“I was born here in Miami, and I knew from an early age that this is the career I wanted to have. My grandmother was the one who influenced me the most, she taught me to cook at the age of 9, and by age 15 I had already made up my mind! I started working at 17 and haven’t stopped since. When I first landed this job, I was simply looking for a second job, but over it sparked my interest and I enjoyed how things were done.

I think with modern food trends, if you’re a cook that isn’t actively trying to cater vegan/vegetarian food, you’re behind the times and will eventually be left behind; there are a lot of people looking for vegan food in Miami. Our city’s still behind in some ways with the food scene when compared to other states, but there is such a growing international community and that push for diverse cuisines, that nowadays you can find just about anything you want to eat in Miami, it’s very eclectic.”