Danielle Alvarez

WHAT DOES COOKING MEAN TO YOU?

I believe food has the power to change people. For me, cooking comes from the home, the heart and the soul. I cannot imagine doing anything else with my life.

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WHAT DOES COOKING MEAN TO YOU?

I believe food has the power to change people. For me, cooking comes from the home, the heart and the soul. I cannot imagine doing anything else with my life.

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A talk with Danielle Alvarez

For me, cooking comes from the home, the heart and the soul.

Which person made you love the job?

Chef Alice Waters has been a huge influence. Even before I started working for her, I admired her activism: she saw beyond the plate to how food can influence government, policy and even the environment.

What is your earliest memory of an experience with the pepper?

Being of Cuban heritage, food and the pepper were both big parts of my life growing up in Miami. Peppers are an essential ingredient in Sofrito – the base of almost every traditional Cuban dish – therefore, I have been enjoying sweet peppers my entire life.

Can you tell me about your experiences with the pepper around the world?

When I lived in California, I was exposed to a variety of dried peppers in Mexican food. I noticed how they were different from the fresh chillies I had in Australia, which I encountered mainly in Vietnamese and Thai food. Mexican chillies tend to have more build-up on the palate versus the straightforward spice of the fresh dishes.