Kirsten West

Coincidences and Gastronomy

The first time I saw Kirsten West was on a Mexican television program alongside Mexican actor Bruno Bichir called Yo solo sé que no he cenado. At the time, I was living in San Francisco CA, and I remember thinking, “I have to meet this person.” It was something like love at first sight.

Curiously, about a year later, I met Douglas Cullen inspiredbymexico in San Miguel de Allende. One day, he told me I had to meet a friend of his who possessed an extraordinary knowledge of Mexican cuisine. We went to her home to meet her — and it was Kirsten West.

From that day on, we became very good friends. Once again, life had placed someone truly special in my path. Humble, genuine, and with a heart of gold, Kirsten is one of the few people who knows as much about our culinary culture as she does. She once cooked for Mick Jagger and many other notable figures, about whom she tells marvelous anecdotes.

One day, hanging on her wall, I discovered a framed letter with a heartfelt note of gratitude for an unforgettable dinner she had prepared — signed by Frank Sinatra himself.

Kirsten West in the garden of her home in San Miguel de Allende.