Meet Melissa
The day I met Melissa Guerra at her San Antonio home, she was cooking a culinary basket of homemade goods for a nonprofit event at the library. Melissa is originally from McAllen, TX. Once a week, she leaves her home and family behind and drives to San Antonio to check on her store “Melissa Guerra” at The Pearl Brewery. www.melissaguerra.com.
Melissa has the most beautiful Talavera in town. It is “The place” to find traditional Mexican molcajetes or hand-made glass tequila gobblers and specialized high-end cooking utensils.
That day, I was stuck in traffic for hours after a truck crashed into a highway sign, which made me very, very late for our appointment. When I arrived at Melissa’s, she had prepared a light lunch for me. I was honestly touched and immediately liked her.
After being with her through the photo shoot, I came to realize there was a lot more to like. Melissa is a business woman and a culinary expert. I liked her strong and honest personality. Always open for conversation, she is able to switch from Spanish to English in a heartbeat. At the end of the photo shoot, I felt I had known her longer than couple of hours. I was able to try her home-made fresh cheese and grapefruit pepper jelly and learned how to make Bacalao from scratch.
Melissa has served as a consultant in the past, and as a culinary expert on the PBS reality show “Texas Ranch House.” She has published two books. Some of her dishes from her second book “Wild Horse Desert: Norteño Cuisine of South Texas” were finalist for a James Beard Award in the category of Foods of the Americas, and for an International Association of Culinary Professionals award in the same category.
Wife, mother of two, entrepreneur, and culinary expert, Melissa is a strong, and dedicated woman who is not intimidated by hard work.
I can only feel admiration for following her dreams and for her family’s support.
Melissa Guerra
Hello, I’m Pauline
The Kitchen Press 