Tammy Marine, chief executive officer of Habitat For Humanity Inland Valley, will also present since the charity organization is the main beneficiary of proceeds from the festival to help with housing in Southwest Riverside County. “People who may not know anything about tequila can walk out with a really good understanding and passion for it.” “We’ll have a lot of educators there, so guests shouldn’t be afraid to ask any questions,” Sharpe said. For the festival, he made sure to include popular suppliers such as Don Julio and Patron and showcase tequila products like the clear distilled Cristalino that’s been growing in popularity. He also suggests that guests who have yet to dabble in tequila start with that flavor of tequila because they are cleaner and not aged.

Ryan Sharpe, director of beverage at Pechanga Resort Casino, said silver and tequilas blancos make a good pairing for enhancing the flavors of certain tacos. “Pour yourself a little shot of tequila with my tacos, and I’m sure you’ll be happy,” Celaya said. It is then served on a warm flour tortilla topped with cilantro, onions, and a sweet and savory salsa made with jalapenos and onions. The beef cheek is marinated for four hours, which allows the beef to become extra tender and flavorful. When I cook something, I’m doing it because I enjoy it and am happy, and it reflects in my dishes that people try.”Ĭelaya is spearheading the 1882 Cantina team and cooked a beef cheek taco, braised and marinated with several spices, including coriander, chili ancho and guajillo peppers. “She was always like ‘un poquito de esto y un poquito de aquello,” Celaya said, which in English translates to “a little bit of this and a little bit of that.” “I believe that if you cook something with your heart and that you put love into it, the food is going to speak for itself. Like many Latin cooks, she never wrote down her recipes or measured the ingredients formally, but thanks to years of experience, she managed to estimate the ingredients with precision every time. Her advice consisted of not cooking when you’re angry (with the exception of salsa because anger adds more of a kick) otherwise, your food will come out bad.

He credits his cooking style to his grandmother, who sometimes offered words of wisdom with each hot plate. Sign up for our Casino Insider newsletter and get the week’s best bets for food, entertainment and fun at Southern California’s casinos.

Pechanga casino map career