This is a sponsored post. It’s your 103rd Monday working from home. You struggle to crawl out of bed because you were up all night contemplating about work thanks to the Sunday scaries. You hear a sound, the coffee maker is going - a sigh of relief as you praise yourself for setting the automatic brew feature last night. As the dark roast coffee aroma fills the room you suddenly remember that you have a high profile Zoom call in five minutes. Panic overtakes your current sloth situation and you run to the bathroom to try your best at looking “presentable.” It’s 8:59 am and you rus ..read more

Ask anyone in my family and they all have their own opinions when making chilaquiles. My sweet but assertive Tia will probably say something along the lines of “Those are almost chilaquiles,” after critiquing someone else’s version. My personal favorite way of making them is with a spicy salsa roja, soy chorizo (yes, it’s vegetarian friendly) and plenty of queso fresco. SERVINGS:4 PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES Ingredients RED CHILE SAUCE 4 dried ancho chiles 1 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes, drained 1/2 medium red onion chopped 5 garlic cloves slic ..read more

We all have our favorite dishes during Thanksgiving and for my family, the dish we look forward to the most each year is my mother’s Guatemalan Picado. This recipe has been in our family for years and has replaced our traditional Thanksgiving Day stuffing since I can remember. It starts with shredded pork seasoned in adobo and garlic salt and blends flavors with diced carrots, celery, onions, leaks, bell pepper, and calls for diced potatoes and garbanzo beans instead of bread crumbs as the “filler” for stuffing. It’s comfort food at its best. SERVINGS:8-10 PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES COOK TIME ..read more

 In partnership with McCormick® This year you’ve accomplished something big! Congratulations! I know you didn’t really mean for it to happen but while being at home rehearsing your Renegade on TikTok and pretending to be present on Zoom work calls, you were finally able to learn how to cook for yourself and cook well may I add. That’s huge!  So what now? You’ve mastered those desserts and main dishes but have you overlooked side dishes? Let’s be honest, it really isn’t a meal without sides. And while you may have that enchilada casserole ready to serve or that carne asada reci ..read more

  Using only 3 ingredients (not including water), this is the the way we make handmade melt-in-your-mouth flour tortillas at home! The key ingredient is lard - the way grandparents used to make them! But you can always substitute it for butter or vegetable shortening.  INGREDIENTS: * 2 heaping cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling * 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt * 5 Tablespoons (2.5 ounces) manteca (lard), melted * 5 ounces of hot water METHOD: 1. Pour flour in the mixer bowl and affix paddle attachment. Mix at low speed then slowly add lard in a thin ..read more

YOUR NEW FAVORITE SPAGHETTI RECIPE!  Spaghetti all'Amatriciana Ingredients: •2 tablespoons: olive oil •2 ounces of diced guanciale or pancetta •1/2 red onion, small dice •4 cloves garlic, sliced •1/2 teaspoons of hot red pepper flakes  •1 cup of crushed tomatoes (preferrably San Marzano)  •1/4 lb of spaghetti or bucatini  •1/4 cup grated of Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese  •1 ounce of butter  Method: In a sauté pan render the pancetta in olive oil. Add the onions and continue to cook until the onions are soft. Add the pepper flakes and garlic and c ..read more

In partnership with Sargento Remember when you were a kid and summer break felt like forever? Today as a parent, it doesn’t seem long enough, does it? I can’t believe back-to-school season is already here and with it comes all the fun and exciting things like buying new school supplies, finding out who the teacher or teachers will be, signing up for events, and trying not to be THAT doting parent at the school play (I tend to bring all my camera equipment like I’m filming a documentary!) It’s a fun season, school, parenting, all of it - especially seeing it through the eyes of my son. An ..read more

in partnership with LA Waterfront | Port of Los Angeles Photography copyrighted to Eddie SanchezFor some Los Angelenos, San Pedro and Wilmington may seem like an arduous trip to the Southern Hemisphere, especially if you're in the valley or anywhere North of Wilshire. But is it really that far? I've driven it many times from the Westside, most recently when Cirque du Soleil was in town for Ama Luna at LA Waterfront and I have to say, it was closer than we make it out to be and it has some great eateries too! You may have heard that LA Waterfront in San Pedro will be the newest exciting water ..read more

Photography copyrighted to Eddie Sanchez I may be biased here, but when people ask me what island they should visit when planning a trip to Hawaii, I immediately think of Maui. Its paradise-like atmosphere has the perfect balance of restaurants, resorts, and entertainment without making you feel like you’re in an over-crowded beach city like Santa Monica. When you fly over the Pacific to reach Hawaii, you want to feel that beauty of nature - the “Aloha” which means love, peace, and essence of being. You don’t want to feel like you’re completely alone on a deserted island as if on the set of LO ..read more