizabeth Youth Theater Ensemble, Roots and Branches Theater, Newark Senior Citizen Centers, Cornell Hall Care Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Canterbury at Cedar Grove, Catholic Charities Dioceses of Metuchen, Women Aware, Inc., and YWCA Union County. Lilly’s performance work, installations and artwork has been exhibited in various festivals, theaters, galleries, and universities. Most recently she completed a residency with the Lincoln Center Directors Lab in New York City.

Lilly is a trained applied theatre practitioner and installation artist who speaks English, Portuguese, and Spanish. She holds a commitment to participant-centered practices that foster meaningful collective experiences. Lilly received her dual Bachelor of Science from Rutgers University: Theatre Arts and Speech from the School of Arts and Sciences, and Marketing from the Rutgers Business School. Lilly completed her Master of Arts in Applied Theatre at City University of New York, School of Professional Studies. Currently, she is training as a drama therapist through the North American Drama Therapy Association. When Lilly isn’t working, she skates with the Garden State Rollergirls and Team Portugal Roller Derby as Lilly Lips.