Born and in raised in Northern California, I’ve always had a passion for food. From my first job as a baker at the local bakery in Saratoga, California, to holding the title of chef and dietary director at various businesses.
My life changed as I made a number visits to the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, Mexico with my family over the years. This is a magical place for a chef, I was introduced to a culture and a food that was so refined and complex. I took in all that I could, learning from fellow chefs, fondas, market stall owners and friends.
When I got back to the States, I started teaching cooking classes at the Palo Alto Adult School, then sold Oaxacan Mole Negro and Tamales in a booth at the Palo Alto Farmers’ Market and now operate the Oaxacan Kitchen Mobile, which took to the road January 2011.
Over the years I have struggled to find a supplier of fresh NON GMO ground corn that I use in the majority of my menu items. On a recent trip to Mexico I was surprised to see so much corn that is GMO, even in Oaxaca! We would like to do our part to help curb this issue, I am currently in the process of building a commercial kitchen which will enable us grind our own Masa with NON GMO Organic corn from both Mexico and the US.