The daughter of an Italian mother and a Mexican father who met in the United
States, Gabriela grew up in Tepoztlán, Mexico with a family who grew much of their own food and enjoyed sprawling, multicultural meals together nightly. 

Though she’s become one of the most influential people in modern Mexican cuisine, Gabriela originally planned to become a contemporary art curator but wound up opening a restaurant in Mexico City instead. Gabriela’s Contramar, with its interior modeled after the breezy beach palapas Gabriela loved as a child, and menu emphasizing organic produce from local farms and fresh seafood sourced from Mexican waters, was “an experiment so successful,” she says, “I turned it into my career.”

When Contramar opened in 1998, most restaurants in the city served either traditional Mexican or contemporary European cuisine. Contramar’s food hopscotched across the globe—all while maintaining a distinctly Mexican point of view. One of Gabriela’s key decisions early on at Contramar was to [make fresh tortillas](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-flour-tortillas) in-house. She soon introduced an entire masa program to the menu, nixtamalizing and milling her own corn. 

Since then, she’s earned a reputation for her energy and devotion to social justice causes; at Cala, she held space on staff for people with prior justice system involvement in need of stable employment. In 2019, Cámara returned to Mexico to work as an advisor to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
The cooking at [Cámara’s](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/gabriela-camara-teaches-mexican-cooking) restaurants captures the soul of Mexican culture, evoking the kind of timeless culinary instinct perfected by generations of home cooks with sharp technique and modern flair. Here are a few of her most beloved dishes:

1. __*Aguachile verde*__. *Aguachile* is a Mexican variation of ceviche that originated in Sinaloa, Mexico. True to its roots, Gabriela’s elegant and straightforward [*aguachile verde* recipe](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-gabriela-camaras-aguachile-verde-recipe) features shrimp, lime juice, and chiles blended with water (hence its name) and served with thinly sliced cucumber and red onion. 
2. __Blackberry *atole*__. *Atole* is a traditional Mexican drink made from ground masa, a fresh dough made from ground corn, served warm, usually sweetened with *piloncillo*, and scented with cinnamon. *Atole* can also be flavored with seasonal fruit juice or purées; Gabriela’s [*atole* recipe](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-blackberry-atole-recipe) features deep, musky-sweet summer blackberries.
3. __“Salad” taco__. The taco is an endlessly versatile format. Gabriela’s playful and refreshing [salad taco recipe](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-gabriela-camaras-salad-taco-recipe) features fresh strips of cactus (*nopal*), peppery watercress, crisp radishes, and creamy ricotta salata together in a fresh [corn tortilla](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-corn-tortillas). 
4. __Salsa *verde cruda*__. Gabriela’s zippy take on [salsa *verde*](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-salsa-verde-cruda-recipe), or green salsa, features a lush profile of green ingredients: fresh green [tomatillos](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-are-tomatillos-learn-about-the-ingredient-cooking-tips-and-easy-recipes), green chiles, perfectly ripe avocado, a handful of aromatic cilantro, and crisp lettuce. It’s bright, spicy, and cooling all at once; serve it alongside everything from tacos to [tamales](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-sweet-tamales-de-guayaba-recipe) and beyond. 
5. __*Pescado a la Talla*__.  This stunning two-tone fish was the first dish Gabriela put on the menu at Contramar when it opened in 1998. Inspired by a traditional grilled fish from the Mexican state of Guerrero, [*pescado a la talla*](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-pescado-a-la-talla-recipe) is served with a fiery red salsa on one side—a nod to the Mexican chef’s roots—and a fresh parsley-based sauce in honor of her Italian influences on the other.
6. __Quesadillas *doradas*__. These Mexico City-style quesadillas—a stuffed, fried corn tortilla similar to an [empanada](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-homemade-empanadas)—feature a filling of deeply savory *huitlacoche*, a type of edible corn fungus. Try Chef Gabriela's [quesadillas *doradas* recipe](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-quesadillas-doradas-recipe). 
7. __Tacos *al pastor*__. Gabriela’s [tacos *al pastor* recipe](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-gabriela-camaras-tacos-al-pastor-recipe) pays homage to this staple street food of Mexico City with a homemade *adobo rojo de chiles* sauce, juicy pieces of marinated pork, and warm pineapple cooked in butter, all topped with a classic garnish of white onion and fresh cilantro. 
8. __*Tostadas de atún*__. This iconic [tuna tostadas](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-tuna-tostada-recipe) recipe blends Mexican, Japanese, and Italian flavors and techniques: Citrus-marinated, [sashimi-style tuna](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/wolfgang-pucks-tuna-sashimi-recipe-with-ponzu-sauce-and-fennel-apple-salad) (or trout, as seen at San Francisco’s Cala), a smoky chipotle mayonnaise, frizzly deep-fried leeks, and creamy slices of fresh avocado over crisp corn tortillas.
Become a better chef with the [MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com). Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Gabriela Cámara, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more.
Meet Chef Gabriela Cámara, the celebrated chef and restaurateur of Mexico City’s Contramar, San Francisco’s Cala. She is the author of a cookbook, *My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions*, and the subject of the 2019 Netflix documentary *A Tale of Two Kitchens*.

Meet Chef Gabriela Cámara, the celebrated chef and restaurateur of Mexico City’s Contramar, San Francisco’s Cala. She is the author of a cookbook, *My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions*, and the subject of the 2019 Netflix documentary *A Tale of Two Kitchens*.

Chef Gabriela Cámara’s Top 8 Recipes

The daughter of an Italian mother and a Mexican father who met in the United States, Gabriela grew up in Tepoztlán, Mexico with a family who grew much of their own food and enjoyed sprawling, multicultural meals together nightly. Though she’s become one of the most influential people in modern Mexican cuisine, Gabriela originally planned to become a contemporary art curator but wound up opening a restaurant in Mexico City instead. Gabriela’s Contramar, with its interior modeled after the breezy beach palapas Gabriela loved as a child, and menu emphasizing organic produce from local farms and fresh seafood sourced from Mexican waters, was “an experiment so successful,” she says, “I turned it into my career.”When Contramar opened in 1998, most restaurants in the city served either traditional Mexican or contemporary European cuisine. Contramar’s food hopscotched across the globe—all while maintaining a distinctly Mexican point of view. One of Gabriela’s key decisions early on at Contramar was to <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-flour-tortillas' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-flour-tortillas","linkCopy":"make fresh tortillas","category":null}'>make fresh tortillas</a> in-house. She soon introduced an entire masa program to the menu, nixtamalizing and milling her own corn. Since then, she’s earned a reputation for her energy and devotion to social justice causes; at Cala, she held space on staff for people with prior justice system involvement in need of stable employment. In 2019, Cámara returned to Mexico to work as an advisor to Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

A Brief Introduction to Chef Gabriela Cámara

The cooking at <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/classes/gabriela-camara-teaches-mexican-cooking' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/classes/gabriela-camara-teaches-mexican-cooking","linkCopy":"Cámara’s","category":null}'>Cámara’s</a> restaurants captures the soul of Mexican culture, evoking the kind of timeless culinary instinct perfected by generations of home cooks with sharp technique and modern flair. Here are a few of her most beloved dishes:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Aguachile verde. Aguachile is a Mexican variation of ceviche that originated in Sinaloa, Mexico. True to its roots, Gabriela’s elegant and straightforward <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-gabriela-camaras-aguachile-verde-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-gabriela-camaras-aguachile-verde-recipe","linkCopy":"\u003cem class=\"mc-text--italic\"\u003eaguachile verde\u003c/em\u003e recipe","category":null}'>aguachile verde recipe</a> features shrimp, lime juice, and chiles blended with water (hence its name) and served with thinly sliced cucumber and red onion. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Blackberry atole. Atole is a traditional Mexican drink made from ground masa, a fresh dough made from ground corn, served warm, usually sweetened with piloncillo, and scented with cinnamon. Atole can also be flavored with seasonal fruit juice or purées; Gabriela’s <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-blackberry-atole-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-blackberry-atole-recipe","linkCopy":"\u003cem class=\"mc-text--italic\"\u003eatole\u003c/em\u003e recipe","category":null}'>atole recipe</a> features deep, musky-sweet summer blackberries. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. “Salad” taco. The taco is an endlessly versatile format. Gabriela’s playful and refreshing <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-gabriela-camaras-salad-taco-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-gabriela-camaras-salad-taco-recipe","linkCopy":"salad taco recipe","category":null}'>salad taco recipe</a> features fresh strips of cactus (nopal), peppery watercress, crisp radishes, and creamy ricotta salata together in a fresh <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-corn-tortillas' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-corn-tortillas","linkCopy":"corn tortilla","category":null}'>corn tortilla</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Salsa verde cruda. Gabriela’s zippy take on <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-salsa-verde-cruda-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-salsa-verde-cruda-recipe","linkCopy":"salsa \u003cem class=\"mc-text--italic\"\u003everde\u003c/em\u003e","category":null}'>salsa verde</a>, or green salsa, features a lush profile of green ingredients: fresh green <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-are-tomatillos-learn-about-the-ingredient-cooking-tips-and-easy-recipes' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-are-tomatillos-learn-about-the-ingredient-cooking-tips-and-easy-recipes","linkCopy":"tomatillos","category":null}'>tomatillos</a>, green chiles, perfectly ripe avocado, a handful of aromatic cilantro, and crisp lettuce. It’s bright, spicy, and cooling all at once; serve it alongside everything from tacos to <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-sweet-tamales-de-guayaba-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-sweet-tamales-de-guayaba-recipe","linkCopy":"tamales","category":null}'>tamales</a> and beyond. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 5. Pescado a la Talla. This stunning two-tone fish was the first dish Gabriela put on the menu at Contramar when it opened in 1998. Inspired by a traditional grilled fish from the Mexican state of Guerrero, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-pescado-a-la-talla-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-pescado-a-la-talla-recipe","linkCopy":"\u003cem class=\"mc-text--italic\"\u003epescado a la talla\u003c/em\u003e","category":null}'>pescado a la talla</a> is served with a fiery red salsa on one side—a nod to the Mexican chef’s roots—and a fresh parsley-based sauce in honor of her Italian influences on the other. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 6. Quesadillas doradas. These Mexico City-style quesadillas—a stuffed, fried corn tortilla similar to an <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-homemade-empanadas' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-homemade-empanadas","linkCopy":"empanada","category":null}'>empanada</a>—feature a filling of deeply savory huitlacoche, a type of edible corn fungus. Try Chef Gabriela&#39;s <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-quesadillas-doradas-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-quesadillas-doradas-recipe","linkCopy":"quesadillas \u003cem class=\"mc-text--italic\"\u003edoradas\u003c/em\u003e recipe","category":null}'>quesadillas doradas recipe</a>. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 7. Tacos al pastor. Gabriela’s <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-gabriela-camaras-tacos-al-pastor-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-gabriela-camaras-tacos-al-pastor-recipe","linkCopy":"tacos \u003cem class=\"mc-text--italic\"\u003eal pastor\u003c/em\u003e recipe","category":null}'>tacos al pastor recipe</a> pays homage to this staple street food of Mexico City with a homemade adobo rojo de chiles sauce, juicy pieces of marinated pork, and warm pineapple cooked in butter, all topped with a classic garnish of white onion and fresh cilantro. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 8. Tostadas de atún. This iconic <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-tuna-tostada-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/gabriela-camaras-tuna-tostada-recipe","linkCopy":"tuna tostadas","category":null}'>tuna tostadas</a> recipe blends Mexican, Japanese, and Italian flavors and techniques: Citrus-marinated, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/wolfgang-pucks-tuna-sashimi-recipe-with-ponzu-sauce-and-fennel-apple-salad' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/wolfgang-pucks-tuna-sashimi-recipe-with-ponzu-sauce-and-fennel-apple-salad","linkCopy":"sashimi-style tuna","category":null}'>sashimi-style tuna</a> (or trout, as seen at San Francisco’s Cala), a smoky chipotle mayonnaise, frizzly deep-fried leeks, and creamy slices of fresh avocado over crisp corn tortillas. </li></ol>

Become a better chef with the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com","linkCopy":"MasterClass Annual Membership","category":null}'>MasterClass Annual Membership</a>. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Gabriela Cámara, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel, Gordon Ramsay, Alice Waters, and more.

Want to Learn More About Cooking?

Meet Chef Gabriela Cámara, the celebrated chef and restaurateur of Mexico City’s Contramar, San Francisco’s Cala. She is the author of a cookbook, My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions, and the subject of the 2019 Netflix documentary A Tale of Two Kitchens.

Meet Chef Gabriela Cámara, the celebrated chef and restaurateur of Mexico City’s Contramar, San Francisco’s Cala. She is the author of a cookbook, My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions, and the subject of the 2019 Netflix documentary A Tale of Two Kitchens.
