I was raised by the best cook I know, my mother Anna, I always watched her cook and learned everything I could. I enjoy cooking food from Puerto Rico but I can cook anything. My favorite passtime is spending time with my family and friends sharing good food and tasty drinks. There is nothing better to eat than "arroz blanco con habichuelas coloras y carne". I make a mean arroz con gandules, pernil, pasteles, tostones rellenos con ensalada de mariscos, mofongo con camarones en salsa, coditos con pollo guisado, Boracho chicken, costillas al BBQ, Sancocho, alcapurrias,etc. I love Thanksgiving because it is one occasion the family gets together to enjoy a great meal. We usually make a Turkey, pernil and ham, then we have mash potatoes, corn, green beans, cranberry but we also have arroz con gandules, pasteles, potato salad, a mix of our american culture with puertorican culture. We must have our Flan for dessert. The only truimph that comes to mind is making over 1000 pasteles on year when money was tight. It helped us have a nice Christmas that year. I continue to make them every year just not as many. Besides from the occasional burnt rice (something you can fix by cutting an onion in half and placing it in the rice) I tried to make an "arroz con dulce" now that is an art that not everyone can do. It tasted great but the rice was hard. No one could eat it. Maybe someday I will get it right.