Sueños Pop Up Brings Tamales and Home-Cooked Food Memories to Livingston Manor

The subtly sweet, earthy aroma of corn masa fills the backyard of Sunshine Colony. Sueños co-owners David Perez and Steve Snipes are preparing their food pop-up station for an evening of slinging fresh tamales for the Livingston Manor community.

“As you might have guessed, we’re corn boys,” jokes Perez.

The story behind the tamale-focused food project Sueños , which means ‘dream’ in Spanish, started with Perez missing Mexican food after moving to the Catskills. Raised in a large Mexican family in Los Angeles, he was missing food – specifically tamales – that reminded him of home. “Steve, my partner, told me I had to stop complaining and just make some food,” said Perez.

That longing for home kickstarted what is now a residency at one of Sullivan County’s most cherished natural wine bars, Sunshine Colony, on Livingston Manor’s Main Street.

Tamales are a corn masa dough filled with different sweet or savory seasonings, vegetables, or meats. They’re then wrapped, steamed, and served in a corn husk. The history of tamales dates as far back as 8,000 B.C. Now, they’re a staple in many Mexican households.

At Sueños, the tamale options could include poblano and cheese or corn and squash, depending on what is in season. Perez said the goal of a great tamale is to hydrate it with flavor.

“Some people use broth, some people use a mixture of broth and salsa. My mixture is proprietary,” said Perez. “You have to kill me to get it out of me.”

Perez draws inspiration from multiple generations of his family– especially his uncle, who taught him how to cook. After mastering the basics, he started pouring in his own creative takes and interests into his cooking style. For the Sueños crew, it’s important that a piece of their childhood traditions are accessible to everyone.

“We try to make sure that we can hit everyone as far as their hunger level goes, but also making sure that we can hit all types of budgets and price points,” said Perez.

Since launching Sueños, Perez and Snipes have said the community response has been overwhelmingly positive. They hope that their food pop-up continues to be a place to foster a sense of community during challenging times.

“It gives me a sense of trying to be part of a community in a way that’s a really unsophisticated way of services, I guess,” explained Perez. “Just trying to share something that’s important with me to [those] around me.”

Sueños is open on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays this summer at Sunshine Colony in Livingston Manor.

Image: Sueños co-owners David Perez and Steve Snipes at their food pop-up at Sunshine Colony in Livingston Manor, N.Y. (Photo Credit: Kimberly Izar)