Interview: INHERITED TALENTS
One late fall day, Aarón Sanchez, chef and co-owner of Centrico, sat down with his mother, Zarela Martinez, the fabled chef and owner of Zarela's, to discuss the past, present, and future of Mexican cooking in New York.
To Zarela: How would you describe your role in the expansion of New Yorkers' idea of what Mexican cuisine is?
Zarela: When I first opened Zarela's, I was attempting to cook contemporary interpretations of Mexican food. Then after I had traveled around Mexico extensively, I asked myself, Why reinvent? Since then I've dedicated myself to exposing New Yorkers to Mexico's rich culinary heritage, and I think I've been successful.
To Zarela: What were your early frustrations? Did you meet with much resistance? Did people come in and expect the same-old-same-old?
Zarela: I have a funny story about this, actually. One day Barbara Sinatra came in to Zarela's with her whole entourage and called me over to her table. "I want a taco," she told me. I said, "I'm sorry, we don't serve tacos." So she said, "You will serve tacos, because your whole experiment will be a failure!" And here we are, 21 years
later!
To Aarón: What about your more modern cooking? Do you find people open to it, or are they still more comfortable eating what they understand?
Aarón: What's interesting at Centrico is that, for the most part, our customers are very sophisticated. They are open to new interpretations, and they have a good base of knowledge about traditional Mexican foods. I think my mom established a real appreciation for classical dishes done well, which allows me to be a bit more adventurous.
To both: Where are we today in terms of our Mexican culinary education?
Aarón: We're in a good place these days. Contemporary Mexican food can really command the same standards as contemporary European food, which shows how far we've come.
Zarela: These days, New Yorkers want to know how to make their own tamales, how to work with fresh masa. My YouTube video that demonstrates how to make tamales gets 8,000 views a day--this shows you how far we've come! At the beginning, there was very little interest in Mexican culinary traditions, but at this point our customers have taste memories that they want to recreate.
To Aarón: If your mother is at the beginning of the spectrum for New York, where do you see yourself? Your mother has been a tireless advocate for Mexican cuisine--its history, region, complexity--do you see yourself as picking up this mantle, or do you see yourself taking another direction?
Aarón: I absolutely see myself picking up that mantle. I couldn't cook without believing it its cultural significance.
To both: What is the role of Centrico?
Aarón: I think my mom and I tell different stories. My mother's story is of a Mexican woman; mine is of a Mexican growing up in the States. I was influenced by
other great chefs that my mom wasn't exposed to.
Zarela: Aarón cooks my mother's food but in a contemporized way. That's really the way upperclass housewives in Mexico cooked: homey but sophisticated.
To both: Zarela, professional cooking is grueling; did you try to talk Aarón out of becoming a chef, or did you encourage him from the start? Aarón, can you
think of anything specific that inspired you about your mother?
Zarela: I always let my children do as they wanted. I told them that if I was happy, they would be happy, and if they were happy, I would be happy. Aarón has
been in the kitchen since he was ten years old.
Aarón: I think my mother's pure passion for food was what inspired me specifically. It's not as if we had Mexican food every day at home. My mother exposed
us to the cooking of the world. She was dedicated to expanding our culinary horizons.
To both: What do you see as the future of Mexican cuisine in the United States? Will we see more restaurants showcasing regional specialties, or will we see it fused with other cuisines?
Zarela: I think we'll see more regional cooking that reflects immigration patterns. We'll see restaurants dedicated to the cooking of Veracruz, Oaxaca, and the
northern states.
Aarón: I don't think Mexican food would fuse well. It's too close to the fabric of Mexican life.
To both: Is there a dish that you both serve? Have you personalized this dish, or do you prepare it the same way?
Aarón: My chilaquiles, which I consider to be a comfort dish, has a slightly different sauce made with only tomatillos.
Zarela: My chilaquiles are all about layering. I use dayold tortillas and then fry them, the chicken is cooked with loads of herbs and then sautéed, the tomatillo
sauce is thickened with crushed tortillas, and the crema is combined with onion and cilantro. It's layer upon layer of flavor.
To both: Is there a particular dish you dream of introducing to New York?
Aarón: I would love to serve little carp-roe tacos, which come from Chapala. They are delicious, but they have a very particular texture.
Zarela: No, my favorite dish is whatever I'm making right now. And I can do what I want. Every weekend we have specials that are more unusual.
To both: Is there a particular dish that is so perfect that neither one of you would ever make changes to it?
Zarela: Chiles en nogada. This is the most perfect dish.
Aarón: I would never change sopa seca. I make it the same way my mother does, and it's perfect.
To both: Who is the bigger influence on the other these days? Do you seek each other's opinion in the creative process?
Zarela: Aarón helps me with presentation; I don't decorate plates. He is also more technically adept than I am. But he's really on his own path.
Aarón: My mom will never really stop influencing me. She has a phenomenal palate that only comes with experience. But I've learned so much about the
restaurant business working with Drew, and I try to convey these things to her.