Mario Lopez shares some of his family’s holiday food traditions, interview

While many people see his smiling face on television, Mario Lopez and his family are just like everyone else during the holiday season. The kitchen is full of laughter, flavorful food, and festivities. Those holiday food traditions bring everyone together. Luckily, the kitchen is well equipped, and it makes life easier.

Recently, Lopez partnered with Whirlpool and spoke to FoodSided regarding his partnership and some holiday food traditions. Although he might seem to be everywhere on the television screen, the holidays are a time when he gathers everyone around the table and the kitchen.

Lopez told FoodSided, “the kitchen is the meeting place. I like to get the kids involved in cooking and prepping the meal. That way, the kids know what a sensible plate looks like. Although they can be a little picky sometimes, they might be more prone to finishing the food on the plate when they are invested in the process.”

As a family blending Mexican and Italian cultures, Lopez said that they are always enjoying delicious food. From his mother-in-law making pasta and other Italian dishes or his mom making some traditional Mexican recipes, no one ever goes hungry.

During the holidays, Lopez shared that the holidays are tamale season. His mom, sisters, and other family members make tons of tamales. He compared the process to almost an assembly line. Although Lopez admitted that he might not be part of the making process, he is all about eating his fair share.

Given that there is plenty of food in the house, Lopez appreciates that his Whirlpool Signature appliances, like the French Door refrigerator, have plenty of storage space. Specifically, he said, the refrigerator “takes the organization to another level and there is more room for everything to be allocated nicely.”

While there is plenty of food around, Lopez wants ease of preparation. He recalled back in the day how he enjoyed the George Foreman Grill because it was a one of the kitchen essentials that could handle it all. Now, the air fryer setting on his Whirlpool oven is that updated guy version.

Lopez described the air fryer mode as a quick and efficient cooking method. Whether it is cooking chicken or sweet potato fries, everything comes out crispy. It is like the one size fits all kitchen appliance.

With the holiday season in full effect, Lopez said that his family sometimes makes cookies and watches holiday movies. That idea does not take a huge amount of effort, but it is a fun time to gather and make memories.

Even if some people might not have Lopez’s smooth dance moves or his iconic dimples, they can be inspired by his holiday kitchen and family traditions. Ready to make some flavorful memories?