A bit about me

Hi my name is Susana Villasuso, I'm a Chef and recipe developer from San Luis Potosi, MExico, I currently live on the edge of southwest London with my little family.

I was born and raised in Mexico and my first memories of food come from my maternal grandma. I remember going with her to the little local market around the corner from her house to buy essentials. With her purse under one arm and the other one holding my hand, we would go and choose a selection of vegetables, herbs and chilies to make fresh salsa, a bit of meat or chicken, fresh cheese and a couple of kilos of fresh tortillas. We would then go home and she would prepare the most delicious meals to feed a big family, especially so when we were all visiting her house during the summer - so many cousins, aunties and uncles!

It still amazes me how she managed to produce so much flavourful food for all of us and we would all swear she must have magic pots but, in reality, she was just such a clever and resourceful cook.

The food I like to make and eat is very much inspired by my cultural roots and home country. The colour and vibrancy of the food, the humble ingredients that land on the everyday tables of homes in Mexico, and all the fond memories of my grandma's cooking have had a great impact on me. My Mum and Dad are also great cooks and on top of that they taught me the importance of sitting together around a dining table to share a meal as a family.

After a gap year I went to study for my degree in Licenciada en Gastronomia, Chef at a culinary school in Monterrey in Northern Mexico. The wide-ranging experience I had here with some excellent chefs opened my eyes to the food world and the techniques and ways of working in a kitchen. All the same, over my four years of studying there, I didn't really settle on a preferred style of cooking, I have realised that it often takes time to develop that.

Through experiences working in catering and living for extended periods in London and New York I have been exposed to a big variety of produce and cuisines that, together with a longing for the flavours of my home country, and a desire to recreate some of these things for my family, have really inspired me to create new and I hope interesting recipes.

If you are a keen cook though there is no need to go to culinary school, I would just encourage you to practice and experiment and in this way you will be able to find your style in the kitchen.

My website is dedicated to presenting those recipes that I go to bed dreaming about and then wake up to experiment with! It’s a mix of both the traditional and the new of Mexican cuisine but put together in my own way, using fresh local ingredients and a simple approach, so that you will be able to recreate these ideas and flavours at home.