<p> We always find the journey of a chef fascinating and this holds true for Jeff Martinez. At 17, away from home for the first time, he had to find a way to pay the rent. So washing dishes in a restaurant started it all.&nbsp; From there he graduated to prep work, saut&eacute; stations, and then things got really interesting. After seasonal stints at a salmon fishing lodge in Alaska and personal chef in Portland, Maine, he returned to his roots, paying tribute to his grandmother&#39;s memorable Mexican cooking. Jeff can be found recreating her dishes and many more authenic regional favorites as Chef de Cuisine at <a href="http://www.fondasanmiguel.com/">Fonda San Miguel</a> restaurant in Austin, Texas.</p>

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