From Chef Ruben Rodriguez:

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"My grandmother, Emilia, is the biggest cooking inspiration to my mother Ana Maria Gonzalez–who is my biggest cooking inspiration. Not only does Emilia pay homage to my grandmother, but most importantly to

Galicia's culture as a whole–our way of cooking and eating, which is essentially our way of life.

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Growing up in Galicia with my grandmother, has honed a special way of cooking for me. It's a way of cooking in its purest form We didn't really choose what we ate daily, but rather have Galicia choose for us–a true farm to table lifestyle. Our daily fruits and vegetables depended on the vegetation that was grown seasonally in our gardens. In February we would have beautiful artichokes to grill, whereas in July we would have zucchini to make a fresh rice salad. Our fish of the day was whatever fish we were able to catch down at the river–from eel to sardines, to trout, you name it. Being in the north surrounded by mostly water, green, and mountains, our cuisine is predominately fish and vegetables. We will occasionally eat meat–and even that is what's seasonally available from the butchers that would make daily visits door to door.

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Some of my fondest memories with my grandmother is tending her garden during the mornings and fishing all afternoon. Dinner time is when our whole family came together, and this was our daily life. The simplicity of this way of living is quite special and I hope to bring a little bit of home to Emilia's menu."