Show 678, May 9, 2026: Master Baker Chef Alex Peña with The Mexican Bakery

Alex Pena of Baking Evolution

“Master Baker Chef Alex Peña preserves generations of Mexican Pan Dulce techniques in the groundbreaking cookbook, The Mexican Bakery”

“Some of the best conversations of my life happened over the bakery bench,” says Master Baker Chef Alex Peña, recalling the rhythm of work at his family’s Cypress Park bakery, La Morenita. “It was a harmony of hands and hearts, built around old-world dough.

“For generations, the techniques behind authentic Mexican pan dulce have been passed down at those benches, with closely guarded regional recipes perfected by bakers who traveled north from Central America, gathering knowledge at bakeries throughout Mexico. These itinerant bakers became deeply polished in their craft, but their expertise remained unwritten, preserved only through demonstration and years of apprenticeship. Until now.”

“In The Mexican Bakery, Chef Alex has created the industry’s first comprehensive guide to Mexican pan dulce and its evolution in North America. This 333-page cookbook captures over 50 traditional recipes spanning the five categories of pan dulce that have been the backbone of Mexican bakeries.”

“Chef Alex grew up learning these techniques at La Morenita before training at Le Cordon Bleu and building an international career as Director of Product Development at Bellarise. When the pandemic brought him back to his home kitchen in 2020, he realized these treasured recipes and techniques existed only in the memories and hands of family panaderos.”

The Mexican Bakery carries on these traditions for home and professional bakers while setting a new standard for cookbooks. Every single recipe features detailed step-by-step photography. Professional costing and conversion tools allow bakers to scale from home batches to commercial production. In addition, QR codes link directly to over $400 in masterclasses taught by Chef Alex at the Baking Evolution School of Baking in Duarte, California, offering in-depth guidance beyond the page. From delicate sandwich cookies like besos to the warmth of a fresh telera, each recipe in The Mexican Bakery combines technical precision, artistry, history, and the camaraderie between bakers that make Mexican baking traditions so rich.”

Chef Alex Peña puts down his whisk to join us.

Show 466, March 19, 2022: Baker Arturo Enciso, Gusto Bread, Long Beach Part One

Arturo Enciso of Gusto Bread

Baker Arturo Enciso’s Gusto Bread is an organic panadería in Long Beach, California, specializing in pan and pan dulce made only with masa madre (natural leaven: sourdough starter).Find freshly made loaves, conchas, long breads, nixtamal, polvorones, horchata, café de olla, yerba mate, as well as delicious pantry goods (sardinas, beans), and so much more.”

Gusto Bread is a homey, creative, latinx operation, with a love for tradition and nutrition, serving and supported by their local community. Gusto loves putting their heart and soul into their acclaimed work. Baker Arturo has a passionate connection to bread and baking.”

Proprietor Arturo Enciso is a baker from Lebec, CA who has called Long Beach his home for over 10 years. As a self-taught baker for the last 7+ years, he’s grown his hobby into a career with his business Gusto Bread, a panadería orgánica on Retro Row in Long Beach (storefront just opened in August 2020). The bakery uses only masa madre (sourdough) for making breads and pan dulces, embracing ancient knowledge and using high-quality ingredients. He believes that good food and bread provide a beautiful way for people to connect with one another, to traditions and wisdom of the past and create community for a brighter future together.” Arturo takes a break from his busy ovens and joins us.

“Working alongside Arturo is his partner of over 10 years, Ana Belén Salatino, who you’ll find minding the shop, answering the phone and emails, and general day-to-day operations at the bakery. She is in awe of the amount of support and encouragement Gusto Bread has seen from the Long Beach community (and beyond) and knows a good part of the business’ success comes from the heartfelt passion Arturo has for baking and their shared deep commitment to the highest quality ingredients and processes.”

Gusto Bread is open five days and closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Show 466, March 19, 2022: Baker Arturo Enciso, Gusto Bread, Long Beach Part Two

Arturo Enciso of Gusto Bread

Baker Arturo Enciso’s Gusto Bread is an organic panadería in Long Beach, California, specializing in pan and pan dulce made only with masa madre (natural leaven: sourdough starter).Find freshly made loaves, conchas, long breads, nixtamal, polvorones, horchata, café de olla, yerba mate, as well as delicious pantry goods (sardinas, beans), and so much more.”

Gusto Bread is a homey, creative, latinx operation, with a love for tradition and nutrition, serving and supported by their local community. Gusto loves putting their heart and soul into their acclaimed work. Baker Arturo has a passionate connection to bread and baking.”

Proprietor Arturo Enciso is a baker from Lebec, CA who has called Long Beach his home for over 10 years. As a self-taught baker for the last 7+ years, he’s grown his hobby into a career with his business Gusto Bread, a panadería orgánica on Retro Row in Long Beach (storefront just opened in August 2020). The bakery uses only masa madre (sourdough) for making breads and pan dulces, embracing ancient knowledge and using high-quality ingredients. He believes that good food and bread provide a beautiful way for people to connect with one another, to traditions and wisdom of the past and create community for a brighter future together.” Arturo takes a further break from his busy ovens and continues with us.

“Working alongside Arturo is his partner of over 10 years, Ana Belén Salatino, who you’ll find minding the shop, answering the phone and emails, and general day-to-day operations at the bakery. She is in awe of the amount of support and encouragement Gusto Bread has seen from the Long Beach community (and beyond) and knows a good part of the business’ success comes from the heartfelt passion Arturo has for baking and their shared deep commitment to the highest quality ingredients and processes.”

Gusto Bread is open five days and closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Show 26, April 27, 2013: Nancy Zaslavsky, “A Cook’s Tour to Mexico”

Nancy is an author, serious home cook, cooking instructor and tour leader with a love of the culture, cuisine, and people of Mexico. She also is an active board member of the Culinary Historians of Southern California.

Her highly recommended culinary tours to various regions of Mexico are always small groups including chefs, food professionals and food-and-fun loving people in search of dynamic tastes in stimulating environments.

Nancy just returned from guiding a food tour of Morelia and Patzcuaro in Michoacan.
On June 1st is her popular L.A. Mexican Market Tour & Lunch”. It’s a whirlwind tour of Nancy’s favorite wholesale Mexican food markets in downtown Los Angeles. Also on the tour is a terrific bakery stocked with pan dulce and their famous tamales.

The final stop on the excursion is lunch at La Casita Mexicana. Nancy was a judge there for their challenge on “Bobby Flay’s Throwdown” seen on Food Network