Born in Bolivia and raised in Uruguay, Chef Valentina Batture moved to Miami, Florida in 2002 to begin her culinary journey. With no professional background and limited English, she began working front of house positions at various restaurants until she was presented with an opportunity to work in the kitchen. Her fierce and ambitious personality allowed her to jump right in and eventually work her way up to head chef. Chef Valentina is a self-taught chef; reading books and learning from peers to gain knowledge and further her education.

In 2007, Chef Valentina moved to Los Angeles to further her culinary career. In the past decade, she has cooked at some Los Angele’s favorites like the Little Next Door, Petrossian and Umami Burger, to name a few. In 2015, she joined Walter Manzke at Petty Cash and has since worked her way up to Chef de Cuisine. We stole Chef Valentina away from the kitchen for a few minutes to answer a few questions about how she spends her time off and her favorite things to cook!

What do you do on your days off?
I usually like to relax as much as I can and spend time with my cats and loved ones. I enjoy watching and playing tennis or any type of outdoor activity, reading cook books, and taking pictures.

What’s your favorite dish to make at home?
Having 50% Italian blood makes me crave pasta all the time. Also, I Iove making vegan banana bread.

What is your favorite dish to make at Petty Cash?
Right now I love making the shrimp tostada. It is the best-looking tostada on earth and also super yummy and tasty. My second favorite is the cauliflower nachos. It is all about colors and unique flavors.

What’s your favorite part about working at Petty Cash?
Being part of Petty Cash team has changed my career in many ways, personally and professionally. I enjoy coming to work every day, seriously! We do great things here, from the food to the vibe to the petty cash team. Encouraging, supporting and inspiring is on the top of my to-do list every day. Creating dishes has been very challenging at times but the harder it gets the prouder I feel.