My name is Chef Maria Bido and I am based out of the Lower East Sode of New York City and I cook Puerto Rican cuisine.
When did you start cooking?
I started cooking when I was 18 years old.
What inspires you to cook?
I’m inspired to cook because I love to feed people and I love to see their reactions when they taste my food.
Where are you from?
I was born in NYC and I am of Puerto Rican heritage.
What role does your heritage play in your food?
Purto Rican heritage plays a huge role in my cooking because all the food that I make are traditional Puerto Rican recipes.
What are some dishes you like to cook?
Some of the favorite dishes that I love to make are carne machada which is a Puerto Rican version of pot roast, arros con pollo which is rice and chicken all made together in one pot, and flan de queso which is a dessert that’s very delicious, as well as chicharron de pollo which is fried chicken chunks.
When somebody tastes your food what do you hope comes through most?
When someone tastes my food I hope they can taste the love that I put inside it when I’m making it.
Do you have a food memory from when you were younger that’s tied to what you cook today?
When I was growing up I was raised by a single mom and my grandmother. My mom worked during the daytime and went to night school in the evenings. So I was a young girl full of energy in the house, with my elderly Puerto Rican grandmother, looking for attention. She was very intelligent and handed me a large bowl full of garlic for me to sit there and peel which occupied most of my time until I got tired and went to sleep.
How has WoodSpoon shaped your cooking?
WoodSpoon has helped me shape my experience in cooking because they have upped my game so that I could cook faster with the exact same quality.
