@seldelaterre on TWITTER
chef de cuisine, sel de la terre natick
Daniel Bojorquez grew up in the small town of Sonora, Mexico, just south
of the Arizona border. As a young boy he spent time with his
grandmother, who was a wonderful cook. Under her loving supervision,
Daniel would grind native grown corn and mix the dough for tortillas, which
she would then press and cook. On the expansive property, his
grandmother raised chickens and ducks, which she also used to feed
her family. Many of Daniel’s family and friends were farmers
and he recalls being surrounded with baskets of citrus fruits, beans, tomatoes,
grapes, papayas, persimmons, nectarines and tamarind.
Sharing this
bounty was commonplace within the community. It was in these early years
that the seeds for Daniel’s love of food and cooking were planted.
After living for a year on a ranch, where he hunted wild game and
made cheeses from scratch, Daniel became passionate about making cooking
his career. He decided to study at the Culinary Institute of Puebla
in Mexico City where he was exposed to many cuisines of the world with a
focus on classical and contemporary French fare and technique.
Shortly following his graduation, Daniel relocated to Boston where
he cooked at both Upstairs on the Square and Aquitaine. He took his career
to the next level as Executive Chef of Masa, where he received high praise
for his culinary leadership. Daniel then took apprenticeship under
esteemed Chefs Charlie Trotter and Rick Tramonto before finding his way
to Chef Frank McClelland’s kitchen at L'Espalier. Daniel's
culinary talents exploded under the tutelage of Chef McClelland. McClelland
taught Daniel how to master the finest French techniques and marry them
with the freshest seasonal New England ingredients. Daniel recalls
spectacular Spring creations like Shad Roe with morel mushrooms and ramps. He
gained an even greater appreciation for the freshest food by growing herbs,
lettuces, radishes and more on the rooftop garden at L'Espalier. Daniel
has fond memories of early morning fishing trips for striped bass, bluefish,
tuna and lobsters with Chef McClelland, and cooking the catch for dinner
that same night.
Although Daniel has a long history with L’Espalier, he is no stranger
to the Sel de la Terre kitchen. Shortly after Sel de la Terre
Long Wharf opened, Daniel worked for a long time with Chef Geoff
Gardner cooking lunch shifts during the day before heading to L'Espalier
for dinner service. When Sel de la Terre at the Natick Collection
opened its doors in 2007, Daniel was appointed Executive Chef to help launch
the restaurant with friend and current Executive Chef at Sel de la Terre
Back Bay, Louie DiBiccari.
Daniel currently lives in Jamaica Plain with his wife Emily.
