My decisions are motivated by my life, my values, and what I stand for, not what I can gain financially from it. This has weeded out the opportunities that I don't care about and has brought on a lot of new opportunities that mean everything to me.
It fills my heart with pride and joy that international food writers and press have taken an interest in Tijuana.
I'm a purist when it comes to certain foods, and al pastor tacos (known as adobada tacos to us in Tijuana) is one of those foods. I lived off them - literally.
When summer squash is freshly picked, all it needs is a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and maybe a hit of lemon juice.
There's no insects in American cuisine? Not one? I don't think there are. That's so sad.
Growing up, everybody would cross the border, even to just do grocery shopping. A lot of traditional American foods stuck with my parents and became part of my upbringing. This all had to do with the proximity to the border. We were an absolute mix of classic Americana, traditional Mexican, and Baja cuisine.
Growing up, my mom was a stay-at-home mom. I knew that her entire world revolved around us, and she relished being involved in every school project and every craft.
I've been doing the 'Mexican Made Easy' show, and it's very heavy on instructions. It's me talking to the camera.
There's a design book I got years ago that had a statue of a dog with a bunch of hats on it, and I just obsessively fell in love with it. For years I searched for that dog. One day I walked into an antique shop in La Jolla and I found a white dog that I could put hats on!
Quesadillas, those are my comfort food.
You're only as good as the people who you surround yourself with.
Herdez Salsas have always been a favorite of mine because I love the authentic taste.
I was a contestant on 'The Apprentice: Martha Stewart' and more than her telling me I learned from her that authenticity is key. She had a huge issue with a contestant using the phrase 'fake it 'til you make it' and fired her that same episode. She taught me that you can't fake being a master of your craft.
I have pictures with Morimoto where I'm all embarrassed and he's so serious, it took me 30 minutes to get up the courage to introduce myself.
My half-breed culture informs everything I do but I'm not thinking about it. I'm just doing it. Not until very late in my career did I realize that I was so fortunate to just live with this profound pride in being half Mexican without being attacked for it.
I use my Le Creuset dutch oven for everything you can think of. I even fry eggs in it.
I love my fish spatula so much. I don't have many specialty tools, but that's a favorite of mine.
I want children to feel proud of their heritage.
My boys will not only respect and admire women and see them as their equals, but they will also see them as sources of inspiration and knowledge.
I surround myself with people that are supportive of our insane family dynamic, and I savor every minute of every day I have at home with my family.
