DENVER — A Denver author has released her second cookbook, featuring recipes and stories from professional immigrant chefs.
The book “Sazon and Liberation” by Dr. Julia Roncoroni features 17 professional chefs from 10 different countries. It examines food through the lens of the chef’s experiences with identity, community, hope, and resilience.
“Food and storytelling are ways that we connect,” Roncoroni said. "I'm hoping that the book will inspire some conversations around, how are we treating others, and how are we treating immigrants?”
According to the Colorado Fiscal Institute, immigrants play a crucial role in our restaurant industry, representing 23% of the 10,000 cooks in the state.
Manny Barella, chef and co-owner of Riot BBQ in Denver, has several recipes featured in the book, including a jalapeño cheddar cornbread topped with Mexican street corn — a dish he serves at his restaurant.
“I spent some time in Texas, and I noticed that there were a lot of barbecue places with a little bit of a Mexican twist, and I kept wondering: How come Denver didn't have that? So, I kept just waiting for the perfect opportunity to open my own concept,” Barella said.
Barella said he shared recipes that remind him of growing up in Monterrey, Mexico, where BBQ is a way of life.
"Once you get to light up the charcoal without your dad's help, that's when boys become men, and you get judged real heavily on the quality of the coals," he said.
He has been in the United States for 16 years and became a citizen two years ago. His culinary journey has taken him across the country, and he has been featured on Bravo’s "Top Chef."
Although working in the restaurant industry as an immigrant has its challenges, Barella described his journey as a glass-half-full experience.
“I have been just living the American dream, trying to make the most out of it, and trying to represent Mexico, outside of Mexico, more than anything,” he said.
Dr. Ronconi, who is also an associate professor of counseling psychology at the University of Denver, said she hopes the book changes the way we see immigrants.
“They've crossed jungles, they've taken trains where they could have died. They've seen horrible things and kept walking with their children,” Roncoroni said. “Immigrants are resilient, and often we hear people saying, even when they're well-meaning, 'We want to help.' But there's not always the 'I want to learn. How did you do it? How would you survive?'"
Proceeds from the book are donated through Roncoroni’s social enterprise, Cocina Libre, to help other aspiring chefs get the training and licensing they need to enter the industry.
They just graduated their first cohort of eight chefs, funded by proceeds from her first book, "Cocina Libre."
