Chef Diego Moreno: Every Good Meal Reminds me of Home

Original story published on kenzieosborne.com HERE

No matter how fancy the plate on your table is — if it’s made by someone you love, it will taste like the meal of a lifetime… The pandemic has caused so many of us to get back into the kitchen — but not to prepare Michelin-starred meals or gold-leaf desserts… Instead, we’ve been obsessing over our favourite comfort foods — from banana bread to sourdough to roasted chicken to pancakes. Why? Because the gold fluff, glitz and glam of a meal doesn’t matter… What makes a meal delicious are the stories and the memories behind the plate.

The Best of the Best, Made with The Simplest Ingredients

Diego Moreno, chef at La Palma Toronto, knows a little something about the importance of comfort food and family meal time. Unlike other chefs who are exposed to exquisite cuisine and top-notch ingredients, Diego grew up eating plates upon plates of rice and beans. It wasn’t necessarily a high-end meal, but to this day, it’s the one meal he’ll always go back to.

“My mom was a single mom, so most of our meals were prepared with cheaper ingredients. My grandma and mom would spend hours in the kitchen cooking our meals and making sure we were all well fed. They were the ones that inspired me to get into the kitchen. I didn’t do much cooking with them as a child, but I would always watch them prepare our meals. I was fascinated by how they could transform ingredients into dishes that were so tasty.”

Jumping into the Kitchen with a Plate of Fluffy Pancakes

As Diego’s curiosity grew, he began to experiment in the kitchen himself. His mom was a bit picky as to who could help her cook — but, she eventually agreed to welcome Diego into the kitchen. His first homemade meal? A stack of fluffy, hearty pancakes!

“My mom was very picky about who was with her in the kitchen. The kitchen was her space — and it was hard to help her. So, when she agreed to teach me how to make pancakes, it was really something special. She taught me how to make the batter, flip each pancake, and make them extra fluffy.”

Ahhh. The first time preparing something from scratch is always one of the tastiest meals. It doesn’t matter what it is — knowing that you made something yourself adds a depth of flavour that simply can’t be matched.

Making a Living Doing What He Loves

Diego always loved eating — that was a given… But the moment he learned how to cook? Now THAT was special. As he grew older, Diego realized that cooking could be something he could actually make a living off of. For years, it was Diego’s dream to travel the world and do his own thing. Becoming a chef would allow him the opportunity to have the freedom to travel — all while doing something he absolutely loved!

“I love everything about working in a kitchen. You can learn so much, and you can take your skills with you all around the world. Some might fear the high-stress and fast-paced atmosphere — but that’s what I thrive for. I’ve always been energetic — so having to run around in the kitchen is the perfect outlet. ”

Running around the kitchen and hopping from country to country — this chef is on the move! Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, Diego’s travel plans have been put on hold. Although he hasn’t yet had the opportunity to travel across the globe — he’ll be the first to jump on a plane when COVID is settled.

“I’ve always dreamt of going to Japan — I think that would be the first country on my bucket list. The culture, the food, and the country as a whole is just so beautiful.”

Travelling the World by Tasting their Food

While he can’t necessarily jump on over to Japan right now, Diego is still focussed on learning about the cultures and cuisines of the world. Since his first kitchen, he’s been introduced to the depth and reality of various cuisines. Cultural foods aren’t always what they seem to be. Oftentimes, it’s not the recipes that define a country’s food — rather, it’s the heart and the soul of the dish that makes it so delicious.

“One of the first restaurants I worked at was an Italian one. Honestly, it wasn’t really what I expected. I thought it was going to be a bit like Ratatouille (the movie)…. I expected to be plating with tweezers and making every meal picture perfect. Instead, the chefs were more concerned with putting their heart and soul into the meals. They weren’t focussed on pin-pointing a recipe. It was all about doing what feels right, and making sure the dish tastes delicious. I learned so much from working in that kitchen. Food is about being free to do what feels right, while staying true to the culture and highlighting ingredients that are grown in that country.”

So many cultures and cuisines have a stereotype associated with them… But, when it comes down to the “bare-bones” of it — the best dishes in the world are centred around heart, soul, and passion. A meal is all about respecting the ingredients that are nearby, paying respect to a culture and their traditions, and having the opportunity to add a bit of your own flavour to the plate.

“My favourite part of cooking is the opportunity to continuously learn. Right now, I’m really focussed on learning how to nail-down specific cuisines. Sure, it’s fun to do fusion cuisine and be creative — but I think I want to learn how to prepare authentic dishes from countries around the world. Recently, I’ve been trying to learn more about Mexican cuisine. My family is from Mexico, so it means a lot to me to learn about my roots.”

Breaking Bread is the Best Part of a Meal…

Celebrating the food cultures and learning the ins-and-outs of various cuisines is the first step of preparing a delicious meal. The second? Enjoying it with others around a table. Just like cooking, eating is yet another opportunity to connect with others and build relationships.

“Eating food with others is so important. Sharing food brings you together and initiates conversation. It’s much easier to connect and bond with someone through sharing a meal rather than inviting them to go for a walk. Food is the heart of the home — it’s that simple.”

Food is a form of connection. Not only does a plate of food connect you to other cultures you may have otherwise never experienced, but it also allows you to discover yourself and your roots. No matter where you are in the world, the best meals will always be the ones shared with others. A plate of rice and beans from your past will always taste better than a gold-leaf-covered ice cream that you grabbed from a high end restaurant down the street. Bottom line? That “secret ingredient” you’re always searching for isn’t something you can buy off the shelves — it’s love, passion, and sharing your meal with others.

Thank you!

Thank you so much to Chef Diego Moreno for taking the time to speak with me and share your story. I absolutely love your passion for exploring cultures and embracing your own heritage through food. Your dedication to sharing meals with others and creating experiences that make memories is inspiring — and I cannot wait to see where this industry will take you! Check out Chef Diego on Instagram HERE and on Facebook HERE.

Before I let Chef Diego jump back on into the kitchen, I had a few quickfire questions to ask…

Quickfire Questions

What are some of your favorite food memories?

1. “When I was younger, we would always spend a day making tamales around Christmas time. It was a way for me to bond with my mom and grandma. We’d end up talking about their upbringings for hours while making the tamales. It wasn’t really about the food — it was about learning more about my family and our history. If we didn’t have this time to spend together, i’m not sure that I would’ve learned as much about my family as I did.”
2. “Every year for mothers day and birthdays I will try to cook a special meal for them. To us, a meal is worth so much more than a store-bought gift. So, we’ll either pick out a restaurant that we’ve all been wanting to try, or I’ll make something special for them from scratch.”
3. “I’ll never forget the time when I brought home my first meal from culinary school for my mom to try. She’s not the easiest cook to please, but when she tried it, her eyes lit up… She thought it was amazing!!! It was one of the first times she didn’t have to cook dinner for us — the meal was mom-approved!”
4. “The first time I tried my grandma’s plate of refried beans and rice is definitely a memory I’ll never forget.”

What’s the best dish you’ve ever eaten, and why was it so special?

“About six years ago, we had a big family reunion in Mexico. I hadn’t been to Mexico in four years, and we were all so happy to finally have the chance to see each other again. That day, she made her signature mole — oh my gosh it was AMAZING. I think it was the best one she’d ever made.” (See Chef Diego’s Mole recipe below!!)

What is your favourite ingredient to cook with?

“Eggs! You can do so much with them — desserts, savoury meals, breakfasts, meringues — everything!”

What are three ingredients you can’t live without?

“Beans, rice, and avocados.”

In one word, what does food mean to you?

“Family. Every good meal reminds me of being at home with family and having a few laughs around the dinner table.”