Mexican chef Isabel Carvajal shared in an interview her journey from selling yogurt in Barcelona to running restaurants and publishing her first cookbook.
Isabel Carvajal arrived in Barcelona ten years ago for a romantic relationship. Without legal documents to work she lost her job and started selling yogurt with fruit on the streets to pay for her room.
She later offered Mexican food to a local community and opened the restaurant El Sazón de Isabel, which now has two branches. She said she learned to use local ingredients while keeping the Mexican flavor.
She recently published Cocinar es una forma de decir te quiero, her first cookbook of traditional recipes with stories behind each dish. The book includes preparations such as pozole, birria and chiles en nogada.
Carvajal also participates as a teacher on MasterChef 24/7. She indicated she is considering opening restaurants in Mexico although she is still evaluating the logistics to operate in both countries.