
The Proven Platter – Guatemala, August 2025
This August we honor MAIA, an organization in Guatemala led by Indigenous women to empower Indigenous girls. Their name comes from Maia, one of the brightest stars in the sky that is considered symbolic of knowledge and wisdom and that has meaning in all three languages that they communicate in for their work (Kaqchikel, Spanish and English). Coincidentally, my second daughter is named Maia, spelled precisely the same way and also coincidentally, she has an August birthday. As I was wondering what the chances were for such an alignment, while researching Guatemalan cuisine, I heard really loud peals of thunder followed by flashes of lightning. It has been an extremely stormy week where I live and while temperatures are still pretty high and it is still grilling season, I feel like the weather calls for a stovetop recipe. Details