Mayra Melgar: From Chef on “Fast & Furious” to “Cook a Thon” in El Salvador

The Salvadoran shines in her own right in the U.S., reinventing recipes to fight allergies and conditions like diabetes. But she’s also a dynamic activist.

Mayra Melgar left the land of her birth at age 9, right as the dawn of armed conflict emerged in El Salvador in the late 1970s.

She has lived in the United States for 40 years, after growing up in Switzerland and setting foot on Mexican soil, where she waited with her family for permission to enter the great nation to the north.

In 2021, her drive to support the most vulnerable communities resonated with the organizers of the Inkazteca Awards and Business Excellence, which recognized the work she carried out in various parts of Europe on behalf of neighborhoods in great need. She earned an international distinction for chefs “without cooking a thing.”

But her programs made a significant impression—programs she managed to carry out with the help of her acquaintances and famous friends, such as Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Helen Mirren and Paul Walker (†), for whom she cooked for years after being chosen as the chef for the Fast & Furious cast.

Yes, the unique style of her cooking has opened many doors around the world, allowing her to implement a range of altruistic initiatives on behalf of the most vulnerable.

That desire to bring value to the lives of others was born when she practiced her profession as an educator in the Los Angeles Unified School District, California, for 20 years.

She not only taught English as a second language to groups of immigrant children, she also worked on behalf of students with special needs.

And in the blink of an eye, she explains, she ended up becoming a Health Care Specialist, supported by doctors and schools in the district.

José Calderón and Elizabeth Romero (right) prepare pupusas, led by Salvadoran chef Carmen Rosibel Esperanza at the “Cook a Thon.” Photo: courtesy of the organizers.

Her children grew up healthy and active, in a home where there was no room for television but there was room for physical activity and academic education.

Her formula for eating properly is so effective that she even got her third daughter, who was born with half a heart—to become a javelin-throwing athlete and instructor, after undergoing seven open-heart surgeries.

Motivated by all those blessings, in 2014 the Salvadoran became a professional chef, and she now travels the world sharing her knowledge, discovering new flavors and textures, reinventing traditional recipes and countering conditions such as allergies, high cholesterol and diabetes.

It’s worth noting that to spread that unique cooking style, chef Melgar is very active on social media, where she shares tips and recipes. Television is another of her promotional tools. THE “COOK A THON”

In that eagerness to help others attain a better quality of life, in early 2023 the family assistant and nutrition coach created a new initiative: the “Cook a Thon.”

This culinary event was born through the encouragement of the current mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, who requested Melgar’s support to organize an event with an electoral bent.

That campaign activity ended up becoming an initiative that seeks to plant seeds of solidarity and a spirit of service among people around the world.

Whether entrepreneurs, community leaders, entertainers, celebrities or diplomats, the influential figures invited to join the “Cook a Thon” contribute a recipe that they plan, prepare, cook and serve during the gathering.

This, in turn, must be held in a private home that allows for a family atmosphere, a connectivity network that multiplies.

The main goal is to raise funds to benefit a nonprofit organization or program while promoting values and healthier eating.

The global launch of the “Cook a Thon” took place in San Salvador on May 6, although three had already been held previously in the United States and Europe. Mayra visited her homeland alongside a team of accomplices who follow her wherever she travels to infect others with her optimism.

After celebrating the event with a Salvadoran flavor, the chef and her staff traveled to Japan, where another “Cook a Thon” will be held.

All the recipes that are shared are reinvented by chef Melgar and published in an app. To access them, you must pay a donation for the chosen beneficiary.

Source: https://www.elsalvador.com/h-vida/h-mujeres/salvadorenos-mundo-chef-mayra-melgar-cocina-famosos-cook-a-thon-el-salvador/1060479/2023/