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
Hola que tal? me encanta tu pagina!! I use this page whenever I need a fresh idea for a good meal. Good job, keep it up!
Very cool, I am glad I found this. I was searching for ceviche de pulpo and found this. I live in Quito so it’s nice to find Ecuadorian recipes. Great blog!
Well done, Layla! My family is from Guayaquil and I came across your site because I wanted to find a good aji recipe. You have provided so much more that I bookmarked your page for future use. Your step-by-step photos are beautiful and inspiring and bring back so many good memories! As you’ve mentioned, there is a habit of explaining recipes by telling someone to just use a “little of this and a little of that”. I’m not very good with those kinds of instructions (which may be disappointing to my mother and aunts who are great cooks), but you’ve given me confidence and hope in carrying on the tradition! I can’t wait to try out your recipes and finally learn to make Fanesca myself for Easter! I know my family and boyfriend (who is from Poland) will be impressed.
Thanks again.
Layla, I would just like to say you are a goddess!
Thank you so much for sharing a part of your life and recipes with the world. I love to cook foods from all cultures and yours are wonderful!
Blake
I’ve been searching all over for some of these recipes and am so glad that I’ve found your site. I lived in Ecuador for a couple of years and have missed a lot of dishes from there. There are 2 recipes that I still haven’t found and I wonder if you might have any recipes for them:
1: Humitas. At least I think that’s what they were called. They were a sweet corn cake that was steamed inside of a banana leaf.
2: I was often served a simple banana with a chocolate sauce on top. The sauce was thick. I’ve tried to just wing it to recreate the sauce, but have yet to get it right.
Any help would be great, but your site has already been an exciting find.
Your recipes are phenomenal and I can’t wait to start using them. I live in SF and two blocks away from our Ferry Building Farmers Market. I can’t wait to indulge.
Congratulations Laylita, your web site is very cool. Good to know you were born in Ecuador and lived in that small piece of heaven called Vilcabamba. If anybody is interested to know more about Ecuador, I have a web site dedicated to this country and the Galapagos Islands
Good luck
Zuri
Dear Laylita…
This is the best website I’ve found for Ecuadorian cooking!!! My husband is from Ecuador, and we’re married for 20 years, and I’m always trying to make the dishes for him that his mom used to make for him. This is great…great recipes, great pictures…I’m so happy! I’m making the Seco de Pollo tonight for dinner!!!
Happy Holiday to you and your family!!!
Sheryl Gomez
Thank you, thank you, Thank you Layla! I regularly check your site for my Ecuadorian boyfriend’s favorite dishes! We love learning to cook all of these new meals together, and we’ve even integrated some of your ideas into our family’s Thanksgiving celebration today!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Hi Laylita,
Thank you so mucho for the wonderful recipes you have to share. They are all amazing1 I love food, specially Latin food. I was born in Peru and your dishes are similiar to what I used to eat back at home. I do cook some Peruvian dishes on a weekly basis here are my home in Kansas. My kids love my Peruvian dishes. We made some of your recipes and just love it, makes me feel like home when I eat it. I hope some day I can post my Peruvian dishes that my family and I love. My parents still in Peru and when they come and visit, my mother prepares all my favorite dishes.
Thanks again for sharing your recipes.