Preserving Island Flavors: A New Collaboration with Chef Liz Paz

Over the past few years, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Chef Liz Paz at the University of Unitec Honduras, where she teaches within the Gastronomy career. Each visit has been a treat for me, I've gotten to sample incredible dishes.

Recently, Chef Paz invited me for a new kind of experience. She now teaches courses in Food Conservation and Sustainability, and she wanted to explore the island’s culinary techniques and unique local ingredients to inspire future dishes. During her Sustainability class, the students had already discussed The Bay Islands Cookbook, a digital cookbook I published in November 2019. Originally created as a personal project to pass time, the book contains 42 pages of traditional island recipes.

To my surprise, Chef Paz found the book lovely and used it as a starting point for class discussions. Students analyzed the recipes and offered their observations, opening the door for a collaborative project. They will use it to create a precise, measured collection of these traditional recipes. Some dishes, like pick crab, have never had exact measurements—locals know intuitively how much of each ingredient to use. Our goal is to capture these traditions with accuracy while including the stories behind each dish.

This project will feature rare local ingredients, such as mutton pepper, and celebrate recipes passed down through generations, like the beloved journey cake. The result will serve not only mainland readers interested in our culture and cuisine but also island communities, helping keep the new generations in touch with the rich culinary heritage of our wonderful Bay Islands.