I was born and raised in Mexico.

That is the first thing I say when people ask where my love for food comes from. Although I think that should explain most of it, it usually doesn’t.

I come from a family of accomplished cooks and food maniacs. Most of what I read, think, research, test and teach (including to my three boys, much to the dismay of my mother in law) is about food. I guess that doesn’t explain most of it either…

In hindsight, I think my interest in food built up as I tried to deny it. As a political analyst, I left things related to food for my spare time. As my husband and I started to grow a family, I began to think he was a macho man in disguise, who wanted a wife in the kitchen, since he insisted I quit my academic path to jump into cooking. Things you are truly passionate about, he would say, haven’t you noticed?

I did have wonderful incursions into the culinary field in the past. Right after we got married and moved to Texas, I taught Mexican cooking to friends and neighbors. Then, I became a production assistant for the PBS food series New Tastes from Texas hosted by Chef Stephan Pyles, along with guests Diana Kennedy and Patricia Quintana, pioneers who helped introduce Mexican ingredients into American cooking.

Once we moved to DC, I retook my formal path as a political analyst and received a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University. I worked so hard, I got a merit scholarship and felt very proud. Soon after, I worked at the Inter American Dialogue, a policy research center, which I had considered my dream job, and kept on working even harder!

Yet, I got into an existential crisis of sorts… Obsessively thinking about food rather than politics, after a year, I registered for the night program at L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Maryland. After a lot of hesitation, I decided to take a plunge, and left my job to give food a real try. Since then, I have never looked back. In 2007, prompted by the Director of the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C., I became the resident chef and started teaching cooking classes and making special dinners.  

Long story short, a couple years later I started a blog, which then became this site, and a few years later I was able to launch Pati’s Mexican Table, a national public TV series. 

What to look for on this site.

On this website, you will find different sections to browse in. There is one dedicated to all recipes, including those that are part of the TV series. There is also a TV and online series section, where you can find out where to watch any episode from any season from Pati’s Mexican Table and La Frontera, and also tune in to some fun online videos.

You will also find a cookbook section, where you will find information on my cookbooks, Pati’s Mexican Table, published in 2013, and Mexican Today, published in 2016, and my latest cookbook Treasures of the Mexican Table, published Nov. 23, 2021.

Each recipe included in my blog, TV series and cookbooks exists because I love it. I test every recipe until it becomes a magic potion that anybody can make, whether it is for my classes, episodes or family meals. I also try my best to make each class, each episode, each blog post as meaningful as I can for those who take the time to connect.

I feel very blessed and grateful that you have taken the time to stop by, here, on my online home, or have allowed me to come into your home, through the TV series or recipes.

Meet the team!

Born and raised in Mexico City, Pati is host of the 3x James Beard Award-winning PBS television series “Pati’s Mexican Table” and the PBS primetime docuseries “La Frontera.” She is resident chef at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C., and a cookbook author. A former political analyst she switched policy papers for cooking pots to make exploring and sharing Mexico’s cuisine her life’s work. She has cooked at the White House for President Obama’s Cinco de Mayo celebration. The Council of the Americas named Pati one of the “Top 5 Border Ambassadors” who have performed outstanding work bringing the United States and Mexico closer together in their Americas Quarterly (AQ) magazine. She was also named one of the National Immigration Forum’s “Keepers of the American Dream,” which honors individuals who embody the spirit of immigrant achievement and contribute to the well-being of immigrants in the US.

She lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband. They have three sons and a dog named Mila.

Kristy has split her work life between two passions — communications/digital media and the culinary arts. She got her start in public relations before finding her way into a job as a new media producer on the first-ever digital and social media team for the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. After questioning whether she wanted to continue down this very Washingtonian path, she moved to the west coast to experience new things. She discovered her love for cooking while living in Healdsburg, Calif., and working in the wine industry and ended up getting a degree in culinary arts from the Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland, Ore. She was able to merge these two paths when she started working with Pati eight years ago.

Kristy grew up in Virginia and studied English and political science at Virginia Tech. She now lives in Washington, D.C., with her wife and their two cats. When she’s not working, you’re likely to find her in her garden picking arugula to make an Arugula Avocado Salad, or in the great outdoors attempting to make Tex-Mex Chili over a campfire.

A twenty-year Arlington, VA resident, Pilar was born and raised in Mexico City where she obtained her BA in Economics; she also holds a Master’s Degree from Essex University in the United Kingdom in Finance and Business. Before joining Team Pati, Pilar was the Administrator of the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, DC, a thriving artistic center dedicated to enrich the relationship between Mexico and the United States. She also does volunteer work for Challenging Racism, a local organization dedicated to empower and inspire people to disrupt racism.

Pilar and her husband are now empty nesters as their only child Sebastian is about to graduate at Washington University in St. Louis. They like to spend their free time cooking their favorite Tarascan Soup or Chicken Flautas, exploring new places, and spoiling their adorable 12-year old dog Cosmo.

CONNECT! 

You can connect with us via hola@patijinich.com