Sandoval Claudia - Claudias Cocina: A Taste of Mexico from the Winner of MasterChef Season 6 on FOX

acknowledgments

AGRADECIMIENTOS

Nothing could have prepared me for this moment in life, a moment when triumph is finally mine, when freedom is finally attainable, and when healing is finally possible. For this reason, I have to say, Gracias mi Dios. Tal vez un da te pueda dar el abrazo mas grande del mundo por darme este dichoso xito.

I would like to thank my book team, Edwin, Thomas, Samantha, Leda, Danielle, and the whole Abrams team. Thank you for your patience with me and for making this book what I envisioned. You were right, it turned out perfect.

Thank you, Chef Gordon Ramsay, for never letting up on me and pushing me to excellence. You are an incredible mentor and I promise to have no more dreams of you again. Maybe.

Thank you, Chef Graham Elliot, for reminding me to focus on who

I am and staying true to myself. You were right, that hard time was but a moment in time, and the sacrifice was WELL worth it.

Thank you, Chef Christina Tosi, for your advice, your confidence, and your energy. You are as genuine as you are fierce. It was an honor to learn from you.

Thank you, Adeline Ramage Rooney, for EVERYTHING. When are we going to Mazatln?

Thank you to Stephanie Lewis, Yasmin Shackleton, and Robin Ashbrook for casting me for this amazing opportunity. This wouldnt be possible without you. Thank you for seeing my passion, drive, and potential.

To Chef Sandee Birdsong, Chef Avery Pursell, and the entire culinary team, GRACIAS! You all pushed me to be the best version of myself. Thank you for embracing my culinary dreams of an elevated Mexican cuisine and for finding the rarest of ingredients.

To the production and A.D. teams under Brian Smith (GOD), Anna, and Bradyyou are all so incredibly talented and work so hard. Thanks for all you do.

A huge gracias to the teams at Endemol Shine, H&M Communications, Triple 7 PR, One Potato Two Potato, FOX, and Abrams.

A huge thank-you to my friends Steph, Mikey, and the rest of the wrangler crew: Thanks for the laughs and patience. Steph and Mikey, you two were my best friends and I am so thankful for the friendships we built.

A Humungadocious thank-you to Diane Cu, Todd Porter, and team. Thank you for the most incredible food photography I have ever seen, for embracing me and my family, and for understanding my vision and true identity.

Thanks to Amanda Saab: You kept me sane through this writing, you kept me going, thank you for helping me focus and for just being you.

To my MC Family: Nick, Ailsa, Tommy, Derrick, Stephen, Katrina, and the rest of the top 22, Top 40, and Top 100... you are all rock stars! NEVER give up on your culinary dream.

Huge thanks to Lauren Gallaway: If it werent for you, this journey would have never even been possible.

To Ilo Neukam and Jess Lawrence, thank you for pushing me beyond my excuses and reminding me that I deserved this opportunity.

To my i.d.e.a. family, thank you for the support and encouragement.

To Mike Fennessy, thank you for being my personal creative director and for helping me explain the vision in my head. You are such an incredible friend and I am so blessed to have you.

To Amy Lorenzen, Julie Messing-Paea, and Indra Gardiner-Bowers: You three women inspire me so much and I am blessed to have such successful women as mentors. Gracias for your support and encouragement.

Thank you to my prep team, Melanie Rose Prince and Anna Sciarrino. The amount of cooking practice I did with you two was invaluable. Thank you.

To Tania and Eily, thank you for always having my back and being not just friends but sisters. I am so glad you came into my life. Pretty sure I would have lost it without you two by now.

To my cousins Esmy, David, Rosy, and Juan, thank you for keeping me sane through this process.

To my brother and sisters, Josue, Marlia, and Liamar, I love you and hope I make you proud. Top that bishes!

Para mi Lita Hermelinda, gracias Abuelita por compartir su sazon y sus recetas conmigo. Espero este orgullosa de mi y este triunfo que lo comparto con usted y mi Abuela Coti. La adoro. Que dios me la bendiga.

Dadito, gracias papito lindo por ser una persona que me enseo lo que es ser papa de los buenos, amigo cuando te necesitaba, proveedor cuando ya no poda, y mi constante recordatorio de ser paciente conmigo misma, con mis anhelos, y durante mis mas grandes frustraciones. Muchos de mis valores de trabajo vienen de ti. Mucho de mi xito y triunfo han sido gracias a tus enseanzas y valores. Gracias por ser mi Daddy, Mi Papi, y mi Dad. Te adoro.

Gracias Mami, for sharing all of your amazing recipes with me from a small age. This is OUR triunfo. A publishing of our familys recipes. Un libro que afirma que todo lo que hemos pasado por nuestras vida fue con el propsito de llevarnos a este xito. Mas que nada, espero que ests orgullosa de mi. Que este libro sea prueba que eres una de las mejores madres del mundo. Gracias por tu apoyo, por darme los valores con los que vivo mi vida con mi frente en alto. Por Nosotras!

Lastly, thank you Yani, my sweet baby. This book took me away from you for so many days, hours, weeks, months. Never once did you ever judge me. I am not sure how I ever got this lucky. You are the most amazing child I could have ever had. You are the better part of anything I am. You are my best friend baby, my heart, my breath, my everything. This is just the beginning for us, honey. I cant wait to show you the world you deserve, Munchkin. Thank you for allowing me to be your mommy.

the basics

LO BASICO

Learning the basics is where all good cooks start. You have to have a good foundation if you are going to have a great structure. So I wanted to take you through the most important basics you will need to make some of the most delicious Mexican meals. Many of these are recipes that people have long asked for from my mom. Luckily, I was able to convince her to share them with you in this book.

These basic recipes include everything from cleaning cactus to making flour tortillas, which as many of you may know can be quite difficult. Fortunately, my mom and I decided to show you step-by-step how we go about making these delightful accompaniments to any meal. Some of these basics take more than just a couple of tries to master, as evidenced by my years of practice, but stick with it and you will do just fine!

how to prepare cactus paddles

COMO PREPARAR NOPALES

Cleaning cactus is no easy feat to accomplish. In fact, I was too scared to attempt it until I was older, for fear of getting pricked. Thats because even though the bigger needles are visible to the naked eye, there are also some tiny needles that are as clear as water and virtually invisible.