Norma Torre-McHugh

Since my early 20s I've developed an unyielding passion for nurturing and nourishing my family, friends and loved ones with twists on traditional recipes and "inventions" that are not always successful, but genuinely authentic. Discovering world cuisine and experimenting with ingredients has provided the same joy and inspiration that a fashion designer or a song writer must derive from their creations (I cannot sew or sing). The process can be both joyous and tragic and always challenges my ability to keep it together. I have been known to drop a few expletives when something goes wrong and moan with sensuous approval when I hit a “G” spot in my palate....sooo good….sooo good! I'd like to think my readers gain a true sense of who I am as a mother, grandmother, wife and friend and every kind word about my cooking invigorates and energizes me to continue to strive for excellence in the kitchen. Platanos Mangos and Me! is an expression of my faith in God and love for humanity! My blog started as a way for me to express my love for the 3 “F’s”…family, friends and food. I also wanted to create a keepsake so that my family would have the basic knowledge of the recipes they most enjoyed during their childhoods, particularly those that represent their collective heritage which is such a mixture. We have roots in Spain, Corsica, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Philippines, Eastern Europe, Germany, Cuba, Portugal and my new Irish-American family which I have recently acquired through marriage. We embrace them all, especially at the dinner table. Now that I started blogging I feel that my dinner table has gotten very large as I share my cooking experiences, good times and memories will all of you. We also share in this blogger sphere, the death of a parent, the birth of a child and all those wonderful memories that crop up once in a while. I used to think that there is nothing that brings people together than food…but now I think is food and blogging. As a publisher, you allow everyone to take a peek into your personal life, your love of food and your curiosity. You share knowledge and the pleasure of feeding people and they in return feeding and comforting you. I laugh right now, because I just had a thought: Where did all my dreams go…I used to dream of vacations, silly inane things and the only thing I dream about no is food, recipes and what will be my next post. My blog is http://platanosmangoes.com