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

There a great ethnic cuisine available to you in Chicago.

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 spent several years cooking on a line.

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.

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

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.