#WCW: Back to Basics with Claudia Sandoval

Passionate. Proud. Innovative. And last, but certainly not least – Mexican.

These are a few words to describe Claudia Sandoval. The former Master Chef winner recently debuted her new cookbook, Claudia’s Cocina – A Taste of Mexico, where she offers her most delicious recipes straight from her plate to yours.

We chatted with Sandoval about raising a daughter in the kitchen, the rules of Mexican cooking and much more. Read on to see why she’s our #WomanCrushWednesday of the week! [pagebreak]

Tell us about your upbringing and background. How & when did you first become interested or involved in food?

I had a very humble upbringing which I wear on my shoulder with pride. It is the reason I am who I am today, and the very reason I strive so hard to achieve what so many have said was impossible. I was raised by a single mother until the age of nine. Strong-willed women are in my make-up and they are the ones who have taught me all about food and cooking. From a very small age (4-5) I was already being taught how to cook the basics in the kitchen. Much like I started by book, with the basics. 

What are your recipes inspired by?

My food is a showcase of all the things we ALL love about Mexican Food. Forward flavors that make you feel alive with citrus, bright herbs like cilantro, and deep chiles that stretch beyond the jalapeño. I love to cook food that really highlights a part of Mexico that is only known about for its violence and not for its incredibly fresh seafood-forward menus, Mazatlan, Sinaloa. My great-grandmother had a pop-up restaurant on the beach where she would cook local fish and shellfish to all. She was the queen of seafood on the beach and I want to be the Queen of Mariscos in the U.S. 

When it comes to cooking Mexican, what are three rules you can never forget? 

That is a hard question. Because every cuisine has a great many rules that you need to follow. However, since I am being asked the top 3 rules are the following: 1. Always cook with different textures, tastes, and acidities. 2. Never forget to add a bit of spice.  3. ALWAYS cook with love. Because without love, it isn’t Mexican. [pagebreak]

How do you constantly try and reinvent classic Mexican dishes?

The way I reinvent classic Mexican dishes is really by not changing any of the recipes but rather changing the technique, or by simply changing the way it is presented. Mexican food does not need to be mixed with other cuisines to be better. In my opinion, Mexican food is great just as it is. However, Mexican food is known for its casual and rustic presentations. This is what I aim to do when I present this classic Mexican flavor to a more refined palate and visual critic at a fine dining establishment. Change the perspective, don’t change the flavor. 

We noticed your daughter seems to take interesting in your culinary career. What advice would you give her, or other young girls, aspiring to be a chef like yourself?

My munchkin is indeed quite the cook herself even though she says she will be first in line to claim the General Manager position at my upcoming restaurant. The advice I would give young girls looking to find their space in a culinary career, would be to find their voice. However, it is important that once they find their culinary voice, they use that prowess to yell it from the rooftops in an unapologetic way. Because, your style and your voice should never be clouded or hidden. It should be shared, presented, and exhibited for all to see. For all of us are so different, and so wonderful, that the world has yet to see the best….YOU! 

Have you ever experienced any discrimination in the industry, as a female and as a Latina? 

Discrimination is something that afflicts more people of all walks of life than I care to tell or to share. My mother once told me that paying attention to ignorant people is pointless. I agree. Therefore, I rather use my culinary voice, my prowess, my platform to continue to show that I am a woman, I am a Latina, I am a single mother who is PROUD to come from humble beginnings, to have clawed her way to victory, to PROVE that stereotypes are a generalization fueled by ignorance and hate. We all are amazing for who we are. Let’s celebrate our victories daily and raise ourselves up instead of focusing on negativity. SI SE PUDO.