Salted Salmon

Salted salmon — a tradition among Chamorros — is an easy recipe that requires patience. Similar to the Hawai'ian dish, lomi lomi, this Chamorro favorite does not call for rinsing the fish after it's been salted. Instead, we add lemon juice — not only for the citrus sensation but also so the fish can cook further. Keep reading. »

Chicken n' Finadene

One of my favorite home-cooked meals: barbecued chicken, white rice and finadene.

Barbecued meats and finadene are the basics of Chamorro cooking. Once you've worked with both, you're on your way to learning how to make one of the most popular dishes of Guam—kelaguen. You can also use the marinade recipe for barbecued ribs, another Chamorro favorite. Keep reading. »

Tortillas con Masa

My mom loves eating homemade tortillas with our finadene dishes. She's always been meticulous in the kitchen, both with flavor and presentation.

To make them, she starts by mixing water with a high-quality Masa found in any grocery store. After that, it just takes a few steps to create a slightly crispy, mildly browned tortilla like what you see above. Keep reading. »

Salmon Salad with Lemon Finadene

I am a fish lover. No doubt about it, which is why my mouth waters whenever I see this photo. Pictured above is my Mom's salmon finadene salad, where fresh veggies add crispness to sockeye salmon.

My Mom and I love this connection since my oldest brother Joe spends the occasional season on fishing boats in Alaska, catching pounds of this hearty species.

What I love most about Chamorro cooking is the simplicity with which we approach seafood. We really savor the natural elements of the fish so we rarely, if at all, find the need to saturate our seafood in sauces or bread products. Keep reading. »