At the Table with… Jesse Perez

Born in Texas to second-generation Mexican American parents, Jesse Perez’ enthusiasm for cooking dates back to his childhood, when he cooked tamales and tortillas with his grandmother and mother. Perez honed his culinary talents in notable restaurants in the U.S. and Mexico, and is now the owner and executive chef of Arcade Midtown Kitchen in San Antonio, Texas.

The featured chef in the November 2013 issue of Latina Magazine, Chef Jesse cooked up traditional Thanksgiving dishes with a distinctively Latin flavor. This got us wondering about his culinary roots: the foods he loved most as a kid; the family member who informed his love of cooking; and from where he draws inspiration for his dishes. We learned the answer to these and other questions in an exclusive interview ‘At the Table with’ chef and restaurateur Jesse Perez.

Dish you crave from your abuela: 

Fresh Queso Fresco Enchiladas; Lettuce Salad with Raw Onion and Lemon served with Fried Potatoes

Secret ingredient to make a dish pop: 

A fresh squeeze of lemon and or lime juice

Favorite Latin restaurant in the U.S.: 

A toss up between Frontera Grill in Chicago and La Fonda in Brooklyn, NY

Favorite city to eat in: 

Chicago

Secret to a perfect dinner party: 

Mis en place of the food, sexy urban music, and designed cocktails

Biggest food indulgence: 

Perfectly fried french fries

Favorite vegetable: 

Brussels sprouts

Best food memory: 

Thanksgiving dinner with all my family members.

Ideal breakfast, lunch and dinner: 

Breakfast: Fried Egg with Chipotle Black Beans and Salsa Verde

Lunch: Tortilla Soup with Hot Pressed Cubano Sandwich

Dinner: Toasted Red Chile Rubbed Ribeye with Roasted Garlic Asparagus and Blistered Jalapeno Bearnaise

Favorite Latin cocktail: 

Mas Chingoni

Favorite kitchen gadget: 

Stick blender

Perfect song to cook to: 

Reflection by Tool

Most adventurous food you have eaten: 

Thousand Year Old Fermented Duck Egg that one of my employees brought in

Favorite fusion:  

Dried and fresh chiles and chocolate

Tip for at-home cooks: 

Approach two or three of your favorite restaurants and volunteer to work for experience. You’ll see that it’s not like what you see on TV and you’ll have a whole new respect for the Heart of the House within the restaurant industry.