My mom was a foodie long before loving food was “cool”.  A South Tampa native, she grew up with her very own mother’s southern kitchen fixins’ and her grandmother’s authentic Spanish specialties.  She adapted many of these family recipes into her very own kitchen, where she’d show my brother and me the ropes around the stovetop.  Never into baking, her signature dishes were drool-worthy dinners.  When complimented on her scrumptious culinary combos, she would laugh and shake her head, not knowing why on earth anyone would praise her for a skill she deemed mediocre.  Although I did not inherit her modesty, I certainly inherited her trim waistline, allowing my love for food to flourish over the years.   I’m going to let you in on some of her tried and true recipes, her simple supper secrets and her all-time favorite things to eat.