FoodservicemonthlyTM - Pati Jinich JBF Winner
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foodservicemonthly
foodservicemonthly.com Volume 17, No. 6
TM
June 2018
JBF Winner
Pati Jinich
Invites You to Her Mexican Table
IN THE SPOTLIGHT | Lisa Keathley
Welco m e t o m y
Mexican T a b l e !
2018 James Beard Award Winner Pati Jinich
P
Photo: Kent Miller
Photos: Penny De Los Santos
ati Jinich is an outstanding personali
Jinich won the 2018 JBF broadcast media award in the host category at a ceremony
in New York City in late April. She had been nominated for the award twice before,
but this time, the announcement caught her by surprise. “Unbelievable! I have
never had feelings like those when they announced my name. I didn’t think I’d get it
because of the high level of the others nominated. I didn’t even prepare a speech.”
12 | JUNE 2018 The Newsmagazine Foodservice Professionals Rely On foodservicemonthly
T
hough she may have been connected with and rediscovered my
speechless that night, rarely own country while being away.”
is she at a loss for words! The Pati also listened constantly to
engaging, personable Pati Jinich public radio and became what she
is host of the PBS television calls a “super fan.” That led her
program Pati’s Mexican Table, a series to knock on the door of the local
that explores the richness of food, public TV station, KERA-TV, where
history, and culture in Pati’s home she became a production assistant
country, Mexico. Now in production for a TV program about Texan and
for its seventh season to premiere southwestern cuisine. She found she
this fall, Pati and her film crew loved the research, the travel, and
have traveled throughout Mexico — the focus on food.
from the capital Mexico City to the
eastern Mexican vacation town of A move to D.C…
San Miguel de Allende to the coastal …pulled Pati back into the policy
city of Champotón in southwestern world. She got a graduate degree
Mexico, with many stops along the in Latin American studies from
Photo: Pati's Mexican Table
way to explore food, family, and fun. Georgetown University, followed
The upcoming season focuses on the
Baja Peninsula in Mexico’s north. “Food connects cultures and countries. by a job at the Inter-American
Dialogue think tank. But the policy
“By receiving the award, I felt
validation from the professional One recipe at a time. One story at a time." job was “so boring,” she says. “I got
zero satisfaction. I fought it until
culinary world that I’ve been I couldn’t fight it any longer.” Pati
working so hard to be part of. It felt realized that she found meaning
like an embrace from the culinary Though she was not much of a nuts, and sear meat. “Comals have
through food. “The only way to grow
community.” cook herself, Pati says she always a history,” Pati notes, “and they get
roots in America was to nurture
felt a pull to the kitchen. However, seasoned with age. You usually don’t
The roots of Pati’s passion myself and my growing family
“I yanked myself out of it to be my pass down a comal until someone
through food. Food was home to me.
Patricia Jinich — known to pretty own woman. Because I came from a dies. You might get a new one,
I realized that food was the way to
much everyone as Pati — was born divorced family, my mom always told but not a used one. My mom gave
communicate about my roots.”
in Mexico, one of four sisters in a me to be self reliant, resourceful, and me hers as a sign of desperation
With the urging and support of
very food-centric family, where social independent.” At that time, she saw because she knew I couldn’t even
her husband, Pati took what she
life centered around the table. With the kitchen as a place where women cook a quesadilla!” It was a sign of
calls “a leap of faith.” “I thought
their mom as a good cook, they took orders, so she chose a degree desperation, maybe — but perhaps
about it for a year and a half. It was
enjoyed not only Mexican cuisine, and a career in policy analysis, where also a good sign for Pati’s future.
agony. What am I doing, throwing
with its native Mexican, Spanish, and she thought she might make more of Texas proved to be a lonely place
these years of research, and study,
French influences, but also meals a difference. for Pati, whose new husband traveled
and policy away?” she remembers.
reflective of their grandparents, a lot. But that isolation forced here to
“But I had to go with my gut. It was
ity and host. And now the James Beard Foundation thinks so, too!
The gift of a comal not rational. If I had researched
who had immigrated from Austria, reach out in new ways. She started
it, I would not have done it. I just
Czechoslovakia, and Poland. “For When Pati got married to her speaking to people in grocery stores,
jumped. But I thought it was better
us,” she said, “every food tradition husband Daniel and moved to Texas, asking what they were making and
what ingredients they were using. to take the risk, better to know I had
had meaning, and the hours we her mother gave her the gift of
spent together over meals were my her own comal, a flat griddle used “I met people from the Mexican
favorite.” to cook tortillas, toast spices and diaspora, learned new recipes, and JINICH cont. page 15
foodservicemonthly The Newsmagazine Foodservice Professionals Rely On JUNE 2018 | 13
CUBA JINICH
cont. from page 14 cont. from page 15
Más Cubano
tried, and that I had given my three
Back in D.C., we continued our boys a positive example of taking
local culinary exploration at the chances.”
Colada Shop at 1405 T St., NW.
At first glance, Colada resembles The right decision
a crowded carryout, but the small In 2006, Pati earned a certificate
space opens up into a spacious first- from L’Academie de Cuisine in
floor dining area, plus an upstairs Gaithersburg (now closed). She
bar and rooftop garden. After placing loved the experience and says, “It
our orders at the busy counter, we confirmed my decision to jump
settled inside at a comfy couch and 100 percent.” Her intent was to
awaited our food, which arrived in be a food writer and teacher who
paper bags. would teach cooking, along with
The Colada menu seemed more Mexican history and culture, in
authentic than we’d anticipated. the intimacy of her Chevy Chase
Empanadas are filled with picadillo home. A chance meeting with the
(spicy ground beef), spinach, and executive director of the Mexican
cheese. Ham croquetas are crisp Cultural Institute led her to
on the outside, moist and flavorful develop a curriculum for a cooking
inside. Pastelitos, pastries with cream series at the Institute and a much
cheese and guava, are enveloped in broader stage. She called the live
a flakey crust. The Cuban sandwich, cooking series “Mexican Table,” Clay Williams
while not really Cuban, is the best and the rest, as they say, is… On Cinco de Mayo, Pati Jinich made scallop aguachile at the James Beard House
rendition we’ve tasted north of ahem…Mexican history!
Tampa. Pati’s first cooking lectures station, WETA, who attended one Pati chuckles and says somewhat
Colada Shop, which has an focused on topics such as the of her classes. They talked together mysteriously, “I don’t want to jinx
offshoot in Sterling, is open daily Mexican Revolution, when rebel about a kitchen show that would it!” We can only guess that a next
for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. fighters ate foods that had to be be recorded in her home and cookbook just might be on the
Call 202-332-8800 or visit www. cooked on the run and would feature the foods, traditions, and horizon.
coladashop.com. fit in a pouch or saddlebag. recipes of Mexico. All Pati Jinich’s efforts have made
And newcomer to the scene is She taught another class about A lot of hard work and a year Mexican food more accessible to
Little Havana at 3704 14th St., Mexican convents, where, for and a half later, Pati’s Mexican Table everyone — from food aficionados
NW, in Washington’s Petworth over 300 years, the Catholic nuns had a pilot and, not long after, it to parents wanting a quick and
neighborhood. The 70-seat intermingled colonial and local debuted nationally on the public tasty dinner for their kids. And,
Caribbean eatery is the creation of ingredients to create new food television network. “We tape it in looking back, she says it has
Alfredo Solis, who brought us local delights, such as the delicious mole my home kitchen,” she explains, played an even bigger role, too. “I
taquerias El Sol and Mezcalera. sauce. “with no script, completely on the can show what immigrants bring
Helming the central kitchen — lined “I came to the realization fly, so it feels very real.” Regular to the table and how they enrich
with white subway tiles — is Joseph that what I loved most about viewers, now numbering over 31 the international culinary field,”
Osorio, whose Cuban godmother Mexico, I could share through million, have seen the program’s she says, “Food connects cultures
taught him to cook. He is an alum food stories. I could make history growth and have met Pati’s family, and countries. One recipe at a
of Clyde’s Restaurant Group and come alive!” Even though she had including her three boys, as they time. One story at a time. One
Alexandria Restaurant Partners. never spoken in public or used a have grown up on camera. image at a time. I am helping
The Washington-Baltimore area microphone, Pati was a dynamic people so much more by trying
boasts other Cuban eateries, too, teacher. “I loved the hunger of The best part — building bridges to invite everyone to the table.”
including the charming Sabor Americans who wanted to know through food Building bridges through food…a
de Cuba, 9 East Patrick St., in more. I loved that interaction.” In addition to the live lectures great — and award-winning —
Frederick, Maryland. While not The classes feature a live cooking and her PBS television series, combination!
necessarily authentic, Sabor’s sizzling demonstration, followed by a Pati makes guest appearances
shrimp in white wine with tomatoes tasting dinner, and they have on a variety of cooking shows, In addition to the 2018 James Beard
and avocado is dynamite. For more become so popular that there is a has a food blog, and has written Award for Outstanding Personality/TV Host,
information on Cuban restaurants waiting list for tickets a full year in two cookbooks. Pati’s Mexican PATI’S MEXICAN TABLE received the Best
in the area, visit https://www.yelp. National Informational Program Award
advance! Table: The Secrets of Real Mexican
com/search?cflt=cuban&find_ from the Imagen Awards in 2016. The
Home Cooking was published series can be seen throughout the U.S.,
loc=Baltimore%2C+MD. Going to the next level in 2013. Mexican Today: New Canada, Japan, Southeast Asia, and India/
The success of her lecture series and Rediscovered Recipes for South Asia. It airs locally on Saturdays at
CELESTE MCCALL is a Washington, D.C. food
at the Mexican Institute led Pati to Contemporary Kitchens came out in 11:30 a.m. on WETA TV 26.
and travel writer. Contact her at 202-547-
5024. meet producers from the local PBS 2016. Is a third book in the works?
foodservicemonthly The Newsmagazine Foodservice Professionals Rely On JUNE 2018 | 15
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