Bestseller | Winner Best Foreign Cuisine Book USA-Gourmand World Cookbook Awards | Winner Gold Medal Best Cookbook-International Latino Book Awards | Gold Medal Winner- Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) | Winner (first prize)-National Indie Excellence Awards | Winner (first prize)- Next Generation Indie Book Awards | Winner (first prize)- Los Angeles Book Festival | Winner (first prize)-The Great Midwest Book Festival Chicago | Winner (first prize) Best Cookbook-Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA | Winner (first prize) Best First Book-Midwest Independent Publishers (MIPA).
Amalia's love affair with cooking started where so many others do: in her grandmother's kitchen. Hers was in Guatemala.
"I still remember the flavors I grew to love as a girl " Amalia says. "I remember the banana leaves Guatemalan chiles the cinnamon loroco chipilín and all those native spices and flowers."
As an adult Amalia immigrated to the United States for college and had a first career in international banking. After earning an executive master's degree in international business from St. Louis University she graduated from Le Cordon Bleu. Later she founded Amalia -- Latin Gourmet with a Cultural Flair (AmaliaLLC.com) a business designed to help others develop a better understanding and appreciation of Latin cultures through gourmet cuisine. Since then she has been delivering a cultural and culinary experience to many Fortune 100 and 500 companies nonprofits historical societies universities and schools and others through custom events.
Worldwide traveling has further enhanced Amalia's culinary and cultural perspective. During her second career Amalia has supported many community-driven organizations through charitable donations of her time and skills and also co-founded Women Entrepreneurs of Minnesota (wemn.org) a nonprofit organization that fosters women entrepreneurship. Amalia also does consulting and custom recipe development. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband Kenn (whose Danish origins add another cultural influence to Amalia's kitchen) and their son Jens.
Amalia Moreno-Damgaard a Guatemalan-American chef classically educated in the French culinary tradition shares 170 of her favorite Guatemalan recipes for every occasion in her first cookbook aimed at home cooks. These healthy quick and easy gourmet dishes provide the perfect way to explore a fascinating culture that dates back to the ancient Mayan civilization. Amalia's delicious zesty recipes come alive with step-by-step instructions helpful techniques and hints personal stories exciting suggestions for recipe variations vegetarian and gluten-free options and cultural insights behind the cuisine. Whether you're a chef expanding your repertoire a Guatemalan embracing your roots or a food lover who just enjoys a unique and delicious meal Amalia's Guatemalan Kitchen will make your heart and your taste buds dance!
