Food Network
In some parts of Mexico, making chiles rellenos with jalapenos instead of the traditional poblano chiles would be downright scandalous. But in Tijuana, where Marcela Valladolid grew up, cooking traditions are meant to be broken. The city, just on the other side of the U.S. border, is a sort of culinary melting pot because it attracts people from all over Mexico. "We're a newer city, as opposed to Oaxaca or Puebla, which have very deeply rooted traditions and recipes," she says. "In Tijuana, we're allowed to play with our food."