Mexico’s First Celebrity Chef

For our final episode of 2021, Zarela & Aarón are thrilled to welcome Mauricio Velázquez de León to discuss his relative, Josefina Velázquez de León. Josefina was Mexico's first celebrity chef: she was on the radio, television, and published dozens of cookbooks popularizing traditional Mexican cuisine. Together they dive into Josefina's legacy: she championed new technologies, promoted Mexican cooking both at home and abroad, and celebrated women throughout North America. Though Mauricio was only 5 when Josefina passed away, he was raised on stories of her life and works. He has followed her footsteps in becoming a publisher in his own right; check out his work at Duopress Books. For more recipes from Zarela and Aarón, visit zarela.com and chefaaronsanchez.com