Hails From:
Humacao, Puerto Rico
Her Story:
Lymaris loves cooking since she was a kid. One of her dearest childhood memories is cooking with her grandmother in an outside kitchen, called “fogón”. Together they usually prepared “arroz con gandules” and “masa”, the dough to make “empanadillas” (or tacos as her grandma used to call them). She came to the USA to pursue a degree in higher education and fell in love with a Persian guy and therefore with Persian cuisine! Her passion for cooking has increased since then, Lymaris has developed her own recipes mixing both cuisines.
Her Specialty:
As a chemist, Lymaris is always experimenting. She has developed some recipes fusing Persian and Puerto Rican cuisine. Some of her dishes include Persian macaroni with tostones tah-dig, Lubia Polo with sofrito (rice with green beans and traditional Puerto Rican mix of spices), and tasty empanadillas de Joojeh Kabab, who are a tribute to her grandma.
Culinary Business Dream:
After Lymaris finished the NEP program she was accepted in culinary school. After she finishes she would like to start a food truck business, she also wants to sell her food in a popup restaurant concept.
In her words:
“To me, the best way to explore a culture is through food! I love to cook and get people to enjoy both rich cultures, Persian and Puerto Rican through my food. My favorite cooking utensil is my pilón (wood mortar with a wooden pestle), which I use to make delicious mofongo stuffed with kebab or mahi-mahi!”
