When people ask us why we named our blog and future cookbook Muy Bueno, our response is our mother/grandma (Jesusita) used to say, “Siéntate a comer, esta muy bueno” (Sit down and eat, it’s very good), to family and friends just before they sat down at her table. When we hear those two words it brings a smile to our face because it reminds us of her and her memorable meals. She used to say, “Muuuuy Bueno” with a smile, raised eyebrows, and a twinkle in her eye as if to say, bienvenido (welcome).

She was always in the kitchen and would put her heart and soul into her cooking. Not a day went by that she didn’t make frijoles de la olla, homemade tortillas, and fresh salsa. There was always a meal on the stove, slow-cooker, or in the oven. She would feed everyone who’d visit and somehow the food never ran out. It was like the “miracle of the five loaves and two fish”. How she fed so many visitors still remains a mystery. Her home was warm and inviting and friends or relatives were always seated at her kitchen table — A vibrant memory that will always live in our hearts.

Muy Bueno began amongst the three of us as a way to preserve our favorite family recipes for our children. This collaboration has quickly evolved into a true cultural celebration for past, present, and future generations. Our goal with this blog and upcoming cookbook is a way for us to preserve our favorite family recipes and stories as well as inspire others to preserve their own family stories and possibly create some of their own cooking memories along the way.

We hope you enjoy our most treasured recipes and our heartfelt stories which accompany them. Some memories are more vivid than others and others we grasp onto for dear life. Collectively we’ve gathered our most prized recipes and stories and we hope you take pleasure in reading them as much as we delight in sharing them with you.

Salud! Cheers to you and your familia. May your kitchen be filled with warm memories to last a lifetime.

Panza Llena, Corazón Contento (Full Stomach, Happy Heart)