Isabel Cruz

Sunday - good day to take it slow and eat what you want.

Friday night - where to eat? Some of my favorites in Portland: Ping, Beast, Le Pigeon, Toro Bravo and Pok Pok.

For dinner: Halibut with Cherry Tomato-Habanero Salsa and Cucumber-Cilantro Sauce

I don't think I could live without mangos, limes, chilies, mint, ginger, coconut, and cilantro. Nope.

Concocting the perfect Thanksgiving turkey recipe. Stay-tuned for gobbly treats.

Making up some holiday party treats. Roasted carnitas on fried plantains with chipotle cream and ginger lime mojitos!

What do I like about food? Everything! Food is my passion. At breakfast, I’m thinking about lunch. At lunch, I’m thinking about dinner.

Something about this fall weather gets me thinking about rich, rib-sticking, soul-satisfying comfort foods.

Trying to decide what to smother my grilled chicken in: avocado salsa cruda or roasted chile verde sauce? I might just opt for both.

Watch a blip about chefs showdown on San Diego 6: http://bit.ly/lEPZE

I can always be in the mood for my homemade tamales - stuffed with anything from fancy cheese to vegetables to carnitas.

It's still beet season! And I am going to have the golden variety simply -with sauteed collard greens, garlic and olive oil.

Tonight's feast: cumin panko chicken with oven-roasted vegetable salad and sofrito Vinaigrette.

I drink Nuevo Coquito for the holidays: coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk & premium white rum on ice.

Jalapeno ponzu sauce adds zip to steak: roasted jalapenos, sake, lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil, ginger, and sugar.

Making roasted poblano and anaheim tomatillo chile with pulled chicken, heirloom pinto beans and tortillas.

Today is a good day for Cocido - a one pot meal with a savory beefy broth and vegetables topped with fresh mint and chopped red onion.

After weeks of staying busy, I'm finally having a quiet Sunday breakfast: artichoke scramble with crispy rosemary potatoes.

Cooking up a vegan feast at Cantina with Alicia Silverstone to promote her new green book!

Tomorrow's event @ Cantina, vegan chorizo tacos, hijiki green beans, sweet potato lentil stew, ginger tofu & sweet corn tamales & much more