I was born and raised in Chihuahua Mexico. Cooking in my family has always been the way to express our love and care for others so it was no surprise that I quickly picked an interest and passion for it at an early age.
My mother used to prepare weekly feasts where family would gather for hours over delicious food. She never liked making desserts, so it became my area of opportunity to learn and explore the joy of cooking for others. As I grew up I expanded my interests and started to experiment with a full range of traditional dishes under my mother’s direction, progressing to the point of creating my own original food.
I moved to Michigan 10 years ago and it was then when I discovered a new set of challenges. Being a mom of two young girls and having a full time job, I had to create dishes that would fit my busy lifestyle as well incorporate fresh local ingredients that were different in flavor and texture from the ones I was familiar with in Mexico. I adopted my favorite traditional recipes that I’ve grown up with in my homeland without compromising flavor by streamlining many of the time-consuming techniques of Mexican cookery.
My reputation as a good cook started to spread in the community, when I was approached by the Whirlpool Hispanic Network to present a cooking class during the Hispanic Heritage month to help raise funds for the migrant families of southwest Michigan. The event was so successful that the KitchenAid Culinary Center had asked me to come back and teach more classes. I accepted the invitation and discovered how much I enjoyed sharing with others the dishes that I grew up with and also making them easy enough to prepare so the class participants feel comfortable trying them at home.
I have been teaching cooking classes for 8 years and I am fortunate to always share my food with a full audience. I prepare my classes based on themes and my students’ interest and/or curiosity for dishes, ingredients and flavors. I take pride in my heritage and feel is important to help others find a comfortable way to share their love and care for others through food. My classes introduce the audience to a cultural experience in a relaxed and interactive atmosphere where students learn and take a “something with them”; something that will enable them to enjoy cooking and share their care and love through new flavors.
This year I have taken a new direction on my passion and have been donating dinners for local fundraisers such as LMC, Curious Kids Museum, Lory’s place and Brookview school. My dinners have not only been a great experience for the winners but also a perfect way to get involved with the community raising funds for great causes and sharing my heritage and what I love doing the most: COOK.
Please join me on this wonderful journey to discover new flavors and tradition behind Mexican cuisine through my own experiences and the way I view and interpret my heritage....
BIENVENIDOS!