I was born and grew up in Mexico City. My first interest was audiovisual communication. At age 17 I started college at the University of the Cloister of Sor Juana with the intent to study that, but when I discovered that my school offered professional training in culinary arts I shifted course and began to study Gastronomy. In particular I was attracted to how you can travel and meet people with cooking, because I have always been interested in the social space that is made during and after the daily act of sitting at a table and eating with others. In my culinary training, I was initially influenced by French cuisine. As I have grown in experience, I have found it more important to go back to my cultural roots, in particular a strong interest in mastering mestizo cuisine and pre-Hispanic culinary techniques specific to the region of Oaxaca. Since graduating from culinary school I have worked in both French and Mexican style kitchens, and have continued to personally pursue my interest in mestizo cooking. I see the kitchen as a form of expression not only of gustos or tastes but also as a form of visual expression through colors, textures, and sounds that fill the body and soul. For me, cooking has to do with transforming fresh ingredients and highlighting aspects with different culinary techniques. I am inspired by sustainability like is found in the agricultural system of chinampas that founded Mexico City, and the impact that food from the chinampas has had on the social and religious systems of people.
