I started cooking with my late grandfather after he would come home from work, it is one of my most vivid memories. 

We were watching the Yankee game, just him and I in the living room. Him with a beer, me sipping on juice he let me have without grandma knowing. He got  hungry and asked me if I wanted eggs. Grandpa made the best fried eggs. I’d watch him as he purposefully spooned melted butter and hot oil over the eggs in the frying pan, tilting the pan slightly so that it would all pool on the edge and he could grab the perfect teaspoon to coat the surface. He served it over leftover rice from dinner earlier, handed me the bowl, and I led the way back into the living room. He always let me have the first bite, and would watch me as I snuck in a few more, dangling my feet as they uncontrollably moved from excitement and satisfaction. I gave him the bowl and he said, “come mas si quiere, yo se que está bueno” (“eat more if you’d like, I know it’s good”). I took another bite, handed him the bowl, he winked, and we continued to watch the game. 

Fast forward to now, I am an aunt who wants to share this vivid memory of being in the kitchen with my niece and nephew. I am a wife who has the unequivocal support of my husband. I am a chef who creates & trains kitchen teams all over the world. I am a woman who will challenge everything you think you know about food. 

I am Thais Rodriguez, and food is my obsession. 

Food has influenced every crevice of my being, from how I create to how I love to how I live.

I have always wanted to write about how I see food and all of the different facets that food is encompassed with. I am so in love with the journey of it, getting to the heart & soul of its past, present, & future, and the effects that it has on us, our community, and in our world. 

I SPEAK FOOD is more than just a source for recipes, it is an attempt to speak my mind about this obsession. It is more than photography, it’s an attempt to tell a story. It’s more than about me, it’s about us and creating a dialogue to somehow someway make our everyday a journey that we have control over. 

I look forward to sharing my memories, travels, and voice with you! 

Welcome to I SPEAK FOOD, an open dialogue on all food topics.