Jesse Valenciana, as a regular reporter and columnist for The Takeout, is one of the premier food journalists focused on Mexican cuisine and other Hispanic foods of the Americas. He also presides over Nashville's hippest catering and pop-up company, The Secret Bodega. A veteran of several prestigious restaurant kitchens and a former marketing executive with Goose Island Brewery, he has appeared on The Today Show and on local television segments in Chicago and Nashville, among other cities. His experience with birrias spans from eating his grandmother's traditional birria every Sunday as a child to collaborating with leading chefs on novel birria creations today.
“Jesse Valenciana is spreading the gospel of birria and making it accessible for a new audience, with recipes that are a playful balance of tradition and creativity."" * Julio Hernandez, James Beard Award Nominee and chef/owner of Maiz de la Vida, Nashville * “Jesse Valenciana’s Birrias is a delicious ode to tradition with a bold twist! Jesse captures the heart of birria, honoring its roots while celebrating just how versatile and vibrant this dish can be, in everything from birria tamales to birria pizza and even birria smashburgers. His mother’s recipe, used throughout the book, serves as the soulful base that ties each innovative creation together. Every page will have your mouth watering and your mind buzzing with ideas. It’s a perfect blend of tradition and creativity. If you’re a birria fan, this book is an absolute must-have!” * Claudia Sandoval, MasterChef U.S. champion and author of Claudia's Cocina *