As long as you remember what you love and why you love it, it will never be far from your heart - or your plate.

Some of the best cooks that I've cooked with, whether it's in New York or Chicago or even here in Philadelphia, are actually Ecuadorians. And there's something about their palates that really just inspires me, and has a really deep sense of flavor.

I have experienced a tremendous amount of personal and professional growth, and I feel incredibly lucky that I'm able to make a career out of doing the things that I love.

I spent several years cooking on a line.

From the time I was 8 until now, I've been working. My Social Security is looking solid.

I studied cooking in Spain after college.

Well, you know, for me, I think Spanish food is festive.

Being Ecuadorian is, I don't want to say it's tough but it's... something special to me.

Chicago is a lot of my background as a chef.

If you were a Colombian, you would have your version of an empanada. If you are an Argentinean, you might find a dough that's baked and has a butter sheen on it. And then in Ecuador, you'll find more crispy-fried empanadas. So, yeah, every culture has their own version of empanadas.

There a great ethnic cuisine available to you in Chicago.

I think that a lot of us at home are iron chefs in their own right in that we have to come up with meals real quickly.

I'm a huge fan of burgers, and they're not my wife's favorite, so we don't cook them at home.