Silvana Salcido Esparza

Silvana Salcido Esparza is a renowned Mexican-American chef and culinary visionary, celebrated for her commitment to preserving the rich heritage of Mexican cuisine. Born into an 800-year baking legacy, she immersed herself in the culinary traditions of Mexico through extensive travel, studying the diverse regional flavors and techniques from the ancestral cooks that helped shape her cooking philosophy. She comes to the festival with a memoir entitled "La Hija de la Chingada."

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Awards: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Servant-Leadership Award - 2022 Horace Steele Child Advocacy Award - 2021 Culinary Hall of Fame (Scottsdale Culinary Festival) - 2004 RIPE Award (Inaugural Class) - 2013 Congressional Library Recognition - June 2, 2024 U.S. House of Representatives Tribute and Retirement Recognition - May 14, 2024 June 2 – Official Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza Day in Arizona - 2024 Masters of the Southwest Award (Phoenix Home & Garden) - 2016 Food Pioneer Award (Foodist Awards) - 2015 Women Who Move the Valley Award (Phoenix Magazine) - 2013 Spotlight on Success Local Heroes Award (ONE Community) - 2017 Believe in Women Award (Phoenix Mercury, WNBA) - 2023 James Beard Awards: Semifinalist for Outstanding Chef - 2023 Nominee for Best Chefs in the Southwest region (Barrio Café Gran Reserva) - 2020 Semifinalist for Best Chefs in the Southwest region (Barrio Café Gran Reserva) - 2019 Semifinalist for Best Chefs in the Southwest region (Barrio Café Gran Reserva) - 2018 Semifinalist for Best Chefs in the Southwest region (Barrio Urbano) - 2017 Semifinalist for Best Chefs in the Southwest region (Barrio Café) - 2014 Semifinalist for Best Chefs in the Southwest region (Barrio Café) - 2012 Semifinalist for Best Chefs in the Southwest region (Barrio Café) - 2011 Semifinalist for Best Chefs in the Southwest region (Barrio Café) - 2010

Communities: Arizona Author, LGBTQ+, Gender Nonconforming, Hispanic or Latinx, Indigenous or Native American

Lives in Food and Drink

Taming nature to cultivate food and drink can create joy or immense heartache, often at the same time. Preparing that bounty for others is no small feat either. Join three intrepid adventurers who have braved the culinary establishment in different ways.

Koffler Room 216 (Seats 89, Wheelchair accessible)  
Sat, Mar 15, 1:00 pm - 1:55 pm
Multigenre
Signing area: UA Campus Store Book Sales (Mall) (following presentation)  

Panelists: Silvana Salcido Esparza, Steve Friesen, Steve Hoffman
Moderator: Donna Nordin
Sponsors: Session made possible courtesy of The Stonewall Foundation Fund at the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona, Dow Jazz Films

SW Books of the Year - Food and Memory

Food is a thing of tradition, family, love, identity, and sometimes of resistance. In this panel, three noted students of food in all its aspects, come together to share their knowledge. Chef Silvana Salcido Esperza, Melani Martinez, and Kate Christensen, will talk about their adventures at table.

UA Library/Special Collections (Seats 110)  
Sun, Mar 16, 2:30 pm - 3:25 pm
Southwest Books of the Year
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - Integrated Learning Center (following presentation)  

Panelists: Sydney Graves, Silvana Salcido Esparza, Melani Martinez
Moderator: Gregory McNamee
Sponsors: Session made possible courtesy of University of Arizona Libraries, University of Arizona Press

Book:

La Hija de la Chingada: Chronicles from a Mexican Chef in the U.S.A

Memoir / Essays / Creative Nonfiction
Chef Silvana
May 2024
ISBN 9798989450435