At The Table With… Mario Pagan

Latin dish you crave:

Mofongo

Favorite family recipe:

My mom's cabbage and bacon rice.

Secret ingredient to make a Latin dish pop:

Sofrito!

Favorite Latin/Spanish restaurant in U.S.:

OLA Restaurant from Chef Douglas Rodríguez.

Secret to a perfect dinner party:

Good Puerto Rican rum and good friends.

Biggest food indulgence:

Plantains!

Best Latin food memory:

It's all the childhood memories in the kitchen of all the women that cooked for me.

Ideal Latin breakfast, lunch, and dinner:

Breakfast: white rice with a fried egg on top and fried baby bananas.

Lunch: Bistec encebollado and mamposteao rice

Dinner: Lobster asopao

Favorite Latin cocktail:

Coco Beach

• 1.5oz Don Q Coco
• 1/2oz Don Q Cristal
• 2 1/2oz Cranberry
• Splash of Soda Water

Get the full recipe.

Favorite kitchen gadget:

Pilón