About

Hello!

I’m Pilar Hernandez, a Latina mom, The Chilean Kitchen cookbook author, and urban farmer. I’m currently based in Seattle, WA.

I was born and raised in Chile. I went to medical school there and then moved to Houston, Texas, in 2003 without knowing how to cook and speaking no English.

How did I start Chilean Food and Garden?

I still remember the first time I went to the grocery store. I almost cried out of frustration, not knowing what brands to buy or which food was equivalent to what I grew up eating. I started Chilean Food and Garden as my personal record of my trials and errors in learning to cook traditional Chilean dishes in my US kitchen.

Today, I’m a food blogger, cookbook author of The Chilean Kitchen, and urban farmer (I used to manage community gardens, and now I grow flowers for a local florist)

On this website, I strive to show you how to cook Chilean food with US ingredients you find in your supermarket. I’ll challenge you to try exotic fruits like lucuma or Maqui and our favorite cereals, wheat berries, and quinoa.

Welcome to my Chilean Kitchen!