Julieta Ballesteros, native of Monterrey, Mexico and owner of renowned NYC restuarant Crema, is a lifelong lover of spicy/sweet savory dishes and a longtime purveyor of delicious, delectable eats.

Even as a young person, Chef Julieta had a maturing interest in food and cooking, spending hours in the kitchen, helping her family create meal after meal. In fact, Chef Julieta told Latin Post, "When I was little my passion was always in the kitchen, smelling all the flavors, hearing all the sounds of a frying pan, watching every movement before lunch was ready." Also, certain meals were punctuated by her grandmother's unforgettable apple pie, which threatened to perfume the entire home with the smell of butter and sugariness.

"My grandmother 's apple pie... the smell of the buttery flaky crust, the crispy Granny Smith apples, the scent of the Mexican cinnamon and maple. It warmed the kitchen in the wintertime," Chef Julieta said. "That was her recipe, but it definitely it planted the seed for my career and all of my culinary journey."

After completing college, she opened a catering business, and then became the assistant to the head chef at Alfa Corporativo. Chef Julieta then decided to further her education at the French Culinary Institute. Post-graduation, the chef helped to open Mexicana Mama, where she offered diners authentically flavorful Mexican food served with a stylish French presentation.

Crema Restaurante, Chef Julieta's pride and joy, opened its doors March of 2006. The Chelsea-located eatery is splayed with warm Mexican colors and textures. It also employs French influences, timeless Mexican tradition and modern New York flare, all to be enjoyed by countless couples, celebrities and diplomats. The mouthwatering, Zagat-approved fare is considered some of the best in the city, and Chef Julieta, herself, has been rated as one of New York's best Mexican chefs.

"I love food and I am very creative; to transform food into art it is my challenge," said Chef Julieta. "Exploring the flavors and ingredients that nature offers to us is an adventure and a continuous challenge to explore, which I will never get enough of. Every dish that I make, I know that I am making a costumer happy. I am proud of my job. To see empty plates and people coming to me to give me complements... that is everything to me."

The owner of the Michelin-rated hotspot is always innovating a new project. Her latest is TAVO, and she simply teased, "You will know about it by next year, but I am very excited."

Passionate about mixing savory with a little bit of sweet, Chef Julieta also favors bold, strong flavors "that will make an explosion in your mouth and you can't get enough." Additionally, when ask about lessons she's learned as a chef, she simply stated, "Every day is a new challenge and a new lesson, give your staff examples, be humble and learn from others."

Excited about Chef Julieta's grandmother's apple pie? Check out the recipe below and try to make it at home. Also, keep scrolling to find Chef Julieta's Scallops in Mango Sauce and Avocado Mousse recipe. Feel free to share a photo with us on Facebook and Twitter when you're done! 

Chef Julieta's Apple Pie

•  Dough:
•  2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•  4 teaspoons sugar
•  1/4 teaspoon fine salt
•  14 tablespoons cold butter, diced
•  1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons cold water
•  Filling:
•  2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
•  3 pounds baking apples like Granny Smith apples
•  2/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on the pie
•  1/4 cup unsalted butter
•  1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•  1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions

Make the dough by hand. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture.

Make the dough in a food processor. With the machine fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean size bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade, and bring the dough together by hand.

Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.

Make the filling. Put the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Peel, halve, and core the apples. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Toss the apple with the lemon juice. Add the sugar and toss to combine evenly.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the apples soften and release most of their juices, about 7 minutes.

Strain the apples in a colander over a medium bowl to catch all the juice. Shake the colander to get as much liquid as possible. Return the juices to the skillet, and simmer over medium heat until thickened and lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.

In a medium bowl, toss the apples with the reduced juice and spices. Set aside to cool completely. (This filling can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated or frozen for up to 6 months.)

Cut the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half of dough into a disc about 11 to 12 inches wide. Layer the dough between pieces of parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with one of the discs of dough, and trim it so it lays about 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pan. Put the apple filling in the pan and mound it slightly in the center. Brush the top edges of the dough with the egg. Place the second disc of dough over the top. Fold the top layer of dough under the edge of the bottom layer and press the edges together to form a seal. Flute the edge as desired. Brush the surface of the dough with egg and then sprinkle with sugar. Pierce the top of the dough in several places to allow steam to escape while baking. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Bake the pie on a baking sheet until the crust is golden, about 50 minutes. Cool on a rack before serving. The pie keeps well at room temperature (covered) for 24 hours, or refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Cook's Note: You may freeze the uncooked pie, but don't brush it with egg or dust it with sugar beforehand. Place the pie in the freezer for 30 minutes, to harden it slightly, and then double wrap it with plastic wrap. Garnished with cajeta and vanilla saffron.

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Scallops in Mango Sauce and Avocado Mousse

4-6 servings

-       6 to 8 Scallops U/10

-       ½ cup of vegetable or soy oil

-       Mango emulsion

-       Chipotle paste

-       Mango pico de gallo

-       Avocado mousse

-       Cornbread

-       Frisse

-       Edible orchid

-       Scallions

• Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius

Mango Emulsion

-       ½ cup of fresh mango puree

-       Lemon juice (@ lemons)

-       ¼ cup of vegetable or soy oil

-       Salt and agave nectar to taste

• Blend the puree with the lemon juice, salt, and agave nectar. Finally, add the oil to make an emulsion

Avocado Mousse

-       Ripe Haas avocado

-       1 tbsp. of cream cheese

-       1 tbsp. of mayonnaise

-       ½ cup of lemon juice

-       1 tbsp. of jalapeño vinegar

-       Salt to taste

• All ingredients are put in the processor until you obtain a creamy consistency

Mango Pico de Gallo

-       1 ripe mango, diced

-       1 tomato

-       ¼ red onion

-       1 lemon (juice)

-       ½ jalapeño

-       1 tbsp. of cilantro

-       4 tbsp. of mango puree

-       Salt and agave nectar to taste

• In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together

Pan de Elote

-       1 cup of flour

-       ½ tsp. of baking powder

-       2 eggs

-       ¾ precooked corn kernels

-       ½ cup of sugar

-       ½ cup of heavy cream

-       ½ stick of butter

-       A pinch of salt

• In a blender, mix the butter and sugar, add the eggs. Then, add the flour and baking powder alternating with the heavy cream. Add a pinch of salt. Remove the mixture from the blender and incorporate the corn by hand with a spatula. Bake in 5 inch round pans for until it browns.

Salt and pepper the scallops. Sear the scallops in a hot pan. Add a teaspoon of chipotle paste and the mango emulsion. Transfer them to the oven for 5 minutes.

To assemble the dish:

Start with the cornbread; add avocado mousse on top; then continue with the scallops forming a tower. Continue with the mango pico de gallo, frisse, and the scallions placed against the tower.