Elena Reygadas has crafted her own world of natural beauty at the centre of Mexico City. She’s the chef and owner of the beloved Rosetta and Lardo restaurants, Cafe Nin and Rosetta Bakery. Within her idyllic world, you might spot Rosetta bakers crossing the street with fresh baguettes and pastries in tow and guests lingering happily over the table long after their meal has finished. Elena carries herself with warmth and presence that is translated into her food and spaces. Through an environment with deep respect for the ingredients, Elena’s engagement of the senses connects the natural world around her in a romantic and palpable way. We were lucky and so thrilled to have a conversation with Elena, learning more about how she supports local growers, her ever-expanding staff, and above all, how food is really just a bridge for loving connections. 

Can you tell us a bit about the ingredients you choose to incorporate in your cooking? There seems to be a distinctly modern approach compared to traditional Mexican cuisine.  

I try not to constrain myself to typical Mexican ingredients. I feel there's a strong group of ingredients that we are well known for outside of Mexico.  The country is huge and the biodiversity is much more than corn and chili. I try to respect the ingredients themselves and focus on flavor rather than transformation.  In Mexico, it’s sometimes very confusing to know what is a traditional cuisine because we have many climate types that give us such diverse produce. I feel very fortunate to expand the idea of what Mexican food really is. Sometimes when there’s such an abundance of ingredients, the novice chef may get lost along the way. What we have is endless variety and much more than we imagine on a daily basis.

Does an abundance of ingredients translate into a favourite season for cooking? 

The rainy season is my favourite time. It’s particular to Mexico City because the types of ingredients that thrive here are not typical to other parts of the country in the summer. I feel in damp, cool weather, people enjoy food more. We always try to make a warm experience at Rosetta. With the rainy season, people want this warmness, it’s something the body needs.  A Mexican rainy season in the summer is unlike anywhere else. 

How do you source your ingredients?

We source from small producers that we know closely, mainly in the Chinampas area within Mexico City.  We go to their farms and get to know their practices, then they come to the restaurant for deliveries. The Chinampas is very beautiful because it’s in the middle of the city, sustainable, and the crops work very well with the soil from the canals. In the mornings, we can get fresh cut lettuce that doesn’t need to go in the refrigerator. I can’t imagine anything more beautiful than using lettuce the day you cut it. 

The Chinampas is a part of Mexico City with floating gardens on the canals. This is the part of food that brings many other aspects into consideration and I believe it’s very important to support them. On the one hand, you have this big polluted city, and on the other, you have this ancient way of agriculture that has lasted 2,000 years. That’s Mexico, this tension between the past and present. It’s a crazy, beautiful thing. 

Can you tell us a bit about the Italian influence on your cooking?

I had always wanted to work with Italians because I respect how simple and beautiful their food is. After working at an Italian restaurant in London, I learned the beauty of simplicity. How to work with a few ingredients of the best quality with the utmost respect. That's what makes me happy when I eat.  Without beautiful ingredients, you cannot have beautiful food and I think while working with Italians, I really began to understand that. 

The artisanal, handmade side of Italian cuisine is also very important to me. Food that connects you with the hands is something very special. Making pasta, bread, tamale or tortilla, gives you a deeper connection with home-made food. I prefer to touch the ingredients when cooking. Now I am in Mexico and work with Mexican ingredients, I try to work with that sense of respect for flavors and ingredients. 

Did you grow up eating food from different cultures?

There are many expressions of food in Mexico. We have a huge Lebanese community in Mexico City. Lebanese food was something I liked to eat as a child. It has an approach to sharing that I really love. 

The focus of my Lardo restaurant is on sharing. We have a mix of many things from hummus and babaganoush to fresh pastas and mole. The idea of going to a restaurant to really join in with people and have something to share is important. It’s a neighborhood gathering place for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sometimes you see the people from breakfast stay for lunch or people that live around the corner grabbing their daily coffee. It’s a place to be communal and close-knit. 

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Read Elena’s full story in issue 6 of The Sunday Paper.