Love affair was inevitable as a Latina. Growing up in a very traditional Cuban home meant eating all the time. My mom had 6 hungry mouths to feed, including my dad, so she spent a lot of time in the kitchen. I would help as much as I could, and really just loved learning her method. Everyone that ate her food would rave like I’ve never seen before. She made, and still makes cooking look so special. After all, for us Latinas, we cook from our souls and with lots of love. It’s important to our guests to leave with a very full stomach!

I don’t have a favorite dish to prepare, but I do make a mean ropa vieja (pulled flank steak) and rabo ensendido (peppered oxtail), both in my vintage pressure cooker! What I’m known for is flan, a traditional Latin custard which is to die for! I have about 40 different flavors!

Yes, yes! I am a frustrated musician and singer! Lol! I’ve been lucky enough to peform Gospel, Jazz, House and R & B in Spain and few states here in the US. I’m currently working on my 1st album which is a fusion between Funk, jazz, Latin rythym and classical music.

Truthfully, I’m of the philosophy that the more you know, the better equipped you are to deal with life. Being well-rounded makes me more culturally sensitive, tolerant and gives me the chance to be well spoken about many things with so many different people, globally. I love learning and trying new things and being exposed to people from all around the world. Plus, if you are knowledgeable in things outside of your personal realm, your opportunities in business are limitless!

Ahh, there are about 10 places on my hit list! But right now, I really want to go to Maldives. It is absolutely stunning, peaceful and remote. I want to go there and disconnect from everything and everyone (well, except from my parents and siblings!). It’ll be a time for physical and emotional renewal!

Tags: bren herrera, cuban chefs, culinary arts, flanboyanteats, food critic, latin fusion cooking, latina food, restaurant reviews, women chefs

This entry was posted on Friday, June 26th, 2009 at 10:36 pm and is filed under Pink Spotlight. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.