About Spanglish with Monti Carlo
Hi, I'm Monti. As a Puerto Rican raised in the mainland US, I've never felt like I truly belonged in either of my cultures. My broken Spanish signaled I was a "gringa." Gesticulating with my hands while speaking in a tone too loud for the room revealed I wasn't "from these parts."
I walked between those two worlds, never entirely belonging to either, for many, many years. Then I learned how to bridge the gap through food. I recreate all-American dishes with traditional Latino flavors. Think meatloaf made with picadillo or a loaded baked plantain. If food is a language, my kitchen speaks Spanglish.
Bienvenidos. Thank you for being here. This space is for you if you are a bicultural Latino like me. This is a space where we can connect with our culture without apologizing for broken Spanish. A place where we can swap stories about how many times people mispronounce our names and share tales of our Abuelas yelling at us for using Americanized ingredients in traditional meals.
I hope you enjoy my recipes and my stories. I hope you share some of your own. But, of course, you don't have to be bicultural to be a part of this community. Everyone is welcome at this table. Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and website. Never miss an update. Here you will find:
Easy Recipes that mash Latin flavors into classic American dishes.
How-To Videos that show off tricks and hacks to help you master your kitchen.
Intimate and Funny Stories about carving a career in the food world, dating in your 40s, parenting a child that's transitioning, and behind-the-scenes skinny from my production sets.
A free subscription gets you weekly cooking tips, recipes, and behind-the-scenes videos.
A paid subscription ($5 a month or $50 a year) gives you access to a monthly virtual cooking demo out of my home kitchen (a $150 value), where we'll chat and get to know each other, and I can answer any of your culinary questions.
If you become a founding member (any amount of $75 and above), you receive all of the above, and I will also place your name in the thank you section of my upcoming cookbook, Spanglish.
