MY STORY
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MY STORY *
THE JOURNEY
I grew up in South Texas, the son of a Mexican American mother who cooked by memory and smell, and a father whose family were migrant workers picking cotton in the fields around Waco. I didn’t grow up speaking Spanish. I didn’t grow up in México. But I felt it in the smell of stewed pork and chiles, in the tamales we made every Christmas, in the pride in my grandfather’s handwriting, and the mariachi songs he’d sing when he drank.
And yet, for much of my life, I was told I don’t belong. Not in Texas. Not in professional kitchens. Not in conversations about “real” Mexican food.
I was either too Mexican, or not Mexican enough.
TODAY IN MAZATLÁN
Now I live in Mazatlán, where I wake up to ocean air, walk the malecón with my dog Choco, and cook the food that brings me joy.
I’m not here to chase authenticity.
I’m here to show you the beauty of México as I see it.
FINDING MYSELF IN MÉXICO
So I went back. I drove across all 32 states of México (over 30,000 miles) to taste, see, and understand the place my soul had always called home. I met cooks in tianguis and mercados, I listened to their stories, I cried over guisos that tasted like my grandmother’s. I found the food of my family. And I found people who looked like me.
But more than anything, I fell in love—with the land, the ingredients, the generosity of the people, the poetry of a culture that has survived and thrived through centuries of change. I fell in love with a place that told me, “Tu corazón es Mexicano” your heart is Mexican.
MY MISSION
Through my books, recipes, videos, and stories,
my mission is simple:
To share the heart and soul of México—its people, its history, its flavors—with honesty, pride, and a little bit of chile-laced chaos.
If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t quite belong, if you’ve ever searched for home in a pot of beans or a salsa macha, welcome.
You’re in the right place.
Let’s build your sazón.