Betty Vazquez

What made you want to become a chef?

Crises. Yes, the crisis of wanting to eat well, of knowing that armed with food you can cure, you can heal and you can provide nourishment. Not to forget you can enjoy the creative process and when you donate your work - because that´s what you do - more than money what you earn is the pleasure of seeing the happiness of your diners. And when I say crisis, it´s because I´ve always liked to eat and when I finished my first degree and it wasn´t what I expected, I consoled myself by cooking - without realising I had found my vocation.

What is your first memory of a dish that made you dream?

My grandmother´s snacks, always imbued with flavours with great history; the tamales - knowing what I would find inside and seeing her surprised face when we hit upon what was in the filing. My grandmother´s cooking was fun, inclusive. She used to let us play around the table in her kitchen, and she chatted about the Mexican countryside and she made us love our country, its history and its gastronomy.

Who has influenced you in your cooking style or philosophy?

First of all, my grandmother, with her in the kitchen even the dullest of days was phenomenal. The great chefs from my country, the old guard, who remain with us and relevant: Pedro Ortega, Patricia Quintana, Titita Ramírez Degollado; in Spain, having been in Juan Mari Arzak´s kitchens; the cutting edge of the new generations from around the world, their daring to change in a multitude of ways.

What inspires you? or Where does your inspiration come from?

I love to observe nature, its rhythms, seasons, colours, textures, flavours - the secret to everything is there, our roots and our essence. I look at the sea every day and imagine all the secrets contained within its vastness and dream. From there, crazy ideas arise later to acquire texture. I think my diners are aware of my degree of madness, which is quite something...

What is your favourite culinary method or technique?

Marinating....