This is my grandmother

All of her grandkids swear they were her favorite and they are right, we all were.

My grandmother, whom we all called Mama Cuca, was the most charismatic, noble, and cherished woman I've ever known. She was as tough as she was sweet.

She was also an excellent cook.

On any given occasion you can catch my family reminiscing about the many delicious meals we had in her home. She made a broad array of mexican dishes, but she also cooked some incredible ribs and made a pot roast with quite possibly the worlds best white gravy.

I lived right next door to her so I got to see her and help her in the kitchen often.

From dicing to slicing to mise en place, she taught me a lot.

My most favorite thing about making a Mama Cuca meal is the aroma that fills up my home. It's the best kind of nostalgia, I wish I could bottle it up!

The Ribs

Mama Cuca always boiled the ribs (in salted water for about 30 minutes) before placing them on a foiled lined tray, she would then mix a generous amount of honey with BBQ sauce and smother the ribs with it following with salt and pepper. Then she would cover the tray and place it in the oven (350 degrees) for 25-30 minutes and then uncover the tray and cook for another 20 minutes, brushing the ribs occasionally with more BBQ sauce.

The reason I didn't add any measurements or detailed directions is that this was the way my grandmother cooked.

No measuring. Ever. She eyeballed everything and everything always tasted the same.

The Red Rice

2 cups of white rice

1 cup of water or chicken broth

1 8 0z. can of tomato sauce

2 tbsp. of vegetable oil

1 tbsp. of Knorr chicken bouillon powder

1/4 of an onion

In a medium saucepan over medium heat add vegetable oil and rice. Stir the rice constantly for about 10 minutes until it's color is a nice light golden brown, add the onion. Next add the water or broth, tomato sauce and bouillon. Stir and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes or so.

The Potato Salad

4-5 Russet potatoes

4 eggs

3 celery stalks

1 can of black olives

Best Foods Mayo

Boil the potatoes (whole) in a big pot with 2 tbsp. of salt. You can add the eggs to the same pot, just make sure they are on top. Meanwhile you can chop the celery. Once the potatoes and eggs are ready you can let them drain and cool in a colander in the sink. When the potatoes and eggs are tolerable you will peel them and chop them into uniform pieces. Place the chopped potatoes and eggs into a big bowl and add the mayo, eyeball it:) Mix and then add the remaining ingredients and mix again until everything is evenly coated. Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!