Meet one of our volunteer chefs, Chef Juan Rodriguez of Magdalena's Cocina Mexicana Local.
Raised in Chicago and Monterrey,Mexico, Juan learned to love food at an early age. His grandmother, Magdalena, was his biggest influence, from going to the farmers market to shopping at the local butcher. Juan achieved his associate’s degree in culinary arts from The Art Institute of Dallas in 2001, and has since worked his way through some of North Texas’s most well known restaurants including Classic Café in Roanoke, Angeluna in Fort Worth, Rough Creek Lodge in Glen Rose, Lonesome Dove in Fort Worth and NYC, and then landed at Reata for 8 years.
About Magdalena’s
Specializing in weddings, special events, and pop-up dinners, Magdalena's combines different cuisines from Juan's upbringing for an unforgettable experience. Magdalena’s will be actively changing the menu and will continue to host events and pop-up dinners in and around Fort Worth. Learn more.
Featured Recipe: Black Bean and Sweet Corn Salad
- 1 cup long grain brown rice
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Jalapeno, diced, deseeded
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled and minced
- 2 cups freshly cut white corn kernels (from 2 ears) or 1 bag (10 ounces) frozen corn, thawed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed well and drained
- 2 T. Cilantro
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- ½ Feta Cheese made from Goat
- Sea Salt To Taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, just until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water until cool. Transfer to a large bowl.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the same saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the Chile, onion and garlic and stir until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the corn and salt and cook, stirring, just until heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with the rice and toss to mix.
Add the beans, the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the vinegar and toss well. Add Feta cheese and toss. Season with plenty of pepper and toss again. Serve with corn chips if desired.