hola,
mi gente!

My name is Vanessa, and I am the cook behind all the delicious food you will experience. Growing up as a military child, we rarely had any family around. I was born in Puerto Rico, and we moved to Germany when I was just two years old. Every new duty station for my father meant a new city, a new country, and sometimes even a new language. Our parents ensured that no matter where we went, our culture and traditions remained alive and well. While we didn’t have extended family around, we had each other and our food! And we Puerto Ricans love our food!

​

My mother, Marisol, would always cook more than needed, anticipating that if anyone should pop in by surprise, they could join us for a meal. Strangers quickly became friends as we broke bread often and built a “chosen” family. I take pride in carrying that tradition to this day. I make extra, hope there is a knock at the door, and if not, I will call someone over just to share a taste of a recipe from my mom or grandma.

It is my greatest honor to carry the recipes of my late parents and grandmother and to get to share them with you. You won’t find fancy gadgets or fog machines, just good old traditional Puerto Rican food that I hope reminds people of home.

​

Some may ask how we arrived at our business name. Well, here’s a blurb about that. Most, if not all, Puerto Ricans call their kids Coquis at one time or another. This tiny little frog is native to the island, and some find them annoying, which makes it the perfect name when your kids are in trouble or you want to get their attention. My father, David, definitely called us all Coquis. He passed before we had children, but I just know he would have called our two boys Coquis all the time! The mortar in our logo is one of the treasures I inherited from my grandmother when she passed. The heart with the Puerto Rico flag is the tattoo I took my mom to get when she turned 50. Family is everything, and this is how I keep them alive in my heart.

 

Thank you for letting me serve you,
Vanessa