Spanglish: Recipes & Stories by Monti Carlo

Join us for a conversation with author Monti Carlo to celebrate the launch of Spanglish: Recipes & Stories, a tasty tribute to Puerto Rican culture and cuisine. She will be in conversation with Manolo López, followed by a signing.

PLEASE NOTE: RSVPs are encouraged but not required. Seating is limited and will be first come, first served. Doors open at 5:30 pm.

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A delicious tribute to Puerto Rican cuisine and culture, with more than sixty-five soulful recipes.
Growing up, Monti Carlo felt like she was perpetually bridging the gap between worlds—one foot on her home island of Puerto Rico, and the other in the heart of Houston, Texas. In the space between, as a self-taught chef and eventual TV host and James Beard Foundation advisor, she’s carved out a cuisine all her own, one that’s a testament to a life spent bridging two cultures. It’s a mosaic of borrowed words and flavors, a reflection of the bittersweet beauty of connecting two very different ways of life. It’s pure Spanglish.
Within these pages, Monti shares the dishes embodying that journey: continental American classics created with the bold flavors of Puerto Rico, a taste of two worlds merging on the same plate. There’s comfort food like her elementary school’s soupy chili with her Abuela Dora’s sweet and savory picadillo, golden bacalaíto-battered onion rings, and tangy tamarind roast chicken. There are nostalgia-laced Puerto Rican breakfasts like hearty sorullo waffles with pique honey and pastries like cinnamon rolls constructed with pillowy mallorca dough. There are not-so-traditional sides like floral hibiscus baked beans and crispy coconut rice. And there’s delectable, subtly sweet desserts like morir soñando no-bake cheesecake and passion fruit–curd stuffed mini cakes. There’s also a glossary of traditional Puerto Rican ingredients and where to source them, as well as recipes for traditional Puerto Rican bases like sofrito, sazón, and recaito.
With flavor and heart, this cookbook is more than just recipes. It’s a beautifully written reflection on Boricua identity and a testament to the healing power of food.

Monti Carlo is the author of Spanglish, Food & Dining Editor at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and an award-winning TV host with a digital audience of 1.25M+. A member of the James Beard Foundation's Broadcast Media Awards Committee, she is a leading voice in modern Puerto Rican cuisine. Her work explores what it means to live between cultures, using food as a language of identity. She brings Boricua diasporic culture into the mainstream through storytelling that spans media, publishing, and live experiences.

Manolo López is the founder of Mofon•GO and co-founder of Colmado Coffee. A chef and cultural storyteller, he works at the intersection of food, film, and community, reimagining Puerto Rican traditions for a new generation. Through pop-ups, media, and collaborative spaces, he creates platforms where diaspora and identity take shape, expanding how Puerto Rican cuisine is experienced beyond the expected.

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