About: Ericka

How is this for the perfect summer party dessert?  Take advantage of the peak of strawberry season and serve this classic at your next birthday party, baby shower or family barbecue.  The preparation is so simple — it can be turned into a cooking activity among your guests and have them assemble their own. “Breakfast party,” you say?  Replace the angel food cake loaf with homemade mini-pancakes and serve with maple syrup! These charming shortcake sticks are popular with theRead More ...

  The summer season is here and there is a lot to celebrate!  Father’s Day is right around the corner, Independence Day thereafter and many outdoor cooking get-togethers with friends and family will take over back yards in the next few months. Salmon tacos are very kid friendly.  This protein is so full-bodied, satisfying and easy to digest. Salmon is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are considered a brain booster.  Did I mention how delicious these are? WrapRead More ...

Green chilaquiles always remind me of my pebbled street walks on the car-less streets of Oaxaca.  Passing church after beautiful church and determined to spend my morning meal at one my favorite restaurants, Las Quince Letras.  Surrounded by cobalt blue and marigold walls with fuchsia bougainvillia tree accents, the restaurant’s fresh morning patio was serenaded by songbirds and a trickling pitter-patter of a corroded fountain. Chilaquiles are the quintessential any-time-of-day meal in Mexico.  For breakfast, add scrambled eggs.  For lunch,Read More ...

Traditional pastel de tres leches, or three milks cake calls for condensed milk, evaporated milk and whole milk. In many Latin American countries, this cake is a must at weddings and quinceañeras and paired with seasonal fruit and nuts.  It’s dense, moist, fluffy and sweet; a perfect combination to showcase at celebrations and family gatherings.   Many bakers add rum, cognac or rompope to the milk mixture to balance out the sugar.  I went a step further and drizzled itRead More ...

I absolutely love cooking for my son.  Although, he’s only three years old, he knows his mom is happy when he “hmmms!” and “ohh ricos!” my food.  This week, he’ll be starting preschool and I want his first day to be a memorable one.  For his first official school lunch, I will be packing some Chilean empanadas we learned how to make from one of his favorite shows on PBS KIDS GO!, Postcards from Buster! Not only did we learnRead More ...

Living in a border town like El Paso, Texas, it was not unusual to cross the border down to Mexico on a weekly basis. Mexico was ten minutes away and Sunday morning mass, breakfast and maybe even a haircut were our Ciudad Juarez family day trips. This was a custom for many families living in a border town. As we headed back to the U.S. the wait at the crossing bridge seemed an eternity as kids. We napped, read theRead More ...