From a very young age, I was obssessed with all things food, and grew a knack to learn everything about it. At the time, I didn’t even realize that this could be a dream career of mine!
From grandma’s kitchen to in the kitchens of many
During my junior year, I was enrolled in a biotechnology science class, and learned about genetically modified foods, and the effects that artificial colors and synthetic ingredients can have on your mental and physical health. I was pretty grossed out about what I learned, and began to avoid the junk filled snacks and foods in my own diet. That’s when my cooking and baking style took a turn for the better by teaching myself how to create delicious treats without the junk.
When I got older, I started baking for my classmates every year and seeing the joy and surprise in people after they enjoy a treat made by me always makes me feel really special.
My early food memories begin with my grandmother, a self proclaimed foodie herself! She wasn’t the best cook, but she was a master baker in the kitchen and that’s where we bonded. She never measured anything she just let the ancestors tell her when there was enough sugar or vanilla essence into the delicious treats. I always felt in my element and found ways to personalize and make it my own.
Everything in my life began to fall into place. I found my group of people, my love of pastry was deeper than I thought, and most importantly I felt connected with myself for the first time in my life. I knew that getting the proper culinary education would allow me to thrive in the kitchen and give me the confidence to make it professionally and share my love of delicious, handmade pastries with the public.
I quit my corporate job and took a huge pay cut to work in a bakery while I put myself through culinary school to refine my technique and improve my baking skills to a professional level.
When the pandemic hit, I was furloughed for 3 months, and within those months I baked something new and slightly challenging everyday. I had never felt more motivated and excited in my life and wanted to get better in my craft. I had returned to work after some time and I really struggled with the adjustment of being back. I was deeply depressed and didn't realize that I was hiding such a huge part in my life to suppress it to be someone I thought I needed to be. My mood and work ethic sunk. I couldn’t focus and started to feel stuck as I grew in my career.
I enjoyed my Job in HR as an assistant to a tech company and the perks were very nice. Until it wasn’t...
I started college and still never considered working in food as a career but only felt fulfilled when I was in the kitchen. My friends started encouraging me to attend culinary school. I laughed it off until graduation day, I told my graduating class that I would be attending culinary school and open up a bakery. I don’t know why I said that, it just felt right. I wanted to use my degree so I didn’t go to culinary school right away but I believed that getting started in HR could get me to where I wanted to be one day.
I have pushed myself to work harder than I have ever worked in my life to become a stronger and more skilled pastry chef. I want to represent my culture in a way that positively impacts our history, and create delicious and wholesome treats that hits home. I create recipes without artificial additives so you’re not worried about something else in the world and can focus on your wellbeing and enjoyment. My brand is designed to empower simple ingredients and transform them into delicious desserts that are comforting and familiar, taking you back in time and making you feel good inside.
I started working in a bakery setting and visualized what I wanted Soul Belly to embody.
Soul Belly is a love story about the passions that I feel deeply connected with. It is my life’s purpose to maintain those recipes shared with my grandma and express them In ways she wouldn't even believe possible, but her love is what makes them so special and I’m close to her always.