At AdventHealth’s Diabetes Institute Kitchen in Orlando, Executive Chef Edwin Cabrera is using Hispanic cuisine to foster connections to culture and health. Cabrera sees cooking as more than preparing food; it is a way to share stories and traditions.
“We always cook with such passion, and it doesn’t really matter the ingredient that we cook with,” Cabrera said. “It is just the love that we love to share throughout food.”
He emphasized the importance of food in maintaining cultural ties. “Hispanic food reminds us of where we come from,” he said. “Even when we feel far from home, these dishes nourish more than our bodies — they nourish our sense of belonging. They help us embrace our culture and become stronger together as a community.”
For Hispanic Heritage Month, Cabrera designed a menu featuring lemon-herb spring chicken, stewed beans, mamposteao rice, Spanish-style green beans, and mofongo cups filled with tomato-avocado salsa. He focused on preparing traditional dishes in healthier ways, such as making sofrito at home to control sodium levels.
“This is actually a condiment that we use pretty much as a base for everything that we do,” Cabrera explained. “But it’s really important that we actually have it and make it at home so it is not high in sodium.”
Cabrera also highlighted the importance of marinating chicken overnight for flavor: “The purpose of this marinade is to really just keep it overnight if you can,” he said. “It’s necessary so we can actually get all those flavors impregnated into the chicken.”
Discussing his approach to Hispanic cuisine, Cabrera noted: “Para mí, la comida hispana … significa mantenernos al presente de quiénes somos con nuestra cultura y la traemos a diferentes países también.” For me, Hispanic food means staying present to who we are with our culture — and we carry it to different countries, too.
The meal comes together with arroz mamposteao alongside marinated chicken, stewed beans, Spanish green beans and mofongo cups with fresh salsa. Cabrera encourages people cooking at home to appreciate what food represents beyond nutrition.
“The more we share and talk about food, the more we realize how much we have in common — and what makes each of us unique,” Cabrera said. “Through cooking, we lift each other up and celebrate the healthy traditions that connect us all.”
AdventHealth Orlando has served the Orlando community since 1908 and operates as both a hospital and training facility under its current president Terry Shaw.
