Monti Carlo: Spanglish, Identity & Reinvention

Monti Carlo Talks Spanglish, Identity, and Finding Home

In this episode of Cook the Book, host Xorje Olivares sits down with chef, writer, and TV host Monti Carlo for a conversation that blends culture, memory, and food—exactly like her recipes. 

Q&A

Xorje Olivares:
Hey everyone, and welcome to Cook the Book from Cocina, where we invite Latin chefs over to make a recipe from one of their cookbooks. I’m Xorje Olivares, and today I’m excited because I’m joined by writer, chef, TV host—an all-around badass, if you ask me—Monti Carlo, whose forthcoming book is called Spanglish from Simon & Schuster.

It will be out on May 19 and is now available for preorder. Monti, I’m excited because, one: I feel like Spanglish is my first language—not English, not Spanish, but Spanglish. And I feel like it’s a wonderful opportunity for people who identify as Latino—not necessarily even Puerto Rican—but anyone who understands the bridge between two cultures and how you express yourself while living in that space.

So I’m excited not only to talk about the book, but to make one of your recipes. Thank you so much for cooking the book with me.

Monti Carlo:
Okay, are you serious? I will cook the book with you every day of the week.

Xorje Olivares:
Yeah, let’s cook the book all the time. Before we get into the recipe, I want to call attention to the beautiful banner you have behind you. Can you tell us what it says?

Monti Carlo:
This says, “You can’t say American without the Rican.” We’ve been citizens since 1917—just an FYI for all the people who were so bent when Benito played the Super Bowl, or when the Super Bowl happened during the Benito show.

Hello—we’re American. We have been American for many, many moons now, over 100 years. And that’s part of my book: to educate people on why they should stop thinking of us as “others.” Because we’re here.

Xorje Olivares:
Yeah. I think one of the most beautiful parts—not only of the Super Bowl and Bad Bunny’s performance, but the aftermath—was the unification of cultures and communities tied to Latinidad.

Whether you were Boricua, Dominican, or Mexicano, anyone with ties to Latin America felt that joy. So I’m glad that not only do you have that flag, but that it shows up in everything you do. Latinidad—and being Puerto Rican—comes naturally to you, doesn’t it?

Monti Carlo:
We’re born waving a flag, okay? Puerto Rico is such an integral part of who we are. And a lot of that comes from the fact that we used to not be able to wave our flag. You could get arrested for it. 

That history produced generations of Puerto Ricans who are all about standing up for their island and saying, “Yo soy puertorriqueño, pa’ que tú sepas.”

Xorje Olivares:
I saw something interesting during the Bad Bunny performance—he waved the lighter blue flag, which, as you said, used to be illegal.

There’s something about color and vibrancy that goes hand in hand with Latinidad—and with your book. The cover is stunning.

Monti Carlo:
One of the most important things to me was avoiding that typical tourist color palette. I wanted it to reflect real life—living on the island and in the diaspora.

Those deep, vibrant colors represent our land, our ocean, our culture. I even talk about the color palette in the book. Thank you for noticing—I might fall in love with you before this is over.

Xorje Olivares:
I hope so.

Monti Carlo:
Let’s go!

Xorje Olivares:
Well, especially because you and I have so much in common. And that's something that we'll get through in the course of our conversation. One thing I want to pull from this is the idea of identity as a mixture—mezcla. Which brings us to the recipe we’re making: your mezcla deviled eggs.

And I have to say, for anyone getting the book—there are some wild combinations in here. Hibiscus baked beans? What?

So before we get into the mechanics, why include this recipe?

Monti Carlo:
Spanglish was written out of necessity. Growing up between two worlds,  as many Latinos are who are in the diaspora or who are a second generation or first generation, you're not really ever enough for either or, right? I was never truly Puerto Rican enough for everyone because my Spanish was kind of mingled and I was never continental  American enough for or for the people that I grew up with. Because I talk too loud. I use my hands. You know, people (assume I’m aggressive)and I'm like, I'm really not. That's how we talk, papá.

So I found my space in between—and that space was food.

I first discovered that on MasterChef with Gordon Ramsay—158 years ago, basically. I realized you can dream up a recipe. You don’t have to follow rules. It doesn’t have to exist. You just try it. And if it doesn’t work, you don’t quit—you’ve got to eat.

That idea of “keep going” is what led me to this book.

Xorje Olivares:
And Gordon Ramsay wrote the foreword. That’s incredible.

Monti Carlo:
He’s an incredible human being. When I went on that show, I had just gone through a divorce, lost everything, and was facing homelessness with a two-year-old in L.A.

One of my friends who lived upstairs was like:  "if you try out for a reality show, they have to give him $50.” And the very next day there was a show that I had never seen called MasterChef . I barely knew who Gordon Ramsay was.

I just knew that every time I saw him in a commercial, he was like covered in fire. And I was so broke at the time that I didn't have food in the house to bring (to the audition).

I had just bought some apples for my kiddo, and I had some flour and some butter and some cream for my coffee, and I made the tiniest little apple pies. And long story short, the producers loved the pies. I was a complete wreck in front of the cameras.

They broke it down to me that there was no $50 in the mix, but that I could win $250,000. 

So I taught myself to cook with dollar store ingredients and kept going.

And Gordon just… connected with me. Even when I set his kitchen on fire. Three times.

Xorje Olivares:
Which just shows your passion!

Monti Carlo:
Or that I didn’t know what I was doing.

Xorje Olivares:
So let’s get back to the eggs. I have water boiling. You’ve already made yours. Tell me about the childhood connection.

Monti Carlo:
Every Puerto Rican knows sandwichitos de mezcla. They’re deeply ingrained in our culture.

They weren't always a part of our culture, obviously. I mean, we're talking about some pretty processed foods that go into this recipe. Those fastest foods came to the islands after the occupation in 1898, the US occupation. So around I mean, I think, we had a blender that was invented in 1922 that made it to the island and then sliced bread was invented a few years later in 1928. Then that came to the island. 

Then spam was invented in ‘37. And I love spam. 

Xorje Olivares:
Spam has definitely been part of my life forever, so I was excited to see it here.

Monti Carlo:
Exactly. These foods worked for the island—affordable, long-lasting, practical. And eventually, they became tradition.

When in the mid-century, ultra processed foods became very popular in the US and they were shipped to the island, you know, it was immediately taken up as part of our cuisine because they were affordable and they could withstand being out at high temperatures or without power.

And then when they invented “Cheez Whiz” in the 50s, everything came together. And it was towards the mid-century when they started showing up at birthday parties and family get togethers and school functions. 

My first memory is my mom and my tías making them during gatherings. I grabbed extras and hid them in my pockets because they disappeared so fast.

Xorje Olivares:
I love that there's a history of food in your family. Your mom also had a restaurant, right?

Monti Carlo:
You know so much about me! That is such an honor. Yes, in Atlanta. She opened a Caribbean restaurant when there was nothing like it around. She wanted to bring her culture and her flavors to this town that she loved very much. It was called the Caribbean Grill, and we did pretty well until September 11th, 2001. And once that happened, you know, the economy crashed. It was just an ugly time for restaurants across the board.

But then the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reviewed her restaurant—and everything changed overnight.

And next thing you know, there's a review in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, which is the most important newspaper in the South, for her restaurant. And it was this glowing review about this cuisine that is hard, difficult to find here and how awesome it was and how insane her portions were. 

And you know Latina moms like me. So more savvy: “here it's the entire box of all the things.” She literally used to make sandwiches with like, a half a loaf of bread. Like, that's real talk. And so the workers would come in because it was something that they could eat and not pay that much money for, be stuffed all day and have leftovers. 

After that review ran the very next day, it was pandemonium. We sold out everything. She freaked out. She closed the doors, which I had to be like: “You can't. You can't close the doors.” She's like an old school colonial lady. She's like, no, no way, “las voy a cerrar.”

But I mean, it was beautiful to see that she was at that time and point in her life. She was in her 50s and it was incredible to see her reach for her dream, her lifelong dream of having a restaurant. It's not easy to do when you've never done it before. And she really did put out some incredible dishes.

Xorje Olivares:
Your book is recipes and stories. Why was that important?  Tell me about the desire to make sure that folks knew who you were as a person, in addition to who you are as a chef.

Monti Carlo:
Thank you for asking that. Because that’s who I am. The book started as a motivational speech. After Hurricane Maria, I gave it in Puerto Rico and connected with hundreds of women.

That’s when I realized there was something there .So at first the book was just going to be a memoir. But when I finally got my book deal at Simon and Schuster, my editor was like”I want you to add recipes to this because, you know, it needs to be a cookbook.”

And she was so right. It was very difficult for me because I was working at a place where I had to cook like 5 or 6 recipes a week. So to also create recipes was so much work. So it took a lot. 

It's been in the works for almost a decade. But I really love how it turned out. It's in three parts. And I talked about leaving Puerto Rico, which is a big deal for a lot of people. It's, you know, when you leave the island, it really leaves a mark. I talk about coming to America, to the continental US because Puerto Ricans are American and, you know, not speaking the language. And some of the things that happened when I started school here, I was not a very well-behaved child.

And then I talk about all of the events that led to me discovering who I am through school. And it's my hope that you don't have to be Puerto Rican to enjoy these recipes, or to enjoy these stories, or see yourself in these stories. Really, what you do have to be is someone that is third culture, or bicultural, or someone that just doesn't feel like you always fit in the room that they're in.

Because for me and for many people, cooking and food is just such a beautiful language that makes you always feel complete and whole and at home.

Xorje Olivares:

You now actually work at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution leading their food and dining section.

Talk about like that full circle, being the source of so much joy for your family.

Monti Carlo:

It is absolutely bananas. I'm so pinching myself. I just started working here about a month ago. And I'm still in shock. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was the paper thatI read every day. That saved my mother's restaurant.

So when they called me and were like: “Hey, we like what you got? Let's talk.” I was shocked.

So I went to many, many interviews and I got the job. I literally am so Puerto Rican, Xorje that when my boss, Janelle, called me to tell me that I got the job, I just started crying, because it meant something.

It meant so much to me to be able to return (to Atlanta) a place that I truly love very much. And it's only a short flight to Puerto Rico. So I'm here instead of, you know, in L.A.

Xorje Olivares:
Back to the kitchen—how often do you make this recipe?

Monti Carlo:
Any time there’s a gathering. It’s easy, make-ahead, perfect for sharing.

Xorje Olivares:
Deviled eggs always remind me of Easter—and my tía hoarding them for herself. If it tastes good, if it was made with love, that sort of seems to be the guiding light here

Monti Carlo:
That is a great point. And, you know, if someone says anything and complains, you just don't invite them back. 

I've had those people, you know, they feel like they're on a judge's panel for Top Chef level. You're like, “I'm sorry, did I just spend the afternoon cooking for you?”

Xorje Olivares:
I feel like the ingredient folks always forget about is patience.

Monti Carlo:
Because you're a perfectionist, Xorje. And that's the most beautiful thing about cooking, it humbles you. You know, it really does. And also, a beautiful experience to learn is positive self-talk and to be proud of yourself, to be trying to do something that so many people no longer do.

I love the concept of this show. I think it's something that we need now more than ever is not just Latin recipes, but just keeping people and getting them back to the kitchen. It's so important.

Xorje Olivares:
I regret not learning the homemade tortillas harina recipe from my grandmother before she passed.

Monti Carlo:
Recipes aren’t lost forever. You just have to rediscover them—be a little Indiana Jones about it.

Monti Carlo:
I'll tell you the story of how I set fire to Gordon Ramsay's kitchen. So I had been tasked with putting together Gordon Ramsay's favorite childhood dessert. And again, I was not really very experienced in a professional kitchen. And I wasn't used to those fancy gas stoves that have professional kitchens, which the pilot light always remains on. So, I had been mixing and mixing and everything was a mess because when we first start cooking, everything is a mess. You forget to clean up after yourself. 

I had stuff everywhere, and I was like, “I'm going to have to build this dessert in the pantry”. So I put the bowls that were in my way on top of the stove, and I ran to the pantry with the other bowls. 

And I hear Gordon Ramsay going “Monti! What the F?!”. I'm running out. I'm just so broke down, bro, that the shoes I'm wearing are like six years old. They were six year old chunks with no tread left on them. And I ran out of the pantry because he was yelling my name.

And, they were so old that I stopped. I stopped, but the shoes did not stop. (Making grabbing and holding signs) He took me like that. And he's like, “Monty, what the f is that?” And he pointed to my stove, where I had placed his rubber bottomed bowl on the stove that was still on because of the pilot light, and there was like a flame, like four feet tall.

And I was like: ”Chef, that is a bowl on fire!” - because I'm a very literal person. And he just started laughing. He was like, “Forget it, you're a mess”. 

Xorje Olivares:
Hahahaha. Okay—eggs are done. Look at me, my first mezcla deviled egg.

Monti Carlo:
I love you! You’re the first person I know to make it.

Xorje Olivares:
What’s another recipe people should try?

Monti Carlo:
Morcilla Sloppy Joes. I’ve made them for huge crowds—even chefs kept coming back for more. Andrew Zimmern loved them.

Xorje Olivares:
And you put caviar on these eggs?

Monti Carlo:
Yes. It’s a “halo recipe.” Spam and caviar—salty harmony. It works.

Xorje Olivares:
Before we wrap, where can people find you?

Monti Carlo:
Instagram, TikTok, everywhere. My Substack, The Recalled, too—it started as a way to keep my friends informed about food recalls and blew up.

And of course, Spanglish is available for preorder.

Xorje Olivares:
Thank you for making me feel at home.

Monti Carlo:
Thank you for having me. This is my first stop on the book tour—and it might be my favorite.

Remember to pre-order Spanglish here!