We are thrilled to have welcomed our new baby boy Nicolas on March 13th.  He is beautiful and perfect just like his brother Gabriel!   I haven't written in my blog in the last month or so but that is to be expected.  First few weeks with a new baby are exciting, exhausting and filled with new hopes, and I embrace the whole of the magical ride.  These beginning moments however can include your head bopping from side to side like you ...

While visiting Barcelona a few years ago I ate a sweet and savory cauliflower tapas that left me happily traumatized.  I now make this dish when I want a taste of Spain or to remember an afternoon with Gaudi and visiting the amazing  Picasso museum in Barcelona.  I dream of  going back to Spain with my son and have him sample both the art and food of this region.  It is so true when Latinos coming back from Spain say "que bien se c...

Seaweed or nori (sea vegetable) rolls are an easy and beautiful delicacy you can serve for a light main meal or as appetizer maki bites.  Arrange the maki on a nice plate or tray and you have a centerpiece for any cocktail party or get together.  Best part is that these rolls are as delicious as they are colorful and they take very little time to make. I made these seaweed rolls with spinach, scallions, quinoa, cucumbers and strawb...

Olives in the raw are bitter, mostly inedible and not much to look at.  But cured olives are savory, rich tasting and full of color.  I remember growing up in Peru, my grandfather Pepe a man of the land and an amazing cook, would bring home sacks of dry black olives that he would cure and integrate into different dishes. A black olive and onion salsa was one of his recipes and a home staple that we served with bread, over rice and...

This recipe for succulent roasted brussel sprouts came from the website of  Cafe Gratitude, a collection of vegan eateries in California.  The restaurant group has a dedicated area where visitors can choose from a short seasonal list of recipes.  I love brussel sprouts in general but this miso glaze made with Tamari, maple syrup, red miso and apple cider gives these green babies an extra yum.  The asian-inspired dish is that com...

Dandelion is claimed to be one of those miracle greens. It is bitter yet cooling and it is apparently good for stimulating liver function, reducing swelling and inflammation and improving digestion among a myriad of things.  Just the word "dandelion" sounds lyrical and makes me think of magical fairy food picked off by beautiful creatures frolicking in colorful fields in a faraway land.  Perhaps I have watched too many fantasy fil...

Some store-bought hummus are not bad but nothing like making it at home.  I find that I can taste more of the tahini in the homemade version and I can always adapt it to add a bit more of this and a bit more of that to get the exact flavor I want. Hummus is really nothing more than chickpeas/garbanzo beans, garlic, tahini (or sesame paste), olive oil, lime or lemon and whatever else you want to put in it to give it a kick such a...

Sweet and delicious baked squash with maple syrup and a touch of cumin.  I ate mine straight from the shell and with a glass of red pinot noir to savor every bite. Not much to this recipe. Cut, scoop seeds, season, bake and there you have it! I mashed the remaining half of the squash and served it to my son and husband as a side dish.  They slurped it right up!   Save Print Baked Acorn Squash ...

My Philippine friend Tony turned me on to mung beans a few years back.  Tony said I should take a shot at making them so that he could eat them given that mung bean dishes are not a staple in the U.S.  Being Latin and all I wasn't shy to trying a new bean and going through the soaking process etc.  Instead of using the typical spanish cumin, onion and tomato paste sauce I used a curry one instead and the dish was fabulous.  I rememb...

I promise this is not a cheap way out of a blog post, I just honestly love roasted asparagus and it is a dish I make often.  And simple, simple, simple. The thinner the asparagus the less fibrous they are when you cook them.  Chop about an inch off the bottoms to get rid of the hard stuff. Drizzle with olive oil. Add some fresh cracked pepper and sea salt and toss around to cover asparagus well. Roast and here you have...