Virgilio Martinez was a skateboarding champion in Peru in the 1990s but, after an accident, decided to study law in Lima. During a holiday job, he discovered his passion for cooking, dropped out of university, and traveled to Canada and then London to become a Cordon Bleu graduate. After working for 10 years in Canada, Europe and Asia he became head chef of Gastón Acurio’s restaurant in Bogota. Returning home, he opened his own restaurant, Central, in the Peruvian capital in 2010, followed by Mil in Cusco and several other restaurants. Martinez also runs Mater Initiativa – a foundation for research into, and protection of Peruvian food culture.
Alex Raij is a New York City-based chef and owner of El Quinto Pino, La Vara, and Txikito- New York's only Basque restaurant. Raij's food has won numerous accolades, including New York magazine's "Best Tapas" and Time Out New York's "Most Addictive Bar Snack." In 2009, Travel & Leisure named Txikito one of its 50 Best New U.S. Restaurants. Raij was voted eater's 2012 Chef of the Year and featured as one of the Bon Appetit's six picks for its 2008 feature "Women Chefs: The Next Generation." She has appeared on Iron Chef America, Food Curated, Foodography, and No Reservations three times.
