I ‘m Cuban-Italian-American, and came to Miami when I was 2 years old. I started watching my grandmother cooking at a very young age, but only started cooking for myself at the age of 17, out of necessity. I would cook easy food for myself, because I didn’t have the time for anything more involved. In my 20’s, I started cooking a little more. Now, I love cooking and having dinner parties. I have been with my partner for 13 years and he loves my cooking and so do my friends. With Miami being so diverse and such a melting pot of cultures and cuisines, I like to cook a variety of dishes, though obviously because of my heritage I'm partial to foods that are Latin and/or Mediterranean in theme, flair, and flavor. This noted, I'm into anything that allows me to embrace my love of spices and seasoning, from cous cous paired with chicken or fish, to old school arroz con pollo (that's chicken with rice for all you gringos...LOL). There are a few, with cooking for the holidays at the top of the list. I also like to cook easy comfort foods such as my "Macho Nachos," which, by the time I'm done with it, is more similar to a Mexican lasagna, only with tostito chips. As to sweets, there's nothing like my Tres Leches; it is true, unadulterated perfection and everything a dessert should be -- leaving you stuffed but still wanting more. My first turkey was a great cooking triumph for me. We had just bought our house and were hosting Thanksgiving dinner. I made a 25 lbs. mojo turkey and it came out amazing. The true testatment to this was that there were not leftovers -- nada, zilch -- OUCH! At the top of the list is the fact that there were no leftovers on my first turkey -- total tragedy, especially since it was all so good the first time around.