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Meet the Cooks

Ed Valdizán and Robin Grose are your guides to everything edible in the Americas. Between the two of them, they have much of the continent covered:

Robin was born and raised in Indiana, USA. She lived the first 20+ years of her adult life in Mexico City. For much of that time, she taught EFL (English as a Foreign Language) at a college.

Ed grew up in Lima, Peru, traveled throughout Latin America when young, then lived in Costa Rica (Central America) for many years as an adult. He has decades of experience in the hotel and restaurant industry.

Since their marriage in 2005, Ed and Robin have lived in Mexico, the Midwestern United States, Costa Rica, and South Florida (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area). They are now back in central Indiana, loving the summer and autumn seasons, enduring the harsh winters, and alternately loving and hating springtime.

Through all of these migrations, the couple has had to eat—and to cook. They thrive on trying new local foods and creating their own versions of the classic dishes in all of “their” countries. They’ve been developing and publishing recipes in both Spanish and English for several years and have taught cooking workshops.

From Robin:

“Language and food are two of my great loves, and both of them are fundamental aspects of a culture. I think that my background as a teacher is part of what makes me passionate about helping people understand the historical and cultural significance of what they are eating and to discover new-to-them ingredients and combinations of flavors.

“I love eating out (most especially in unique mom-and-pop ethnic and comfort food restaurants), but it saddens me that so many people nowadays are not learning even the basics of home cooking. Motivating folks to cook their own food—and providing clear, simple instructions on how to do so—is important to me. This blog is one way for me to do that, and Ed and I hope you will be encouraged and empowered by our content here. Please do leave us a note if you make one of our recipes.”

From Ed:

“Latin American and Caribbean cuisines provide us with an endless variety of traditional dishes using 100% local ingredients, including fresh fruits and vegetables. When we put these elements together, magic is created, rewarding the palate of every member of our family—and that, precisely, is the mission of cooking!

“At the center of most of life’s important moments there is almost always a meal; whether it be a luncheon, a dinner, or something else, food is served. At a birthday celebration, wedding, anniversary party or even a business meeting there is an opportunity to share food with people who are important to us. Never forget that in the food you are making and offering to others goes the very essence of your traditions and culture, plus a huge part of who you are as an individual.

“Please take a few minutes to tour this blog so that you will feel at home. Robin and I are happy to be your hosts and guides; do not hesitate to leave a comment, for suggestions, compliments, and your own experiences are always welcome.”

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Your hosts, Robin & Ed

Ed Valdizan Robin Grose

Life's too short to eat just one type of food! Come with us as we cook our way through North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean.

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