The Culture of Food

How Food at My Daughter’s Birthday Party Told Our Bilingual & Bicultural Story

Posted by: | 39 Comments

When one of my daughter’s first words was D-d-d-dora I knew there was something special about this character. As a new mamá, I am watching children’s programs for the first time, getting to know what they are about and trying to figure out which are best for my daughter, Little L. Although she just turned 1, I do rely on some TV to help me with raising her bilingual. Little L’s exposure to Spanish is limited, and as I amRead More ...

Ingredients For A Thanksgiving Drama: Butter, Bread and Abuela’s Recipes

Posted by: | 5 Comments

The biggest fights in the early part of my marriage revolved around a recipe. A Thanksgiving recipe. For stuffing no less! It sounds absolutely ridiculous to me now, typing those words out loud — and frustrating that we wasted so much emotion over an innocuous mass of old bread and drippings. But then, it really wasn’t a battle of corn versus white bread to begin with. If this fight had a name it would be Babita v. Hazel, the battle ofRead More ...

Can the Latin Diet Be Healthy?

Posted by: | 10 Comments

One of my biggest challenges this summer has been cooking for three kids, three times a day. Although I like to cook when I have time, space and money, those factors have been seriously lacking of late. We have certain staples that are always a hit (cinnamon pancakes…for dinner!), but I’ve discovered a roadblock that I didn’t expect. The greatest obstacle to keeping their bellies happy? Requests for Latin foods that I don’t know how to make, or (more often)Read More ...

The Culture Of Food In Our Home

Posted by: | 3 Comments

Two or three weeks ago, my boys and their father went on a much-needed road trip to visit family in Kansas City. When they came back, I overheard Primo and Secondo talking about how they’d eaten rice and beans while they were away. “Rice and beans?” I asked my husband. “Where did they eat rice and beans?” “At my brother’s,” he answered matter-of-factly. My husband’s Midwestern family traveled to Costa Rica for our wedding nearly ten years ago. They’d neverRead More ...

Recent Posts