One of the questions we hear from members again and again is, “Who is Chef Max?”  And after that, “Where does he get his ideas? Where do those Thai recipes come from? What does he eat at home?” This week, we’re delighted to give you a peak at the man behind the food.

Chef Max Barajas was classically trained at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in Las Vegas, then cut his teeth professionally working in fine dining restaurants.

While perfecting his trade, he realized his devotion to the importance of sustainable farming and ethical ways of sourcing ingredients. This passion drew him to Whole Foods, where his career ranged from butcher and fishmonger to baker and cheese specialist.  Each experience gave him an appreciation for the importance of the ingredients that go into a meal, as well as talking directly with home cooks about what they want to make for dinner.

The Chicago native’s passion for travel has further fueled his culinary exploration.   He’s proud to have cooked his way through 6 continents and 30 countries, meeting locals at food markets and even bartering chef services in exchange for accommodations on his travels.

These global experiences built on a childhood filled with visiting exchange students.  Over home cooked dinners, culinary secrets were swapped and cultural specialties were fused. This exciting way of food thinking translated to a passion for achieving traditional flavors with interesting interpretations that result in a wow factor. His favorite example: his Home-style Beef Gravy recipe.  100% vegetarian, made from cantaloupe and tastes like the real thing. WOW!

Today, he loves combining all of these influences into recipes to share with Meez members. Whether it’s taking his grandfather’s classic tamale recipe and giving it a meatless spin or replacing a stick of butter with heart healthy coconut milk in a classic French almondine sauce, he’s always looking for a twist to make a traditional recipe even better.

And when he’s not in the kitchen or planning his next trip, you can find Max in a metal shop, making his own knives.  Self taught, he loves to see how a found object like a discarded railroad spike can be transformed into something with a new life that he will use every day.  Similar to cooking, it’s about working with what you have and transforming it into something beautiful.

 

Hungry For Chef Max’s Creations?

Mediterranean Lemon Chai Salmon

With spring around the corner, we’re getting ready with bright sunshine inspired flavors. Like this week’s Mediterranean Lemon Chai Salmon with Pearl Couscous.  We’re topping Omega-3 rich salmon with vitamin-packed broccoli and feta cheese. Then drizzling with our Chai citrus sauce and laid on a bed of pearl couscous.  This dish will get your palette ready for spring with every bite.  Plus 15 minute pasta, alfredo flatbread and more.  Creative recipes.  Healthy meals in a heartbeat.  That’s the magic of Meez.

Order (here) at www.meezmeals.com