Meet Ana Regalado | Cooking

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ana Regalado and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ana, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
First, the reason why I chose this question is that many things make us happy but what really makes me happy and gives me great satisfaction is doing things and providing for my family. I have found both in what I am doing on Tiktok and my other social channels. I have the opportunity to stay home and make delicious meals for my family, something I never could 20 years ago. Like many young families starting out I was also struggling working two jobs which did not leave much time for my kids that were 11, 9, and 6 at the time. This last past year was very hard not just for me but I know many people are grieving over loved ones they lost due to covid or other reasons. After losing my son, I lost myself in my kitchen, it was what kept me from losing it. He was always in my kitchen or in the living room keeping me company. When I cooked I felt he was there with me. I was missing him terribly and cooking gave me that comfort and of course all the love and support I was receiving from my fans. I had been making Tiktok videos for a year and during the process, my son who passed away saw my progress and at times he also assisted me. He was living with us and he was always more than willing to test my food. After he passed away I was going to quit Tiktok, I did not want to continue. After mentioning this to my husband I had so many name brands reaching out to me for collaborations, including Epicurean, which where he was working. I saw it as a sign to continue and here we are. I may have answered so many questions in this one questions but I guess the answer is My family, My Kitchen, and my fans make me so happy!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When I first began, I was not familiar with all the editing, making videos, voice-overs, but my kids helped me a lot. The biggest obstacle I faced was feeling comfortable in front of the camera. It took me a while to get comfortable with the camera, but I am working and getting better day by day. When I was in Junior High, I took drama. It was one of the scariest things to stand in front of so many people, but I felt I had to push myself because I hated being so shy, It was hard making friends, and I wanted to be that outing person! It’s something I have struggled with for years, but I take it one day at a time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I think this would be hard for me because I am a homebody! When we do go out, we try different restaurants. The most authentic restaurant I have been to is La Santisima. I would take them there and then to Sedona, Az. I love the beauty of Sedona, especially in the Fall and Spring. You can walk downtown and visit all the small shops, and there are so many places to sit down and have lunch. You can also drive a couple of miles north and do some hiking and sightseeing. We could also spend the night in a cabin and continue where we left off the next day.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to thank Tiktok because without them these last two years would have been unbearable! I think a lot of people would agree, if we weren’t making content we were watching it! It definitely kept me busy and entertained. Did I mention I was one of the chosen LatinX Creators for October?

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