Mom and I came to the U.S. in 1949 and settled in Redondo Beach, Ca. I moved to San Diego in 1979 and lived there until my parents passed away in 2000. I moved to Idaho to be near my son and grandkids. Cooking was a big part of growing up and we still cook traditional and Mexican dishes with the kids. Our big time favorite is NacaTamales, a Nicaragua tamale made in banana leaves and steamed, it is a huge affair, but really worth it. My son loves to make my Chicken enchilada's and they have become a huge hit here with the Idaho part of the family. I love making the more traditional Spanish and Mexican dishes, but also enjoy inventing variations of traditional dishes. I make killer empanadas using masa harina instead of wheat flour. The sweet cheese empanadas have become a great favorite with the family out here. My sister married into a Greek family and so we have added a whole new cooking experience. Family gatherings are a culinary delight! I love cooking with corn flour. My Albondiga soup is incredible and a big hit everytime I make it. I love ethnic cooking of all kinds. My vietnamese friends are teaching me to make Pho and vietnamese eggrolls. I love cooking and love to feed people good food. I love spicy, but I know some people can't eat too spicy so I have learned to mellow my dishes and still keep them traditionally spicy while mild enough for everyone. I think that being able to keep the Nacatamales traditional after so many years is a great triumph. Family who comes from Nicaragua are amazed at how authentic my Nacatamales still are. I have also managed to make Rosquillas that are similar to those I grew up with. Our spanish rice is a favorite that people begged me to make at all of our office pot lucks, I can't seem to make enough to come away with left overs. I can't seem to make a chille verde that taste like the one an old friend taught me to make. I lost the list of ingredients and it seems to be missing something. It's still good, but it doesn't meet the "flavor memory" I have of it.