Rosie O’Connor is an award-winning chef, owner of Provecho Grill, and self-proclaimed Queen of Mole. She’s been spotted on Food Network and Cooking Channel, and was the first chef awarded both the SoCal Chef Open Pinnacle Award and People’s Choice Award in the 2015. That same year, she was presented with the Call to Service Award by President Barack Obama – one of her proudest achievements.
Chef Rosie is a beloved Friend of the Fest, often seen dishing out scrumptious creations in the Grand Tasting VIP tent and judging our annual Taco TKO competition.
We sat down with this powerhouse female chef and got the delicious details on her unconventional past to culinary greatness.
Okay Chef Rosie, tell us about yourself.
I’m Chef Rosie. I own a restaurant in Menifee, California called Provecho Grill. I’ve owned it for 11 years and I grew up in the restaurant business, so I’m a restaurateur and a chef.
How did you become a chef?
You know, how I became a chef is a funny story. I went to culinary school really to learn how to mentor like the next Marcole Pier White, the next upcoming chef. When I opened my restaurant, I had a chef that ended up walking out on our grand opening. He handed me the key, walked out, and I remember feeling vulnerable. I remember feeling like – Where’s the spoon? Where’s the knife?
I spoke to my dad and he reminded me, [that I] went to culinary school and so I became the chef of my restaurant. And I think what he did thinking it was a disservice, I think he actually did a service. [That] opened a world of opportunity. I became a chef of my own restaurant and then won Chef Open and then cooked for the President.
Tell us about your experience as a female chef.
Being a woman, or female chef, is very inspiring because I feel like when I have the opportunity to work with another female chef, I can mentor them and kind of open this path for them. [There are] very few of us and we really stick together and kind of work together and grow.
Who are some women that inspire you?
Chefs like Claudia Sandoval and Claudette Zepeda, they’re local girls of San Diego. It’s just, they’re extraordinary because they were single moms and they fought the fight. I was a single mother coming through, and these are two women were just like, “What do you need?” You know, they looked out for [me]. Claudette has a full staff of females and she’s supporting them, and so there’s growth in that.
Vera Wang and Julia Child, huge, because they started their careers after 40 and that’s when I started my career as a chef.
The last person I would say would be my mom because she left her basically her country to have a better life here and brought her whole family. I think when we’re growing up, we don’t really recognize like all the challenges they had. You know, when I went back home to El Salvador, a lot of things started making sense. The older I get, [I realize] I didn’t come with a guide of how to raise me, but you know she did a great job. How many restaurants later? And a beauty salon? She’s unstoppable. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be who I am today. The good, the bad, and the ugly, you know? So I’m very grateful for her.
What inspires your cuisine?
Oh, traveling inspires me. I love going to Mexico and meeting other chefs. They inspire me. The ingredients of Mexico inspire me a lot – I love tamales. I am the Queen of Mole. – and working with the chilies. [I love] coming up with a new recipe and then I get really excited to come home and work with my local vendors to make my own creation.
Also working with my local chefs. I have a lot of good people that I surround myself with and they inspire me. We keep each other on point and we grow together.
Is there a specific part of Mexico where the flavors and culture really inspire you?
Oaxaca because they have their own ingredients. Like you can go all over Mexico, but if you want a certain ingredient like a chiqua negro, you have to go to Oaxaca. The little Oaxacan avocados, like you can only get ’em there, certain tomatoes, certain vegetables, and it’s just that like you’re almost forced to be creative when you’re down there. It’s just like the mecca for chefs, you know, Oaxaca.
What dishes do you love to cook?
I love to cook moles. Mexican food. I like street food. I like cooking like the pambazo from Mexico City. I like the shrimp cocktail from Maslan. I find something that I like, like birria, and make it my own and then bring it back – like my local birria is made with Oaxacan chilies so it won’t taste like everybody else’s. That’s what keeps me going and you know, excited.
What is your go-to recipe?
One of my go-to recipes is the pollo en nogada and it’s the chile noga of Puebla. It’s like a celebration with fresh fruits, cheeses and it has a nice almond like cream sauce on top of it with the pomegranate seeds, which are abundant in September and Mexico.
When I was competing for the Chef Open, I thought, okay, this is what I wanna do. And I remember grabbing the whole chili and then wrapping the chicken around it, wrapping the bacon, putting it with the almonds sauce, sterilizing the onions, and I just made it my own.
It’s a nice, flavorful, nostalgic dish. You feel like with the cinnamon and all the flavors and the chili and the spiciness and the sweetness, you feel like Christmas and that dish, at any time, will make you feel like you’re at home.
What do you love about the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival?
Getting to meet the people in this area, in this market and introducing them to my love of food and my creations. Also, collaborating with other chefs and getting to meet the local vendors that are here in the community. I live in Temecula, my restaurant is in Menifee, but I get to be the part of this community in San Diego and it’s rewarding. There’s a real sense of community.
It’s fun too. I mean, come on, you got drinks, you got food, you have music.
Yeah, you have everything. Like how could you not [have fun]?
What are some exciting projects that you’re working on?
Stay up to do date on her upcoming fundraisers, events, food stories and recipes at ChefRosie.com or on Instagram at @chefrosieofficial.
