My Passion

My passion has always involved a love for cooking. I always enjoyed making dishes composed of a variety of flavors and textures. I cook Caribbean, American, Spanish, and even Indian dishes. Every day I find a new way to challenge myself into possibly topping the previous dish and making it more perfect. My mother is the reason I started cooking. Growing up in a Spanish family cultivated by women you learn a few tricks up your sleeve. Not only do I have Nicaraguan background, but I am also half Dominican. Having a diverse background has opened me to new amazing flavors. My favorite dish from my mother’s side growing up was a typical Nicaragua dish. It was a plate of gallopinto, carne asada, yucca, and queso frito, and tajadas verdes. That plate is a mixture of rice and beans, grilled steak, yucca, fried cheese, and green plantain chips. Just hearing the names brings a mouth-watering sensation to my mouth. Several other dishes include the Nacatamal, Indio Viejo, and Sopa de Albondiga. Now, from my dad’s Dominican side, my all-time favorite food is a desert called Habichuelas con Dulce. Translated, it is basically beans with caramel, or sweet beans. The dish is a sort of a sweet cream of beans. Prepared in a lent, you let the beans sit in a pot of water overnight, puree them, mix delicious ingredients in a pot, boil the remainder of ingredients and enjoy! Some ingredients include raisins, coconut, and sweet potatoes. This dish takes like Christmas every time I take a spoonful. My passion as a chef is only just beginning. I have dipped my toes in the water of the culinary industry and I’m ready to dive in. I’m just starting to have a feel for Indian cooking as my Trinidian boyfriend’s mom teaches me about their food.