My name is Layla Pujol, my family and friends call me Laylita. I was born in Vilcabamba, Ecuador and currently live in Luxembourg. I spent several years in the US, both in Austin and in Seattle, and our family recently moved to Europe. My recipes are inspired mainly by traditional Ecuadorian dishes that I grew up eating in Ecuador. However, my love of food – and therefore the recipes posted here – go beyond Ecuador and include anything from Latin America, my mom’s spicy New Mexican cooking, my grandmother’s homemade Southwestern dishes and Texas style BBQ, my husband’s (and his family’s) delicious French food, new dishes introduced by my amazing group of international friends, and of course the great variety of seafood, vegetables and fruits available in the Pacific Northwest.
I am currently working on my first cookbook, which will focus on delicious Ecuadorian recipes (adapted to my style, of course!).
The longer version of my story
My approach to cooking and general instructions for using this site
Additional contact information
Photo and content use
Recipe development, product reviews, disclosure, and advertising
Privacy policy
If you have any questions or comments you can leave them in the comment section, or you can email me directly layla at laylita dot com
hi laylita
omg you dont understand how happy i am that i found ur website i can finally eat the food i grew up with thank yoou so much
thanks
Hi Laylita –
I just stumbled upon your website and I am so excited about it! Thank you for sharing these recipes and context to these foods. My family is Ecuadorian, I was born in NJ and now live in London. I’m in my mid-twenties but am not embarrassed to say I miss my mom’s cooking quite a bit and so recently decided to start making her dishes on my own. This website will definitely help with other Ecuadorian dishes.
Warm regards from London!
Steve
Hi,
I’m half English/Ecuadorian also living in London also mid-twenties and still to this day I have yet to taste anything as delicious as arroz, menestra y carne asada!
Thank you Laylita for the recipes!
Jessica :)
Great website! Brings back memories from Ecuador!
Laylita,
Thank you for your website! I have been dating my boyfriend, from Guayaquil for 3 years, and I’m so thankful I stumbled on your site. I have been hoping to surprise him with a few traditional dishes that he enjoyed as a child, and now I have hundreds to choose from (:
Cheers, from a fan in Seattle!
Sarah
Hi Laylita
I absolutely love your web site and that you are so creative in combining different cuisines or just concentrating one one in your recipes. I hope you are making a living out of this great talent you have, I am sure that you will exceed greatly.
Best of luck to you!
Hola Laylita!
Thank you for a great website. I am a new resident of Cuenca and, in addition to loving the city, the climate and the people, I love the food. I also like to cook and will definitely be trying some of your recipes.
Muchas gracias y que tengas un buen dia,
Bill Riordan
Hi Layla,
André here, a Jamaican foodie. Just discovered your site and I can’t wait to try out some of these fabulous recipes. I love my native foods but I am always interested in foods and different ways of cooking from other cultures.
Love the vivid content (pictures and text) and the steps are pretty easy to follow.
Keep up the good work and all the best.
André
I adore your blog! The photography is absolutely beautiful! Thank you.
Hello Laylita,
I have to say your website has brought me back to my childhood. My parents were from Ecuador. I lost my mom in 2007, and my dad in 2010. I know how to make some dishes, but not all. I came across your website looking for Guatita, and I was so excited to find it.
I found a lot of recipes that my mom used to cook, and for that I had to thank you.
It’s not often you find a website that has everything you grew up with, and I’m letting
everyone know your website.
Thank you again, and I can’t wait to see what other recipes you’ll put up next
Sincerely,
Martha
Wow! muy lindo ,y sabroso que orgullo,te felicito ;me has hecho vivir mi pequenes con mi familia ,en Loja to tambien llegue aU Sdespues de la secundaria a N Y y ahora vivo en GEorgia muy lindo muy rico que Dios te vendiga hasta pronto””…/////