The Gluten Free Boricua: Gluten Free Puerto Rican Cooking Hardcover – December 3, 2025

My name is Angeli Villalobos, and I was born and raised in the vibrant city of Chicago. Life has always been a mix of cultures, traditions, and, most importantly, food. Being Puerto Rican, our cuisine is deeply rooted in family, history, and bold flavors something I never thought twice about until my world changed in January 2018. That was the year I was diagnosed with celiac disease.At first, I didn’t fully understand what that meant. Celiac disease wasn’t something commonly talked about in my community, and the idea of eliminating gluten’s something found in nearly every dish I grew up with, seemed impossible. How could I give up the pan sobao my grandmother made, the pasteles we spent hours preparing, or the warm, comforting bowls of asopao? There were no easy answers, only trial, error, and a deep yearning to stay connected to my roots without compromising my health.Through years of learning, experimenting, and adapting, I realized something powerful: you can turn any meal into a gluten-free, safe version without sacrificing flavor or tradition. Now, I want to help others like me, people who feel lost after a diagnosis, especially those tied to cultural foods that weren’t made with restrictions in mind. Because food is more than nourishment, identity, love, and home, and no diagnosis should take that away. Read more