Elena Emilia Zelayeta was born October 3, 1898, in
Mexico City. Her parents were Spanish immigrants and innkeepers in a small mining town in Mexico. The family fled Mexico after the
Mexican Revolution, moving to San Francisco when Elena was eleven. As a young woman, Zelayeta worked at the California Arms Company. Both she and her husband, Loren, lost their jobs in 1930 due to
The Great Depression, losing their home and having their car repossessed. Out of desperation they began selling homemade Mexican and Spanish meals out of their living room, which quickly turned into a successful business. The book sold well and led to additional book deals; her final cookbook, published in 1967, featured a foreword by
James Beard, who wrote "Elena is a traditionalist, but she can also pull an inspired new combination of foods out of the air―and make you feel it is the most authentic dish you ever ate". Her eleven-year-old son, Billy, was her cooking assistant on the show.
Norman Vincent Peale wrote about attending a 17-course dinner at Zelayeta's home in his 2003 book
The Amazing Results of Positive Thinking, saying about her, "this inspiring woman is one of the most marvelous examples of positive thinking I have ever ran across." She died in
San Mateo on March 31, 1974. ==Bibliography==