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Laylita's Recipes

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Laylita's Recipes

Recipes from Latin America and around the world.

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Home » Who is Laylita? » My approach to cooking and general instructions

My approach to cooking and general instructions

Ingredients and cooking:
My approach to cooking (and eating) is about balance: I’m enjoy eating fried foods occasionally, but if there’s way a make something taste just as good with healthier ingredients or cooking process then I’m all for it. I prefer small and not too sweet desserts, but there always an occasion for an exception. I like my plate of food to be colorful (in a natural way), so I use a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, and we usually have a salad to go with every meal. As a good Ecuadorian I am also a big fan of soups, they’re easy to make and can be very satisfying.
I like to use fresh, local, organic products are much as possible, I try to do this with as many products as I can, however there are certain ingredients needed to make South American dishes that are not grown or made locally (or anywhere close) so it’s isn’t always possible. I really wish someone would try growing tree tomatoes or yuca or naranjillas (lulos) in Washington (or even California) because my food would taste even better.
I learned to cook in the typical Latin way of “add a little of this and a little of that” so basically without precise measurements just instinct. I do my best to document the measurements and amounts for each recipe, but feel free to adjust for your tastes. If a recipe uses an ingredient that you dislike, then either try substituting it for another that you like, but please (if you don’t like onions) don’t leave a comment that you didn’t like the dish because it included that ingredient (onions). My recommendation is to always taste the food as you cook it and adjust the seasonings (salt, pepper, cumin, etc) as you go.
As a self-proclaimed carishina (quechua term to describe girls who aren’t the greatest at following domestic/kitchen rules and duties), I do take shortcuts when cooking, I don’t always follow “the rules”,  and am constantly looking for ways to simplify a recipe as much as possible, without sacrificing taste and flavor. So, don’t judge.

 

Food safety and risky ingredients:

I assume that all vegetables, fruits, meat, seafood, etc has been cleaned properly before using so I don’t always specifically say “wash the tomatoes” because I think that it’s quite obvious. I also assume that you know that raw fish/seafood as well as raw egg whites can be dangerous and that you should avoid it if your doctor has told you so – same goes for any other medical/dietary restrictions.

Portions and nutritional information:
Most of the recipes are for about 4-6 people, when I cook for just the four of us, we usually have some leftovers, unless everyone is starving. I’ll try to specify in the recipes if the proportions I’m using are for a large party (10 plus people), but don’t always include this, so just ask if I omitted it. I don’t provide nutritional information, this is a personal blog and I don’t have the resources to provide how many calories are contained in each dish. Obviously dishes that are fried and have a lot of cheese and cream are going to be higher in fat and a basic salad with a lime dressing will have a lot less fat/calories. In general, you can tell by looking at the ingredients how “healthy” it is.

My version of a recipe vs your mom’s (or grandmother, aunt, cousin, neighbor, random restaurant) version of the same recipe:
I document my recipes based on my personal experience with that dish: where and when I ate it, who made it most memorable, etc. My recipes are seasoned according to my personal taste (and my family’s) and based on the ingredients that are available to me. Sometimes my recipe will be exactly what you expected and sometimes it might be very different. As mentioned above, always taste and season based on what you personally like – this is especially true if you’re a picky eater.

Ecuadorian food vs other Latin dishes:
I realize that there many similarities, and differences, between dishes in the different regions of Ecuador and other Latin American countries. I love to hear about these differences, but please do so in a respectful way – I won’t publish comments that insult the way my dish is prepared just because in a different region or different country it is done differently. There are many ways to prepare ceviche, there are many types of locros, cheese bread and patacones/tostones are known by different names in different countries – these are all things that I love about Latin American food. Even for very traditional dishes, there is always more than one way to prepare it. Food shouldn’t be boxed into only one right way of making a dish, it’s experimenting and trying new things, adapting to the ingredients we have available that allows food to evolve and become better. The influence of Inca, Maya and Aztec empires extended over many Latin American countries. Spain, Portugal and African countries influences can still be seen today in many Latin dishes. Chinese, Japanese, Lebanese, Iranian, Italian and other more recent (last hundred years) immigrants have also influenced Latin American food. This diversity is what makes our food great and it should unite us.

Grammatical stuff and my never-ending sentences:

I grew up writing mainly in Spanish so you will likely find some grammar mistakes in the recipes and stories. I have also been told that I write the way I talk, so please excuse the long never-ending sentences, just visualize me talking really fast and using my hands. I’m always open to improvements, so I don’t mind if any mistakes are pointed out – and will try to improve my writing. In fact if you compare older posts to newer ones, I have been trying to add more punctuation to my sentences.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jacquelyn Palacio says

    April 27, 2017 at 4:06 pm

    Saludos Laylita,

    I wish to share how much of a wonderful inspiration you have been to me, I started to look at your recipes when I was finishing culinary school and have been using them as examples ever since. It’s refreshing to know there are other Ecuadorians here in the Northwest and that we are able to share our culture and benefit from others as well. I love your unique flavor on many dear recipes I cherish, keep up the great work!

    Jacquelyn :)

    Reply
  2. Solanda Moran says

    January 20, 2017 at 5:59 am

    Laylita! I’m from Ecuador too and I love your outlook on cooking. Simple and healthier without having to sacrify flavor. You are amazing! Thank you for creating such an amazing content for those who love to cook!

    Reply
  3. Michael Silvers says

    July 31, 2014 at 1:10 am

    Muchas Gracias por sus talentosas recetas!

    I came to live in Europe since I was 25, and that was long time ago. My ecuadorian cooking was always a gamble, and an adventure for my family here: I tried long ago to prepare Fritada con Llapingachos only by remembering how my mom and nanny were making them, and failed abismally! (my wife still teases me about the stones with mash after sixteen years of the disaster).

    Now I am cooking the right way (with your advice) and everybody loves every recipe I tried from your site. My cooking has gone from scary to amazing, and I get requests from all our gests to tell them the recipe… I have told them about your website, but most of my friends cannot read english, french or spanish very well (I live in Germany). If you ever want to get a bit more international, the german friends of the 50.000 ecuadorians living in germany will appreciate this for ever! Let me know if you need help with it…

    I have translated a couple of your recipes for my friends, modifying some of the ingredients according to the local markets. I didn´t ask your permission (sorry) but believe me, it is only to expand the ecuadorian culture of which I am so proud.

    Best regards and best wishes,

    Michael Silvers

    Reply
  4. Susan says

    June 9, 2014 at 11:22 am

    Laylita, if the yuca you are talking about is a big root with brown skin, I’ve seen it in the last couple of places I’ve lived: Richmond, Virginia and El Paso, Texas. You might want to try a good Asian market to find it.

    On another note, I have not been to the highlands in Ecuador, but I have been to Manta and the surrounding area twice now. Ecuador has been a very interesting country to visit, and after the wonderful vegetarian lunch we had there last time (at Saiananda, a spa/hotel) I find myself very interested in Ecuadorian food. So I’m glad I found your site.

    Reply
  5. Alicia says

    December 22, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    Laylita, I absolutely love love your website! Your recipes are amazing, your pics are so attractive and even reading about your personal life and experiences makes me like you even more! I can so relate to you in many ways! Please, keep up the good work! You are making so many homes happy with your recipes! I am from Quito-Ecuador, but I have lived in the US for over 12 years. My husband is from here (Utah), he doesn’t speak any Spanish and has visited Ecuador only once, but he is crazy about Ecuadorian food and your website has helped me perfect my cuisine skills! Thank you! :0)

    Reply
  6. Pam says

    July 21, 2013 at 6:21 pm

    I think I’m in love! I was born in Quito, Ecuador and came to Miami FL when I was 7 (I am now 28). The family I had here was already Americanized so when my family came we quickly lost that Ecuadorian cooking. It’s a rare treat when I get to eat Ecuadorian food. So, with that said… I’m extremely happy that I can at least try to recreate some of the plates I remember eating when I was small. Thank you so much for making an effort and putting up this site!

    Love,

    Pam Velez

    Reply
  7. Angela says

    April 25, 2013 at 3:50 pm

    I love your recipes! I grew up (somewhat) in Machala, Ecuador. My parents are still there so I visit every so often. I went to vilcabamba a few times. I’m so happy there’s someone to share these recipes. Thank you!

    Reply
  8. Vivian says

    March 30, 2013 at 8:28 am

    This is fabulous! Your recipes are like eating at my favorite Latin American restaurants and then some! My husband hunts so we often cook with fresh venison. Looking forward to trying some of your stews as venison adaptions.

    Reply
  9. Marcella says

    March 5, 2013 at 8:47 pm

    Hola Laylita,

    I’m Colombian, and I am so looking forward to making one of your caldos! Thank you for your site. At last I can make great food :)

    God Bless :)

    Marcella

    Reply
  10. Kaberi Dawn says

    February 26, 2013 at 6:44 am

    Hi Laylita,
    Its great to know you through your blog. I am an Indian housewife. I find your recipes very interesting. Many of your Ecuadorian dishes are very suitable for Indian taste buds.Thanks for creating this lovely site.
    kaberi.

    Reply
    • Laylita says

      February 26, 2013 at 8:26 am

      Thank you, Kaberi!

      Reply

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