When Marycarmen Aguilera and her husband arrived in Australia during the 2000 Olympics, she couldn’t find the ingredients and products to cook her Mexican dishes.

“We used to alternate with my parents one year they’ll come to Australia for holidays and the following year we’ll go for holidays to Mexico. Every time they and us brought the suitcases full of products. However, I found the products didn’t last so my husband and I decided to bring our first container of Mexican products to Australia and buy a tortilla machine and the rest is history. We have been bringing more products in every container and now we are also importing South American products.”

Marycarmen Aguilera is the founder of Fireworks Foods, an importer and manufacturer of tortillas, corn chips and a wide range of Mexica, Latin American and USA products. Located in North Rocks, Fireworks Foods has been in business for 16 years and Marycarmen’s passion for authentic Mexican and Latin American ingredients is still as strong today as when the business first opened,

When asked why she chose to set up in North Rocks, Marycarmen explained how she fell in love with the suburb.

“I arrived in Australia in 2000 when the Australia Olympics were just starting and we were living in Liberty Grove close to Concord West Train Station, the apartment was beautiful but it was very noisy. One day in our way to visit my sister in law we drove by North Rocks Road, they had an open house and we just felt in love with the suburb. It’s very quiet, there are possums, kookaburras, cockatoos, blue lizards, rosellas, frogs and many parks around us.

For us North Rocks is the place” to grow a family, our neighbours are great and a bonus there is a small industrial area in North Rocks just a walking distance from our home.”

Everything from Fireworks Foods is available on its website, but a visit to their retail showroom can be much more fun. Visit for tortillas and corn chips made and come also for an education in all things hot with a mind-blowing number of chilli sauces that are rated by their heat level, from mild to those that come with a health warning. This is the go-to place for cooking equipment for your next fiesta, including tortilla presses and warmers.

You can visit Fireworks Foods shopfront at 217 North Rocks Road, North Rocks. www.fireworksfoods.com.au

COCHINITA PORK PIBIL IN SLOW COOKER
By Marycarmen Aguilera
From Yucatan, Mexico
Serves 6

Ingredients
2-3kgs Pork Shoulder preferably bone in
50gms El Yucateco Achiote Paste
½ cup Orange juice
¼ cup White vinegar
¼ cup Lime juice
½ Teaspoon ground cumin
½ Teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
½ Teaspoon ground pepper
2 cloves
8 Garlic cloves crushed
¼ White sliced onion
2 tablespoons salt
24 Corn Tortillas Carmelita

Pickled Onions
2 Purple Onions thinly sliced
¼ cup Fresh orange Juice
¼ cup Fresh lime juice
1/8 Teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano
1/3 teaspoon sliced Habanero El Yucateco (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water

To Serve
½ Cup fresh coriander roughly chopped
4-6 Sliced lime
Salsa verde, roja (optional)

To Prepare the Pork Pibil:
Add the achiote paste, orange juice, vinegar, lime juice, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper to the blender to make the achiote marinade.

Rub the pork all over with the achiote marinade (wearing plastic gloves the achiote can stain your hands), cover and let the marinade to work overnight or at least 2-4 hrs.

Place the pork inside the slow cooker with all the achiote’s marinade juices, top the meat with the crushed garlic and the sliced onion. Cook on low for 9-10hrs or on high for 6-8 hrs. Until the meat is soft and tender and it falls apart. Shred the meat with 2 forks, keep the meat warm inside the slow cooker.

To Prepare the Pickled Onions:
Place the sliced onions in a colander on top of a casserole.
Pour the hot water on top of the onions using the colander drain well the onions.
Transfer the onions to a clean serving bowl, add the orange and lime juices, salt, oregano and the sliced habanero.
Combine well and set aside.
You can keep the pickle onions in a jar in the fridge for 3-4 days you can use them in tacos, tostadas, sandwiches, hot dogs, etc.
You can prepare the pickled onions the night before or at least 1hr before, keep in the fridge until you are ready to use them.

To Prepare the Tacos:
Have all your ingredients ready on serving dishes on the table for the guests to make their own tacos: Pork Pibil, coriander, lime, pickle onions and salsa (optional). Warm the corn tortillas (following the package’s heating instructions), keep them warm in a tortilla warmer. Top the tortilla with the shredded pork, pickled onions, coriander, lime juice and more salsa.

Serving Suggestions: You can serve the Pork Pibil in a plate with beans and Mexican Rice on the side of the tacos.

Buen Provecho!

Cardiologist Professor Clara Chow is one of the many medical researchers making research waves at Westmead. As Academic Director of the Westmead Applied Research Centre, her focus on digital health research has uncovered innovative ways to promote patient health, long after a patient has left the hospital. With heart disease the leading cause of mortality in Australians, her work is vital to the health and wellbeing of the community.

“We discovered that about a quarter of cardiovascular patients were repeat patients, coming back with subsequent heart attacks,” says Professor Chow. “It became evident that our patients needed ongoing support, education and motivation after leaving the hospital to ensure a better and sustained recovery.”

What began as a simple text message support solution has now evolved into an award-winning program, most recently winning the Google.org AI Impact Challenge which included $1 million towards further evolving customised treatment and support for patients with heart disease.

“By monitoring patient health activity data, we can harness this data for the good of our patients, encouraging them to change behaviours, modify diets or increase activity.”

For an increasingly busy health precinct with a tremendous patient load, it’s an innovative way to ensure healthcare workers are able to effectively and efficiently provide support to their patients.

“While Westmead has always been a busy hospital, it’s now increasingly central to Sydney’s population growth – bringing even more activity through the health precinct,” says Professor Chow.

And it’s not only heart disease that is under the eye of Westmead researchers – there have been groundbreaking research findings in areas as diverse as haematology, infectious diseases and cancer.

“The sense is that there are highly productive researchers based at the campus,” says Professor Chow.

The legal services sector is thriving in Parramatta and firms are flocking to the area. This is no surprise to Warrick McLean, Chief Executive Officer of Coleman Greig, whose firm has been proudly based in the region for 90 years – and has grown to become Sydney’s largest commercial law firm outside the Sydney CBD.

“We’ve grown up with Western Sydney; like the City, we’ve changed and evolved from a traditional firm,” he says, noting a healthy and growing profession in Parramatta is a good thing for local businesses and the wider community.
“I think our growth has aligned with Parramatta and the region. We have seen the opportunity, and know from experience that if you give to the region, the region will give back to you.”

Over the years, Warrick has seen Parramatta’s economy evolve and grow – and this is reflected in the firm’s changing client base. “Traditionally, we’ve always looked after local family businesses, and these have grown quite dramatically. We also look after multinational subsidiaries, and we’ve seen a significant increase in that type of work,” he says.

He says clients appreciate the convenience of a Parramatta-based office – and also that their lawyer can visit them onsite. “The feedback we get is, everyone’s so approachable here. I think to be successful in the region, you’ve got to be relatable,” he says.

“The opportunities here in Parramatta now are much greater than what they were even three years ago,” says Warrick. “There’s always been potential here, and now it’s Parramatta’s time to shine.”

Inspired by its resounding success at Parramatta Lanes festival, Butter launched its flagship store right here in Parramatta. Butter has brought to life innovation and creativity to an energetic and culturally diverse food scene.