International Women's Day

Name: Melissa De Leon
Age: 34
Location: Panama City, Republic of Panama

I am originally from Panama and have managed to successfully marry my love for cooking to the passion I feel for technology, including the internet, Web design and marketing. I am a culinary professional trained in California, the U.S., in Mexico, South America, Europe and Asia. I love to travel, and have actually been all around the globe! I am not shy and look forward to creating exotic meals and introducing them to my adventurous clients. As and added seasoning, I love to cook with passion, personality and caring, this is the most important!I am specially fond of my online culinary journal, The Cooking Diva. The name says it all.

What's a typical day in your life like?

A typical day in my life includes getting up at 5:30 a.m. almost every day to take out my doggies, Hannibal - the Basset Hound, Silky-Lu the Weimaraner, and Flori and Cleo -- the Beagles! Then I devote a couple of hours to catch up with many e-mails and then go to the office. After that would be lots of cooking at my experimental kitchen and visiting my clients. Spending time with my family is very important, as well as preparing food for them. More computer work at night follows if I am awake :)

What are you favorite beauty products?

I LOVE my Mistura 6-in-one powder. I actually call it "the magic powder," it is great! As for perfumes, right now I am enjoying Gucci by Gucci and Beautiful Love by Stee Lauder.

Where is your favorite place to go out?

Definitely the ocean!

What is your idea of the perfect man?

A good sense of humor, loves to travel, romantic, intelligent, spiritual. Extra points if he knows how to make bread and bakes some for me! More extra points if he can "read my mind," it comes really handy sometimes. :)

What's the biggest challenge you face?

Although I love to meditate and work on my spiritual side, one of my biggest challenges is to stop moving. I am a very active person and love to create things, new ideas are born every day!

How do you relax / unwind?

I love to meditate and meet with my friends to do this. Enjoy solitude, time to spend with myself and God. I am a Gendai Reiki Master, so giving Reiki therapy to others is very important to me Ai to Hikari (Love & Light).

3 things you always have in your bag:

Oh, well, let me tell you something ... perfume and some makeup, a digital camera and lots of business cards are always in my purse!

What do you dream about?

OK, my dreams! I would love to have children and to travel to the places I have not been yet. Discover new and delicious ingredients to cook with and make more people happy!

What women do you admire / who are your heroes?

Women I admire, I would say "mothers" that have managed to follow their dreams and to raise their children with plenty love and care. This is very important to me and although I do not have children of my own, I love my nieces and nephews to death. :)

Meet the rest of the international Bettys!