Pati Jinich

Born and raised in Mexico City, Pati Jinich has profoundly impacted the culinary world as a chef, television personality, and cookbook author. Jinich began her culinary journey as the resident chef at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, D.C., where she has been running her "Mexican Table" live culinary program since 2007. With her deep-rooted knowledge and passion for Mexican cuisine, she soon found her way into the television scene with her James Beard Award-winning and Emmy-nominated public television series, "Pati's Mexican Table" and the PBS docuseries "La Frontera." This platform allowed Jinich to share authentic Mexican cooking and explore Mexico's rich history and culture with a broader audience in the United States and on various channels in Southeast Asia, Australia, Canada, and Japan.

Jinich's culinary expertise further extended into the literary realm with the publication of her three cookbooks: "Pati's Mexican Table," "Mexican Today," and "Treasures of the Mexican Table." Her first cookbook, published in March 2013, was listed as one of the best cookbooks of 2013 by Amazon, The Washington Post, The Splendid Table, Serious Eats, and NPR The Salt. Moreover, it won the James Beard Foundation Media Award, the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Award in 2020, and the Gourmand Award in 2013. Her later cookbooks have equally received high acclaim, with "Treasures of the Mexican Table" being listed as one of the best cookbooks of 2021 by The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and Glamour.

Outside the kitchen, Jinich has been recognized for her significant contributions to the culinary world and for bringing the Mexican and U.S. cultures closer together. She was invited to cook at the White House for President Barack Obama's Cinco de Mayo dinner in May 2014 and again at the James Beard House in New York City in May 2018. Her work has been recognized by various awards and nominations, including the Daytime Emmy Award for Performer Non-Drama and the Imagen Award. Jinich is also a member of Les Dames d'Escoffier and the Women's Business Enterprise National Council. Jinich resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with her husband and three sons, continuing her culinary journey and enriching people's lives with her delightful Mexican recipes.