Chef Paola grew up in Queens, NY–the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world–where she was fortunate to have consistent and easy access to great food from around the world. Surrounded by so many cultures—and immersed in her own family’s Costa Rican and Argentine roots—she came to develop an early appreciation for the intricate way food and culture are connected, the manner in which food can literally teach us how to better understand our community and neighbors. This appreciation only intensified upon arriving in Houston, where she was immediately taken with the bayou city’s eclecticism. Since graduating from culinary school in Austin, and returning to Houston, she has been able to do what she loves most…teaching others how to hone their own cooking skills. Whether teaching young children through her work for a local non-profit, teenagers in Texas high schools as a chef presenter, or adults through private events, the past 15 years have been the most rewarding of her professional career.