Santana Caress Benitez

Chef Santana Caress Benitez is a Food Network 'Chopped' Champion who received her Culinary + Culinary Management diplomas from The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. After working in different restaurants throughout New York and interning with TastingTable.com, Chef Santana decided to branch out on her own as a freelance chef and culinary instructor.

Aside from providing private culinary classes, pop-up dining events, and freelance recipe writing, Chef Santana continues to focus on food justice related issues and free culinary workshops in and around her community. She is also currently writing a cookbook and filming a documentary about the economic and environmental crises in Puerto Rico.

Chef Santana can be seen in Spike Lee's upcoming "She's Gotta Have It", coming to Netflix on Thanksgiving Day 2017.

[Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.]