Recipes from Latin America

I grew up in Venezuela, where family and food are the centers of everything. My abuelita (grandmother) collected recipes from Syria, Britain, and Venezuela, and my extended family exposed me to dishes and flavors from across South America. We would cook together, exchanging stories as we molded masa. On school days we would run to find the chichero waiting for us with a big vat of chicha (a sweet spiced rice drink). Here’s a taste of the food I grew up with and still cook today. — Janette Speyer