BIOGRAPHY OF ANA RICHARDSON

I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. My father was a dentist and my mom was a homemaker that took care of the household and everything else. While growing up, I was never involved with the cooking, I got married when I was 19 and I had never baked cookies or prepared a meal. For the first two years of my marriage, I was a full time student and had to carefully monitor the budget, so my husband grilled a lot of burgers, and I reheated the food that was prepared by my mom.

When we purchased and moved to our first home, I was fortunate to have a talented cook as my neighbor. We soon became great friends and she was the one who taught me almost everything I know. Now days, when I visit my friends and family in Puerto Rico, I get together with Norma and after a fabulous meal, we reminisce about the days we cooked together and we remember that the best meals we had back then were the ones we shared. My husband and son were grateful that she cooked because I did not know the first thing about working the home kitchen.

A few years later, I took some classes at a local kitchen store and at that point I started to develop a great interest in cooking and entertaining. I became known as the "bean Lady". My rice and beans were famous and my house was called "la fonda de Ana" (Fonda means neighborhood restaurant) I never knew how many people would sit at the dinner table on a given night. My family and friends would pop in to see what was cooking, so improvisation and short prep meals characterized my cooking repertoire.

My family moved to Florida in June of 1988. Traditional Puerto Rican cuisine is still my culinary activity. I have introduced my dishes to my new friends and I still receive the same compliments I did from my Puerto Rican friends. Now, I have more admirers, that makes me feel real good.

Based on my experience, you can learn to cook on your own. If you have a good cookbook, you can make a grocery list based on the chosen menu and follow the recipe. Experimenting has gotten me where I am today. I still consider myself a rookie, nevertheless I am always willing to try new recipes and use simple cooking techniques that yield bold flavors and elegant dishes.

Cooking is easy. Get creative with your menu, select your china and plan your meal. Learn how to heighten the anticipation of a great meal by filling your house with aromas that make you curious of what is being baked, sautéed, poached, stewed or fried. Enhance the flavors and appearance of your dishes by using the vast assortment of condiments, herbs, spices and ready made sauces and dressings. Be brave and cook, and always remember to have fun, fun, fun.

BUEN PROVECHO-BON APPETITE-ENJOY YOUR MEAL