Bucking the Trend in Latin Cuisine – Latin Business Magazine
/From the magazine:
Latin Business,
Spring 2008 Issue“Have you ever noticed that most really successful people are doing something they really enjoy doing? Henry Ford didn’t start manufacturing automobiles just for the bucks; putting America on wheels was a vision-turned-mission. Walt Disney didn’t pursue his dream of Disneyland just to create another amusement park; he wanted children to be able to experience his signature world of animated magic in real life, rather than solely on the large and small screens.
“And so it was for Laura Diaz, more famously known as Chef LaLa. As a child, experience with all the flavorful and social aspects of Latin food culture in her parent’s restaurants would sow the seeds of her future life’s calling. As those seeds sprouted, then blossomed, Laura quickly gained recognition and stature within a crowded field.
“She was not content just to achieve fame as an accomplished chef. She saw an increasingly rotund American population that needed prompt and sustained attention, especially the children, and developed a plan of action. Her accent on nutritious Latin dining, combined with a deep involvement with several health-related and children’s organizations, have created a laudable track record of volunteerism and community outreach.
“The following interview is a story of a totally different initial career path being altered by a life-changing event, leading to personal and professional fulfillment as Chef LaLa. It should be evident that she not only enjoys what she does with Latin cooking, she takes pride in her mission to educate people, kids and adults alike, that eating healthy can be just as pleasurable, indeed more so, than the salty, sugary, greasy fast-food habit.” …
