Born in San Diego, Marcela Luz Valladolid-Rodriguez, Marcela's dream of being a chef was sparked when she worked at her Aunt Marcela’s cooking school in Tijuana, Mexico.

Marcela  graduated from the Los Angeles Culinary Institute as a certified cook. She then moved to Paris, France where she graduated as a classically trained pastry Chef at the Ritz-Escoffier Cooking School.

She then returned to Tijuana, started her own catering company, and taught cooking techniques to students out of her home. Marcela then joined the team at Bon Appetit magazine as an editor and recipe stylist.

In 2005 Marcela competed in The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, where she won 4th place. Marcela's first cooking program was called Gelatos con Sabor on Discovery en Espanol, showing viewers local Hispanic homes and traditional recipes. Her first book came out in 2009, Fresh Mexico: 100 Simple Recipes for True Mexican Flavor, followed by her second book in 2010, titled Mexican Made Easy. Marcela  went on to appear in many cooking programs including the Food Networks, The Kitchen, which she co-hosted.