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Not From Concentrate

Not From Concentrate

Big Flavor and Bold Living with Claudette Zepeda

Sep 15, 2026 · 42m

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About this episode

What makes dinner taste like it’s been cooking all day when you absolutely do not have all day? Chef Claudette Zepeda has a pantry full of answers—and zero shame about canned beans. This week, Catherine welcomes the chef and author of Cooking the Borderlands for a conversation about big flavor, creative freedom, and feeding a family when you’re stretched thin. Claudette shares how growing up between San Diego, Tijuana, and Guadalajara shaped her food, from the Asian pantry staples woven into her Mexican cooking to the smoke and community of carne asada. We talk about using miso, kombu, chicken bouillon, and chili oil to build flavor; the comfort of her mom’s albóndigas; and why a great meal…