Being a pioneer in the kitchen is not easy. I correct myself. Being a pioneer in any field is a rarity. Chepina Peralta was one of those chosen to break barriers, and she did so enamored with recipes: in the sixties, she was the first female host to lead a cooking show in Latin America. In the ninety years that Lucía Josefina Sánchez Quintanar lived, she made us dream of the flavors of what we watched her create from the other side of the television. Last week she passed away, but it is clear: Chepina Peralta is Mexican popular culture. Her legacy is not going anywhere.

Chepina was the host of unforgettable programs like The Kitchen of Chepina, Chepina in Your Kitchen, and of course, Salt and Pepper, among many others. In each of them, she was always framed by a kitchen counter and some set shelves, while standing or sitting, peeling ingredients, adding spices, and splashing without reservations. There were no poses or histrionic rituals with her. On the contrary. In her programs, she made us believe that delicious food was within everyone's reach and that the best thing would be to taste something that came from her hands. 

Personally, she inspired me at the age of seven to fantasize about my own cooking show. Despite my parents' cooking, I didn't add spinach or Swiss chard to the blender when I watched Salt and Pepper. What she evoked in me was creativity, fun: “Friends, today we will prepare some delicious marshmallows with potatoes… and pepper… and ketchup… and cookies… in the toaster. They are going to be amazing!”. 

Chepina inspired not only children and their mothers but generations of families who began to eat with their eyes. Thanks to her –the lady in the floral apron– many women decided to give the microwave a break, eat fewer frozen casseroles. The kitchen and the health of the easy-open generations learned the hope of home-cooked meals. 

But let no one be deceived by that sweet charm of a beloved aunt or a pampering grandmother. Chepina Peralta knew how to build her own empire around recipes. She did not study to be a cook. According to her description, she was a “master in the art of words,” so hosting a television program seemed to fit her like a silk glove.  

Her eloquence and charisma earned her a fixed spot on various television networks where she recorded nearly eight thousand programs. She authored thirteen books. There are radio programs, interviews, written publications. Everything. 

Before Mexican cuisine became the national pride it is today, Chepina publicized it, reintegrating it into the daily menu with easy and accessible preparations for housewives. The cooking of the seventies and eighties was marked by her vegetable creams, her mixiotes, her atoles, her potato cakes, her savory cakes, and her gelatins. Without a doubt, she defined everyday cooking throughout the years. 

During the Morelia en Boca Festival in 2017, Chepina Peralta received an award for her forty years of career. I still remember the chef excitedly sharing that it was through cooking that she had come to know Mexico, the world, and above all, herself. 

Chepina will continue to be the inspiration for those of us who believe that cooking is joy, therapy, and self-discovery, and that one plate at a time, we can change others, and ourselves.