Chef Marcela Valladolid: Any recipe that has taken me back to my traditional Mexican recipes that I grew up with. I have a cactus paddle salad that I love and what excites me about revisiting an ingredient like cactus paddle now is that it’s just packed with superfood benefits like antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and is great for digestion. While a lot of people in the U.S. aren’t as familiar with it, it’s readily available and can really amp up flavor. I developed this salad recipe filled with creamy avocado dressing, roasted pepitas, radish and tomato - oh yes, that’s been my favorite one so far.

I’m super excited about it. Honestly, when I was approached by Verizon and Hoy Health I was so excited by what it means and what it provides for their customers, and how easy it makes the whole process. To be able to provide this service to my friends and family in Latin America, and make sure they get what they need is just great. I don’t know about your dad, but whenever I ask if he should see a doctor mine is always like “Nope nothing’s wrong!” But now I can just set this up for him, with a Spanish speaking doctor, and sit him in front of the computer and he’s taken care of. Especially with Covid, when many are nervous to go to a doctor’s office or clinic, this is such a great solution for him and my other friends and family and why I’m so excited to partner with them.

I was approached by the brand, but the important thing to mention is I will never ever enter a partnership that doesn’t resonate with me and my life. After a zillion questions, I really love this program, and what it means for not just my health but the health of my friends, family and my community.

It feels amazing! Through the course of the pandemic I’ve been involved in fundraisers to help my community with all the ways they’ve been impacted, and of course my friends and family don’t really get to join me in that work right now. But to now be able to provide something super nice and easy to the people I love the most in my life, and that Verizon customers can give this to their friends and family as well, is exciting and rewarding.

Oh I’m so happy about this by the way! That’s my jam! Before Covid I was always finding an excuse to have a gathering or have people over and I’m excited we can do that again.If you’re hosting, before we get into the food, always know that as the host you set the mood for your gathering. If you are stressed or freaking out about the filet mignon - your guests will feel it. Hosting a party is not the time to experiment with a new recipe. Don’t do it! Pick things that work at room temperature. I always say, especially if entertaining outdoors, pick dishes that work at room temperature for a few hours (and that will be safe doing that) and dishes that won’t stress you out so you can relax with your guests. Create a chill atmosphere. Your guests will remember how they felt more than what they ate. Choose dishes that you‘re comfortable with so you and your guests can relax and enjoy themselves. Ultimately, it’s about what you bring to the table with not just your food but your energy as well.

I wanna see the return of everything traditional Mexican. I’ve had so many interactions with my fans during Covid, more than ever before, and there is such a longing to go back to basics. So my hope for this summer is to go back to the basics, to classic Mexican dishes - the chile rellenos, mole, tacos, carnitas. As chefs we feel like we need to recreate these dishes to show off our experience and skills. But the people I’m chatting with want to go back to the original classics and back to tradition. The past year has really forced us to refocus on what’s going on at home, and that includes embracing our traditions. So summer 2021, to me, will be the return of traditional Mexican food.

Yes! Cooking for me is my joy, my stress relief, my escape from reality. But for my sister, cooking is stressful. Even making a sandwich stresses her. So I’ve really thought a lot about how to make cooking fun for her and those like her. I’ve found if you are insecure in the kitchen and don’t know where to start, just go back to basics and things you love or grew up with. When we connect to food that brings us comfort, there’s something that happens emotionally, mentally, and brings joy. Go back to solutions and dishes that bring you comfort. The French concept of mise en place is all about preparation and preparation takes away the anxiety. Read the recipe a few times before you get started. Prep all the ingredients. Turn on the oven. Get out the dishes. You will feel much less stressed and have more fun in the kitchen.