I'm Victor M. Flores Morales, from San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico; not California. I moved to NYC in 1964 and lived there until 6/11, 2001. Graduate in June, with a new bachellor's in Business Administration (management/marketing majors). Hope to open up restaurant, after becoming a Chef. Currently seperated. Love to travel, cook(eat), and read most. I love to cook mostly stews and soups from all over the world (Puertoricans eat more stews per capita), but mainly Puerto Rican and European stews. My Mom's recipes, and greatly enjoy barbecues. My Mom knows how to do all the favorites of Puerto Ricans (evenly distributed between African, Spanish and local Taino indian cuisine). She makes "alcapurrias" and "pasteles". "Pasteles" are non-wheat meat patties, boiled and eaten hot(temp. wise). Made from grated bananas, plantains, pumpkins, other tubers, to an oatmeal feel, wrapped in banana leaves or waxed paper, and then frozen or boiled for an hour and fifteen minutes. Served with rice and pigeon peas, potato salad, roast pork, green bananas and more. It's a tipical Christmas dish. I'll share the full recipe with whomever wishes it. Alcapurrias are made with the same grated to a pulp mess described above, but if not frozen for later use, then you fry them, but not total deep fry, and eat them like you do Jamaican beef patties. They're both delicious, but very high in calories. A few years ago I cooked for over 200 women, who were celebrating women's month in March. I cooked everything in the menu, except for the cake, which was dessert. No coffee, for they were Mormon women. I have not topped that yet, however, have cooked for(single dishes, like a green salad for hundreds of people), but up to ten people at a time,(private parties) that to this day they tell me that they have not eaten what I cooked for them, because they have not found someone to cook it for them as well as I have. So they say! But it makes me feel great. When I started cooking at the early age of 12. I burnt even water. You read right, water. Funny though, by the time I was going to get married, I didn't because my girlfriend burnt water too, at the late age of 20. I firmly believe that everyone should be able to cook for others by the time they are 18. Sorry for such a machista opinion. So!