Laredense will appear in Food Network cooking contest

“I was really nervous,” said Kuykendall, Hotel Havana’s executive chef and chef and owner of the Milpa At the Yard food truck and several businesses in San Antonio. “And in the first place, when they got closer, I wasn’t really familiar with the show. And I was working, and my manager Joey was very motivating and said, “Chef, they called you, and is this something you want to do?” I remember I was like, ‘How will this help us?’ As I’m all about teamwork and I just wanted to know how this would help the team, the hotel and help us move forward. “

After thinking about it for a bit, the chef finally agreed to be a part of the Food Network show and said yes. However, after watching an episode, she was concerned about what she had “gotten into,” as the show specializes in competitors cooking a mystery dish using items that are not known until they are revealed moments before the contestants compete. .

During the episode, Kuykendall was thrown a “curve ball” into cooking a meal with peanut butter and jelly, which she claims she was not that familiar with as she focuses on more Latin-style foods and did not grow up in an environment where that type of dish was something she is very used to. However, the chef claims that it was an experience that she loved deeply, as she promised herself that on the show she would apply her culinary expertise to the assigned dish.

“People who know me know how I can improvise when it comes to cooking,” said Kuykendall. “When it comes to ‘Chopped,’ they give you mystery baskets and of course you create everything you can with them, so that was the beauty of being on that show, as it’s something you don’t know what to expect when you get it. give, so you may have to work with what you have ”.

As someone who lived in Laredo who also used to get food from local pantries or the food bank, he claims that the look of the mystery box of goods was something that didn’t scare him, but rather took him back to his roots.

“Being from Laredo, the church helped us at times,” Kuykendall said. “And they gave us mystery boxes, and you created what you could of these boxes that gave you food for the family and things like that, so I think I was well prepared for something like this.”

Just like people can watch her episode this week, one of Kuykendall’s friends is also very excited that it will be on display nationally.

“Kirk, you’ve arrived,” Amanda Del Toro said. “Savor and enjoy your new success! Anyone who knows you knows that the journey was not easy, but you persisted and gave it life, and that has resulted in a triumph. You make us all so proud. We love you.”

According to the chef, she didn’t really have time to prepare for the show as she is always working her various jobs and restaurants. Even though he couldn’t share whether he ended up winning the competition on the episode or not, and we wouldn’t spoil it if he did, he said the experience was worth it.

“It is learning. No matter what the outcome is, it’s great for marketing and great for promoting yourself, and I’d just say the experience is something I really wanted under my belt. And being exposed to something like that is not an everyday thing for everyone, especially for all chefs, ”said Kuykendall. “There are 1,000 chefs in a zip code, so being chosen for something like that, I think it’s more like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I can go this way,’ so I was blown away, impressed and excited.”

According to Kuykendall, this is definitely something she would like to be involved in again, although she finds each day she cooks something new in the kitchen a challenge in itself, even without cameras tracking her every move.

In all his different jobs and positions in the businesses he works or operates in, Kuykendall always helps create Latino foods and infuses them with his border flair. She credits having achieved it thanks to its location, her mother’s cooking techniques from Mexico and her travels to the country, and her love of exploring and tasting Nuevo Laredo food, as she used to cross and also taste the food of the city.

As the executive chef of the Hotel Havana, she not only cooks, but also prepares the menu for the restaurant establishment and helps develop other chefs entering the industry. In her own food truck business, she is the head chef and the main operator of the business.

“I didn’t realize how unique our cooking style is in Laredo,” said Kuykendall. “My mother brought her style from Guanajuato – born and raised in Guanajuato – and she had her own idea of ​​cooking and she blessed me with it. Of course, like in our Santo Niño neighborhood where I grew up, everyone loved their food and were always raving about their food. Then, when it came to high school and venturing to Nuevo Laredo and going with friends to those late-night tacos, I was a little captivated and I loved the essence and the flavor. “

According to the chef, she affirms that the achievement of being in the program and others such as receiving several awards in San Antonio for her cooking and experience with food are not only things that she achieved because she is good at them, but things because she was persistent in her goals.

“If you are following your goals and dreams, always make sure you are keeping in mind that you are being consistent, that you have responsibility and that being persistent will get you far,” said Kuykendall. “Pure love for Laredo, and hopefully I’ll be in my city one day.”

Kuykendall and her various businesses can be followed on social media under Jess.kuykendall for her on Instagram, Milpafoodtruck and Milpaattheyard on Instagram for her businesses, and Chef Jesse Kirk on Facebook.