This is my beginning. My name is Lauren Rivera and I’ve dealt with weight issues all my life. Born a writer, I recently decided to pursue my passion for food. Four months ago, I started helping a Latino-cuisine caterer open up a Puerto Rican-style restaurant in the South Bronx. In that process I gained 30 pounds. Not fun! I had to ask myself why.

August 2013

I was eating the lunch the company provided everyday. This meant things like pollo asado (roast chicken), with arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), and maduros (fried sweet plantains). Being Puertorriqueña from the Bronx, these were foods I grew up with. But they also gave three out of my four grandparents diabetes, and my father and his parents heart disease. Plus, I have ping-ponged from sizes four to size 14 all my life. I love this food. I work with it everyday. I sell it. But I do believe that Latino cuisine needs to evolve with the nutritional trends in food. We need to figure out better/healthier ways to cook.

This is me four months and 30 pounds later. Photo taken December 2013.

This blog is an exploration into healthy Latino cooking and living. I invite you to join me on this journey. I will post recipes, while also trying to lose weight. I also want to delve into when and why I eat — my personal relationship with food and how it relates to my emotions.

Much of Latino cooking is centered around our families’ tables. This blog will allow you to sit with mi familia. You will meet the people I love the most.

I will share my challenges and my successes with you. I’m also calling out for your feedback and support. Let us shine a light on the health issues that plague our community and create a new path. Pa’lante…let’s move forward together!

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