Hola and Welcome to My Colombian Recipes. I hope you enjoy your visit!
My name is Erica and I was born and raised in Medellin, Colombia. I moved to the United States in 2000. I live in Connecticut with my husband and our two boys. I am not a professional chef however. My educational background is in Tourism and Hotel Management and Marketing. Although Spanish is my first language, this site is written in English, so please excuse any grammatical errors…I do my best.
I published my first cookbook “I Cook Latin Food: The Best Recipes from 5 Popular Hispanic Cooking Blogs (Spanish Edition)” in 2021 with Penguin Random House.
Growing up in Colombia, cooking was always important in our family. We gathered at mamita’s house every weekend where she cooked traditional Colombian dishes that have remained family favorites years later.
For more facts about me click here.
About the blog
This blog was created in February 2009 and was inspired by my maternal grandmother, who was a very important person in my life and an amazing traditional Colombian cook. I never saw Mamita cooking from a recipe. She made dinner from whatever ingredients she found in the kitchen. My hope is that people from other countries discover Colombian food and learn more about our culture and traditions. Cooking traditional Colombian food connects me to my culture and allows me to share my heritage with my American family.
My recipes are not limited to traditional Colombian food. I have many other recipes for dishes representing other countries that I enjoy cooking for my family and friends, which I will also share with you. The sources of most of my recipes are my family, friends and my own creations and experiments, but if I cook a dish from a magazine, cookbook or TV show, I will list the source. All of the pictures and writing are done by me. The webmaster of My Colombian Recipes is my husband, who doesn’t get a lot credit, but he handles all the technical stuff for the site.
Comments and e-mails
I appreciate all of your comments, feedback and e-mails. I read every single one of them! I am not always able to reply to them all but I will do my best to answer your questions as quickly as possible. Although I appreciate constructive criticism, rude comments will be deleted and not published. Remember, you can also subscribe to My Colombian Recipes by email or feed reader and never miss a post! Thank you for visiting.
This site is also available in Spanish (en español en este enlance)
Jose
Erica:
Thanks so much for pulling a site like this together. I came across your site this morning while looking for a pan de yuca recipe and truly feel like I hit the lottery!
I was born in the states and grew up here (Chicago) but my parents immigrated from Colombia in 1964 (they are from Barranquilla (Mom) and Plato (Pop)). My mom was a really good cook and I am fortunate to have grown up eating so many of these great dishes; much like your Mamita, nothing came from a recipe, just from her knowledge and her heart. Now, she only cooks like that occasionally (to treat the grandkids!).
I do most of the cooking at home and every now and then will make a Colombian dish. It's always a hit, this food is so good. My kids choose the meal when their birthdays come up and it always comes down to a fritanga (arepas con huevo, empanadas, yuca frita, etc); that puts a smile on my face and theirs.
I haven't gone through your site completely, but what I've seen so far looks so incredibly good and I'll definitely be making some of these dishes.
Again, thank you so much for all your work.
Jose
FYI, your grandmother's recipe for the pan de yuca was on the money; I had one fresh out of the oven and can't wait for my kids to get home to try them.
Martin Melgar
Wow, Erica te felicito, recien conosco tu pagina y estoy impresionado con las deliciosas y faciles recetas que nos regalas, Yo vivo en Florida, peruano de nacimiento y corazon , soy manager general de un restaurant de una de una cadena de restaurantes, nueva y de mas crecimiento en los estados unidos con un promedio de 1200 restaurantes en USA, Canada e Inglaterra. Yo estoy interesado en aparturar un nuevo concepto en comida rapida la cual quiero ofrecer comida saludable fresca y con un sabor y toque gourmet. Suena un poco jalado de los pelos pero para esto estoy estudiando los distintos tipos de comidas, americanas sub amerianas, orientales y occidentales (mediterraneas). te digo todo esto porque me gustaria contactar contigo y intercambiar algunos puntos de vista, se por tu pagina web que la cocina te apaciona igual que a mi, no soy chef profesional pero tambien soy licenciado en administracion hotelera, estudie en la universidad Simos Bolivar de caracas Venezuela. Gracias por tomarte el tiempo de leer mi nota y realmente espero poder contactarme contigo.
Erica
Martin- Muchas gracias por tu comentario!!!! Si quieres me escribes un e-mail en mi pagina de contacto y asi nos comunicamos. Tu proyecto suena muy interesante.
Adriana
Hello Erica. I recently received a comment on my foodie blog from a woman who said she had looked up, "Pollo Sudado," and my blog came up. I don't know why, but that made me decide to google pollo sudado myself and I found you!
I have been looking for some Colombian recipes, but I never found a blog that met my needs with that. Your blog is great! Congrats on having such an amazing mamita! Thanks for the amazing recipes. I can't wait to try them out. = )
If you would like to visit my blogs, I have two of them.
ScrumptiousDelectables (foodie blog)
AdrianasChicDesign (Interior Design blog)
Adriana
Alicia
Hey Erica,
I just got back from a missions trip to Medellin Colombia. I fell in love with it, the city, the people, and the food!!! I came back to Pennsylvania with a family in Medellin and I would like to go back on long term basis. As weird as it may sound I feel so homesick for Colombia. Thank you so much for you recipes, I was getting excited seeing how to make all the food we ate there. I have been wanting to introduce the Colombian culture to my friends and family in the states so thank you for making is possible!!! May God Bless you as you have blessed us!!!
Ruthie
Hey chica! lI grew up in Bogota, Colombia and moved to the US when I was 18, I'm having my sisters and some friends over this weekend for an asado and was looking for some recipes, LOVE your Blog!
Kristy
hi Erica, thank you for your site - I stumbled upon it and am glad that I did. I taught at the Colombus School in Medellin for a couple of years and had a wonderful time. I get terribly homesick for Medellin and the Colombian culture and the food....oh the food! sigh. I especially miss a meat and potato pastry we used to buy off the stree - it was round and absolutely delicious - the best I ever had was in the down-town airport though. LOL. Can't remember what it was called. Do you have any ideas? I miss all the wonderful restaurants there, boy does Medellin ever have great restaurants. Now I am going to try some of your wonderful recipes. I promise myself that my retirement (which seems sooo far away) will include Colombia. I consider it my second home.
Thank you for your blog. But I am going to spend the day terribly homesick!
Juan Carlos
I'm Stationed away from all of my family and now I can cook all of my favorite foods my mom used to make, Thank you so much!!! You made my year!!!
Claudia
Thanks you so much for the recipes....
I too am Colombian living in northeast in Boston and though i can go home and have mom teach me but without measurements I am lost!
Thanks again and Feliz 20 de Julio!!!! Hope you got out to one of the festivals to celebrate our independence!
Erica
Thank you guys for all the wonderful comments!!!!I truly appreciate it.
Melany
Hi Erika,
Im just blown away by your website, you have done a fantstic job.
Im Australian and live in Sydney, my beautiful parents are from Medellin. I love everything Colombia and do my best to keep the Colombian culture alive in my own family. My husband is Australian and just loves Colombian food. My mother is a fantastic cook and has shown me how to make arepas and some other Colombian dishes. Her birthday is coming up and I plan to prepare a Colombian feast. I will be using some of the recipes from your website.
Thankyou for putting so much love and passion into the website and sharing some of the beauties Colombia has to offer.
May God bless you and your family.
Melany
Viv
Hola Erika,
Yo tambien soy Colombiana y vivo aqui en los Estados Unidos. My husband is Jewish and loves, loves our culture and traditions 🙂 This is why your site has been such a great gift for me! I came to the states when I was 13 years old, so only until now, that I am married, I began to experiment with Colombian dishes. Thanks again y cuidate 🙂
Felicia
Good post. I absolutely appreciate this website. Thanks!
Anonymous
I love your site! Thank you for making all these wonderful Colombian dishes. I love my country.
Vanessa
Hola Erica, yo soy de Bucaramanga y estoy aqui en usa hace ya 2 años, que dias estaba super antojada de milhojas de arequipe, que buscando la receta encontre su blog, muy bueno, mil felicitaciones, esta noche voy a preparar almojabanas, espero me queden super deli. Gracias por las recetas.
Amy
Erica:
I found your site and was hoping that you might be able to help me with a recipe. I am trying to surprise a friend with a Torta Negra. I have found several recipes online but need more details as I have never even eaten it before. I am an avid baker and learn quickly but need a trusted recipe from someone who has made it with success. Also, if you can supply it, please give as much detail as possible about the ingredients and the soaking/preparation of the cake after it is baked (specifically how often to add the alocohol, how much, and for how long...how many days?). Thanks so much for your time and I will definitely be making some of your great recipes for my Colombian friends!! Best Regards, Amy
Danielle
Erica
So I am making arroz con leche right now for my husband for father's day and he just came in and could tell what i was cooking just by the smell through out the house. he got so excited and said this was a great father's day present for him since he hasn't had this since his mom went back to Colombia from her visit here over 9 months ago. it takes a lot to make him happy so thanks again for your awesome website. this is going to help my marriage big time. 🙂
Danielle
Angela
Erica,
I love your site!! I am also Colombian married to an American and have three girls. My father brought me and my siblings to America in 1980 and I've lived in the states ever since... in Jonesboro, GA now with my husband and girls. Anyways, love your recipes!! Right now I'm cooking "Sudado de Pollo" and it just smells delicious!!! tomorrow I'll try another one. I am so excited to try all these recipes!! My mom is a fabulous cook and I only learned when I got married. Your photos and recipes are easy to follow ... they make my mouth water!!!
Do you know how to make "mantecada"? My sister used to make it in Colombia and I remember it from when I was 7 ... I am now 41! it is so delicious and I'm dying to make it. Please let me know if you can get the recipe. Thank you so much for your time to post all of these; I am so fortunate to have found your site.
Best wishes, Angela