Ofelia was my grandmother. When I was small, she took care of me while my mom worked full time.
I can still smell the black coffee in the morning. Then she'd let us go out back with a few slices of bread to feed the birds waiting for their prize. We spent hours out there with the few grateful birds brave enough to visit.
Back inside, the kitchen was always the first thing you noticed, and the aroma kept changing all day as lunch, and sometimes dinner, came together. Even as a little kid I was eating flavors most four-year-olds wouldn't touch, and I learned something that stuck: cooking isn't just about the food. It's about bringing family together.
Ofelia's is a tribute to her — the most beautiful woman I know, inside and out.
Think about your own home and the traditions that turned into a dish. What makes it special? It's the flavor that takes you back to a table, sharing a meal with the people you love.
That is what I try to cook for: connection, creativity, and joy in the kitchen.
Ofelia's BBQ Company · Surprise, Arizona