Meet Karen Castro
Karen came to the ANBC open casting call in Little Rock, Arkansas. She brought so much energy to the competition. A registered Behavioral Tech, Karen shared an odd fact about her is that she is autistic.
When it comes to cooking, Karen loves what she refers to as “easy girl cooking” with a love for Asian and Hispanic cuisines. Her favorite dish to make are Pupusas – a thick, handmade corn or rice flour flatbread from El Salvador, Karen’s family heritage, that is stuffed with savory fillings and cooked on a hot griddle.
“Pupusas. My favorite dish to make. I practiced hard to be able to make them, as they are El Salvador’s national dish. They took some time, but my mom finally gave me a nod of approval, and that meant the world to me,” Karen shares proudly with a broad smile.
Quick fun facts:
-
Pupusa is the national dish of El Salvador with deep indigenous roots going back over a thousand years to the Pipil people
-
El Salvador celebrates a national holiday dedicated to the dish on the second Sunday of November each year.
“Food is a story of survival and love of humans through our existence. To me, getting to share a tasty meal is the most beautiful form of human connection,” says Karen.Â
When it comes to exercise, Karen enjoys taking different trail hikes around Arkansas citing that Arkansas is the “natural state”. While working two jobs, she says the most common way to get her movement in is by hopping on the treadmill, cranking up the incline, and watching a relaxing show.
Karen dances at 9:00am with her kiddos, her job as a Registered Behavioral Tech keeps her pretty active, and she goes to the gym 3-5 times a week after being introduced to those types of workouts by personal trainer BFIT. Of BFIT, Karen says “he’s completely changed my perspective on fitness.” < Go KAREN!
When asked what The Bikini Chef means to her, Karen shares, “it means showing the world the accessibility and diversity of fitness and healthy eating,” continues Karen. “If I were to win the title, I would represent by sharing authentic content focusing on movement and tasty food.”
OFFICIAL SPONSORS OF AMERICA’S NEXT BIKINI CHEF® >>
COUTURE APRONS
MELISSA’S PRODUCE
The Spifter Kitchen Sifting Tool
