Meet Clarita Rodriguez | Caterer of Puerto Rican Cuisine and owner of Desert Bori Cuisine. LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Clarita Rodriguez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Clarita, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
One thing about my industry that outsiders are probably unaware of is that not all Latino/Hispanic food is the same. Our cultures are not the same. We use different ingredients and seasonings that others don’t use or may not have heard of. Puerto Rican food is not the same as other Latino foods which is why I am on a mission to introduce my cultura to Arizona.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I honestly am happy with where I am business wise because I am just starting. Slow and steady wins the race. I started at the end of August and it’s been such an adventure. From developing catering menus, and weekly menus, doing my own advertising (social media post). I have a goal of owning a food truck and I know that I will accomplish it. It hasn’t been easy there are so many different things going on in my own personal life that require 100% of me outside of my business. There are days when I’m up at 2:30am just to figure out how I want that weeks menu to look and the foods that I will be offering. Everyday I have a goal written down and every evening I check in to see how my goals are met for the day. I battle with some heavy emotional issues and I’m comfortable speaking about them. Some days it’s a fight to even want to get up but my family depends on me my business depends on me and I push through, I know we’ve all been there and I just want to say, you can do it we can do it. It’s not easy but it’s worth it. When you give all of your love to something it’s not a job or a business or income it’s a passion. It’s you gifting yourself to others. My story comes with a lot of tears. My business came as a form of therapy from something that was really hard for me as a mom to do. Imagine as a mother having to make the hardest decision in order to keep a child safe from himself. I made a hard decision for a child of mine in Puerto Rico in order to save him and others from his mental instability the only decision I had in order to get him help was to voluntarily terminate my rights legally as his mother to have him institutionalized and get the help he desperately needs. It’s a long story, if I had more platform I would go into detail. For the sake of this it’s all I will say but this decision made me question my existence. I turned to the kitchen. It’s the only place and the only time were I think of nothing. My thought is just what I’m cooking how it looks when I have to stir or flip something. I shut everything off in that moment and it gives me a sense of peace and joy and of course my family, but you know what I mean! I have been in Arizona since May. Desert Bori Cuisine is my way of sharing my love of Puerto Rico with the other side of the continental US. There is a variety of Mexican cuisine here and it brings me a lot of joy when new people try new food. My pastelitos (empanadas) are a big hit right now and it makes me cry happy tears because I am loving my new home and community with sharing my Cultura Boricua!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m embarrassed to say I need the best friend to take me around. I have so much to learn about this beautiful state and city. I would definitely have them visit Mount Lemmon then we can adventure together! I need the exposure.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My children and husband have been not only the fuel for what I am doing but the reason why I decided to go on this scary and dangerous exciting path. I want to leave them something for when I am no longer here. I also have to thank my neighbors from Nextdoor. It was their curiosity and push to share my food that really helped me take the step to obtain my LLC and start my catering business. My love language is food. I want to share my love and the love I have for my culture with everyone.

Website: https://desertboricuisinellc.godaddysites.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/desert_bori_cuisine.llc?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550899951730&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Other: Tik tok desert.bori.cuisi