Exploring Mexico’s Culinary Heritage

 In this podcast, Philippe Rey-Westlund and Byron Rey-Westlund talk about their culinary adventures in Mexico and what has and continues to inspire these explorations of Mexico’s culinary history.

 Both Byron and Philippe talk about their initial experiences with Mexican cuisine

Byron grew up in the Cupertino, California (Silicon Valley) surrounded by fruit orchards. Cupertino, before becoming the Apple Corp. headquarters, was a small village one hour south of San Francisco populated mostly by Italian and Mexican immigrants. There he was introduced early to the delicious tasty layers of ancestral Mexican cuisine. 

 Philippe discovered Mexican cuisine early on when he immigrated to the US and with Byron, they began to travel to Mexico to experience authentic Mexican cuisine in some “off the beaten paths”.  They recount one particular adventure that was harrowing but totally worth the long culinary road rarely taken.

 In this podcast, we speak about California’s Mexican heritage and how, even today, it is still possible to find authentic Mexican cuisine. Byron and Philippe also share their advice with our listeners on how to plan a culinary trip to Mexico and how there are still so many culinary destinations in Mexico to discover.

 Dr. Philippe Rey is the Executive Director of ACS in the Silicon Valley, California.  He first joined Adolescent Counseling Services in 1998 as Caravan House Program Director. After three years at Caravan, he became a member of the executive team as Associate Director and has now been the agency's Executive Director since 2004. 

 Philippe was born and raised in the French-speaking region of Switzerland and came to the United States in 1984 to attend the University of California at San Diego. In 1997, his doctorate in clinical psychology with a concentration in child and family therapy was conferred by Alliant International University in San Diego. Before pursuing graduate studies and a career in psychology, Philippe graduated from business school in Sion, Switzerland. 

Byron Westlund worked in technology and with the responsibilities of holding leadership positions, he was afforded the opportunity to travel the world for business. As an adventurous and curious person, Byron would explore the food scene everywhere he landed. With offices and staff he would visit, on an almost monthly basis, Grenoble, Lyon, Geneva, Mexico City, Tokyo and Singapore.  Byron would go out of his way to sample all local tastes and traditional dishes. 

 Upon his return home to Silicon Valley, he would spend hours recreating the flavors and structures of the dishes he so loved while out in the world. Underground Dining at Naglee Park was inevitable and for ten years, became Byron's retirement-from-technology job, but way more fun and creative. Byron always loves nothing more than welcoming friends and family to his table to share with them his passion and love for good, heart-warming, soul-lifting food and good times.

 With his husband Philippe, Byron operated an "Underground Dining" establishment for over 10 years, which served as a cultivation & fundraising vehicle for ACS.