They’ve always been cooks. Growing up, we had a restaurant in the house with 3 dining tables where people would eat. They were mainly people from the university I attended at the time, where I was studying biology. Back then—around 20 years ago—the marketing strategy at the time was word of mouth, so it spread between my sisters’ professors and friends and my own.

Following the death of my parents 10 years ago, I dedicated myself entirely to biology, and I left the kitchen, cooking only for my friends it became something very intimate for me. At one point, I decided to escape the social culture of my country and I came to the United States in search of living my passion. I started working as a private chef and a line cook in various restaurants.

Mexicans, Asians, fast food, etc, until I reached a company that I love very much and who allowed me the opportunity to work as a Chef. That’s the place where I truly rediscovered myself. After learning new techniques, inventories, and everything there is to learn in a kitchen, followed by a few months without rest, I decided to reconnect with the kitchen in a more genuine matter. It involved a little less technique and rigidness.

I quit and I started cooking from my house. I cooked beans, invoking our family custom as Colombians, “La Frijolada.” A custom in big Colombian families where we come together to cook and eat once a week in the house of our matriarch, be it the grandma, the aunt, or in my case, my mother . La Frijolada Pop-up has allowed me to connect directly with incredible human beings, opening the doors to my house, and enjoying what it means to live my passion. Every time I host it, I do it in honor of my parents and family.