Grapes of Wrath sometimes describe the way I lived my childhood. My family migrated from Mexico every year to pick fruit and vegetables during the crop season in California, Oregon, and the West Coast. I learned how to make a dollar at a young age, experiencing new dishes, ingredients, styles, and people, creating memories, becoming passionate about food.
I graduated in 2012 from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, then I visited Aspen one summer to experience the Food & Wine Festival and fell in love with the valley. I moved to Aspen right after to pursue a life in the restaurant world, wearing many different culinary hats along the way, from being an executive chef to becoming a line cook and manager and then moving on to teach my style of the culinary arts to others.
Food Network gave me a stepping stone to becoming a teacher and a voice. Multiple shows followed including; Sabores de Familia, Harvest Aspen, Spice it up on KNFO, HipLatina.com, and Sportsman Channel, along with creating my own productions.
I came from a child picking fruit with her family to becoming a well-known private chef in Aspen creating art out of the seasons’ production.
More on Susie’s 3 favorite places:
1. La Carniceria in Carbondale. Love their steak burrito and it’s named after me; the Jimena(it’s spicy so be careful) they also have a ton of marinated meats and spicy sauces
2. Slow groovin and their smoky ok’d fashion. I love my whiskey but they take it to a whole new level.
3. Kenichi always makes me go yum! I order way too much and I don’t care, I love it!!
