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International chef Estrellita Tapia Shawky got her start as a ten-year-old in her abuela’s Los Angeles kitchen. 

“My grandmother inspired me. She made simple dishes; no matter what there was in the cupboard, she’d make something out of it.  It was cooking with love.”

Estrellita said she took what her grandmother taught her and added a pinch here and a heaping teaspoon there, through her travels to France, Italy, Egypt, Lebanon, Bahrain, Thailand and Iran. 

“But coming from Los Angeles, I was fortunate to have all the cultures right around me to begin with.”

Necessity being the mother of invention, Estrellita often fed her family on the short-order with whatever she could find in the kitchen. 

“You don’t always have time, so you have to think of shortcuts to recipes. Just get into the kitchen and start putting things together.  So many people say they don’t have anything to eat, when they have a kitchen full of food. Just look for ingredients and put them all together.”

And her advice for novice cooks? “Look at recipes as a guide.  Don’t just copy from someone else; put in or take out what your family likes or doesn’t like and make your own recipe,” she said.

Chile Rellenos
Recipe courtesy Estrellita Tapia Shawky

For this recipe you’ll need:
12 Anaheim chilies
1 plastic bag
1/2 lb. jack cheese
6 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1. Char 12 Anaheim chilies on the stovetop or in the broiler.
2. Put chilies in a plastic bag to allow them to steam to make it easier to peel off the skin.
3. Peel charred skin off roasted peppers.
4. Cut jack cheese into oblong cubes.
5. Make a small vertical incision near the chili stem and insert cheese to stuff.
6. Separate six eggs (whites and yolks). Put whites in large bowl and beat well until fluffy and stiff, then slowly add yolks.
7. Cover chilies with all-purpose flour, dip in egg batter and fry them in vegetable or canola oil until golden brown.
8. Lay them on a paper towel to drain oil and serve hot!

Chile Relleno Sauce
Recipe courtesy Estrellita Tapia Shawky

For this recipe you’ll need:
1 medium/large white or yellow onion
Vegetable or canola oil.
1 clove of garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt.
Red chile pepper or cayenne – optional.
3 plum tomatoes
1/4 cup of water

1. Slice onion and fry in vegetable or canola oil.
2. Crush one clove of garlic; add to mixture.
3. Add one teaspoon (or to taste) of salt. Add red chile pepper or cayenne – optional.
4. Cut 1/8-inch slices of three plum tomatoes and add to mixture.
5. Add 1/4 cup of water and simmer on low heat for five minutes.
6. Serve over hot Chile Rellenos.

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