The entire identity of Eric Rivera’s Seattle restaurant Addo is to not have a set identity in the first place. Before Covid-19, he was constantly building new and disparate experiences within the restaurant—one day serving an intimate and elaborate tasting menu experience, the next hosting a pig roast. So when the pandemic shut down his restaurant, the Alinea Group alum with technical chops and a restless streak was accustomed to pivoting. Without laying off staff, he transitioned quickly to takeout, but went even beyond that. He turned his place into a grocery store, selling pantry staples as well as his own hot sauces and seasoning blends.

But what has been consistent both before and after Covid-19 has been the chef looking to his Puerto Rican heritage for inspiration. He grew up in Olympia, Wash., with parents who made dishes like mofongo regularly at home. At Addo he’s combined this traditional dish of mashed plantains with the Pacific Northwest delicacy Dungeness crab.

In this episode of Robb Report Culinary School, Rivera shows how you can make the Puerto Rican classic at home. He also explains how he’s surviving the plague, challenging the restaurant system he grew up in and ruffling feathers along the way.