MARCELA VALLADOLID grew up in Tijuana and jumped straight into a culinary life with her first job working at her aunt's cooking school in Baja, Mexico. She soon realized she wanted to pursue her growing love for food full time. After cooking school, Marcela eventually parlayed her classical training and skills to become a food editor at Bon Appétit magazine. Next she crossed into TV when she landed her own cooking show on Discovery en Español called Relatos con Sabor and was selected as one of the contenders on The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. In 2009, Marcela was given the chance to showcase her family recipes when she released her first cookbook titled Fresh Mexico: 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor . Soon after her book release, she landed a dream job as the host of her own Food Network show, Mexican Made Easy , which aired for five seasons. Marcela released a second cookbook called Mexican Made Easy in 2011, a companion to her Food Network show and an entryway into authentic Mexican cuisine. She she was a long-time co-host of The Kitchen, the Emmy-nominated talk show on The Food Network and is currently a permanent judge on Best Baker in America , also on Food Network.

Her latest book is Casa Marcela , released in 2017. She lives in San Diego, California.