Latinos In The US: Fany Gerson, Chef Who Specializes In Mexican-Style Sweets, Hopes To Grow NYC Business After Superstorm Sandy Setback [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]

Hurricane Sandy was one of the most damaging storms in United States history.

With over $60 billion dollars in damages affecting multiple areas across the U.S., the New York City area was one of the hardest hit locations, suffering some of the worst emotional and physical damage the area has ever seen.

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As Latin Times continues its weekly feature covering popular Latino figures and their success in the United States, this week's piece focuses on Fany Gerson, a New York City chef specializing in Mexican-style treats and her kitchen La Newyorkina, both seriously affected by the wrath of Hurricane Sandy.

Born and raised in Mexico City, Fany's dream was to always become a chef.

Noting that she spent a year traveling through her native Mexico in order to build research for her first cookbook, entitled 'My Sweet Mexico,' Fany said the experience of working in the New York City area producing her own Mexican-style treats has been fantastic even though Hurricane Sandy was particularly brutal in Red Hook, Brooklyn where her kitchen is located.

"Red Hook is an area that is certainly starting to build up a stronger reputation as a rising community and having my kitchen in the convenient location has been good because the rent isn't as bad as in other parts," Fany told Latin Times.

"I was in Mexico at the time Hurricane Sandy struck the area so I didn't experience the storm first hand but the damage was evident right away," she said. "Everything inside my Red Hook kitchen was destroyed and everything needed to once again be installed."

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Though Hurricane Sandy certainly had a negative impact on the New York City area and Fany Gerson's business, her passion to create some of Mexico's favorite flavors was never diminished. If anything, rebuilding from the storm reminded her how much these specialties meant to her and those who enjoy them.

"Specializing in Mexican sweets such as Paletas (Mexican-style ice pops), I wanted to help create some of the favorite Mexican flavors," Fany said regarding her goal in creating these specialty dessert items.

"Red Hook was one of the last areas in New York City to get the power turned back on and now that we're definitely back up and running after re-opening in May, the movement for the business is clearly returning."

Offering Paletas in a wide variety of flavors including cucumber-lime, pineapple jalapeno and mango with chile, Fany Gerson is truly able to bring these Mexican flavors to life in parts of New York City.

As her business continues to grow, she has some tremendous ideas about how to develop these delectable delicacies on a larger scale.

"I'd love to really expand our business and even set up a mail service for subscription deliveries to people's home," she told Latin Times. "New York is a great place to watch your business thrive and with the flavors we have to offer, a subscription service would help us expand further."

In addition to creating tasty Paletas, Fany Gerson and La Newyorkina have come up with their own delicious flavors for Mexican-style Nieves (sorbet), Helados (ice cream) and Aguas Frescas (refreshing fruit beverages).

Flavors for these tasty items include grapefruit, peach, orange, guava, cucumber-lime and more!

As Fany and her team continue to grow even after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, drop by and give some of these sweets a taste, especially on a warm summer day!

For more information on all the treats offered by Fany Gerson and La Newyorkina, feel free to visit www.lanewyorkina.com/web/pages/ourproducts.html.