MARCELA VALLADOLID

I really only eat burritos in Tijuana from street corners that come out of coolers from businesses with no name, telephone or website.

We didn't grow up with processed foods at all. I mean, I am not a nutritionist. I make enchiladas for a living, so that disclaimer needs to be there.

In Tijuana, we have cuisine from every region of Mexico and cooks from all over cooking in all of the restaurants, so there is a huge influence from sources like the Yucatan, Oaxaca and Puebla.

We'll do frozen pizzas and then I'll get arugula from the garden and do a fresh salad over the top with shaved Parmesan. Or we'll buy a rotisserie chicken already made, and then we'll make tacos and a fresh salsa and we'll grill some vegetables to accompany it. We definitely try to make it a little bit homemade if it's not completely homemade.

One summer, when I was on break from architecture school in Tijuana, my aunt gave me a summer job cleaning up and peeling garlic, and I got to see her in her element. She was so passionate and such a good teacher, I decided to quit architecture school and go to culinary school in Los Angeles.

In Mexico, where I grew up, women rule the kitchen. They control everything that happens; they hold the power.

I like risk takers. They're the ones that end up changing the world.

There's a particular quality that those of us who live on the border share; we can switch from being Mexican to being American in an instant just by scanning our surroundings. Not everybody has this superpower; it takes a very specific kind of upbringing to instill a deep pride in two very different cultures.

I had a lot of female role models around me as a kid, but my aunt Marcela Rodriguez was the strongest. When she was only 26, she opened Artes Culinarias Internacionales, one of the first culinary schools in Baja. She started with six students and built up to 800.

There are so many wonderful Mexican cheeses that people really don't consider when making Mexican food, or food in general.

Quesadillas, those are my comfort food.

People don't realize that we're spending money throwing food away rather than feeding people.

Tart pomegranates that pop in your mouth make the perfect counterpoint to roasted chicken and salty-creamy feta cheese.

San Diego, in fact, is one of the hardest places to sell Mexican food. You just cross the border into Tijuana and they have better food that's more authentic and for half the price.

I use my Le Creuset dutch oven for everything you can think of. I even fry eggs in it.

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.

In Tijuana, because there's such a mix and match of people and regions and we're a newer city and everyone comes from some place else, I think we're just given permission to play with our food.

Entertaining is much more than a reason to eat and drink; It's a reason to bond with friends and families.

Herdez Salsas have always been a favorite of mine because I love the authentic taste.

In an attempt to have access to everything year-round, produce has lost its magic.

I definitely recommend a quality chef's knife.

I strongly believe that it's possible to conserve our heritage while making more healthful choices.

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.

I want children to feel proud of their heritage.

I didn't realize I was living in a very unique situation until I became a culinary professional. For me, there was nothing out of the ordinary about spending half my day in Mexico, and the other half in California.