Master Chef Mexico Judge, Chef Betty Vázquez, describes her home, the Riviera Nayarit in Mexico as an ocean of cultures and challenges, an ocean of opportunities, and an ocean of discoveries and history.
Chef Betty Vázquez was raised, and now resides, in the historic port of San Blas, located on the sands of the Mexican Riviera in the Pacific Ocean. This is the place where Betty remembers that at a very young age she developed an interest in the kitchen and trained at her grandmother's side. Living in this small, but cosmopolitan town, visited by tourists from around the globe, she developed a desire to learn about the rest of the world. Chef Betty attributes her success to her early exposure to travel, her love of cooking, and her strong family bond.
In August, 50 publishers from Macaroni Kid had the pleasure of visiting Riviera Nayarit, Mexico. During the five day tour, the publishers sampled local food, visited local communities and explored all that the region offered. Chef Betty is known as a Judge on Master Chef Mexico. Her appearance on the show has made her famous in both the United States and in Mexico. She is proud to be the culinary ambassador of the region of Riviera Nayarit in Mexico. She has a passion for sharing Mexican Cuisine and its history.
Betty Vázquez talked with us about growing up in San Blas and the experiences that have influenced her along the way. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Who or what influenced your passion for cooking?
My first love for cooking was the food itself. I love to eat, play to the fullest, understand the changes that food can have when we use fire, steam, cold ... to see the differences in the seasons, observe, and see how nature works.
My first teacher was my grandmother, I loved watching her work at the kitchen table while doing my homework in elementary school. I loved to see how the kitchen was filled with ingredients and smells and when it was time for dinner, everything became a feast of flavors. She had a subtle way of playing with the ingredients, telling us how they were planted, their growth process, and then harvest, and always making us thank nature for its kindness.
I still remember how she taught us how to count when we cleaned beans and lentils and the magical stories she told us about how a grain of corn can become a thousand dishes in Mexican cuisine.
She was a first-grade school teacher for 40 years, in a rural area and part of their activities, was to teach reading, but also to make small gardens for each family to be sustainable and that was before 1960. Sustainability and slow cooking were already part of her vocabulary.
How has Riviera Nayarit influenced your life?
I grew up on the Riviera Nayarit; I saw its valleys, its mountains, its lagoons, and its sea, and ever since, I remember. When I was a child my parents talked about the magic of one's land, that each one can achieve their goals, when they have clear objectives. I love my country, my homeland.
What are the traditions that have inspired you?
From a young age, I remember being surrounded by family at meals. This is where our family talks taught us values and helped us to be better students, citizens, and overall good human beings.
Traveling in my home was a tradition, to visit our state and our country, to be able to value the history and the beauty of Mexico. Coming from a family of teachers, the history of the country was a topic of conversation. My family talked often about our origins and the knowledge of the conquest of the Spaniards.
What is your favorite dish to make and what is your favorite food to have someone else make for you?
My favorite dish has changed over the years. First I loved the cakes -- the desserts, then the sauces to dress the main dishes. Nowadays the dishes that I like to eat the most are the raw ones, like ceviches and aguachiles.
What are five kitchen ingredients and five tools you can’t live without?
The five ingredients I could not live without are salt, lemon, chili, oil, and garlic.
The five instruments I could not live without are a pair of good knives, a sharpening stone, a good frying pan, and a mortar.
What’s your motto or the advice that you live by?
Appreciation and gratitude.
I thank God for what he has given me and I am thankful to live near the sea. The sea gives me inspiration when cooking. I appreciate every day being able to see the ocean and being able to eat fresh fish every day.
What are you most excited about in your life right now?
The most exciting thing today about my life is to look back and see everything that I have lived and learned so far. My dreams have come true. I work alongside my family. Our home has become a hotel and a restaurant, where we welcome guests who become friends and then family. I never thought I would get this far, to be a recognized Chef on a television show that is so successful. I just love my work. I work hard every day, putting my heart into everything and now I can see that it shows.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I think what I first thought was I wanted to be a teacher because I always saw it at home. It was only natural because my grandparents were teachers, so were my mom and my oldest sister.
Your first career was as a pilot. What made you change careers?
I think I always lived ahead of my time, as studying for a pilot was not common in a woman in the late 1970s. I went to school to study to be a pilot and then when I realized that I had made a mistake, I started working in the hospitality industry and that lead me to the kitchen and cooking.
What is your favorite ingredient to work with and why?
Today my favorite ingredients with which I work are those that come from the ocean. I see seafood as the future of the world. If we care and if we respect marine life then I believe we have guaranteed human survival.
What behind-the-scenes secret can you tell us about Master Chef?
Mexico is magical. The gastronomy of our country and its people, Mexico for me means thousands of flavors and traditions, each person, a smile, a story to tell and a land to visit.
Last weekend on Earth: what city are you eating in, who are you with and what are you eating?
If it was my last meal, I would love it to be at the dining table in my home in San Blas, with my family, talking about our trips traveling around the world while eating a seafood plate, of course.
Betty Vázquez and her family, own and operate a hotel and restaurant, Bar El Delfín, located in San Blas, Riviera Nayarit, Mexico. Betty Vázquez is most recently known for Master Chef. She serves as ambassador to Riviera Nayarit. She has studied around the world and uses the flavors from her travel to inspire and prepare decadent recipes.
