Long before I decided to study culinary arts professionally, I was already the person behind the stove. I cooked for family, friends, coworkers and pretty much anyone willing to pull up a chair.
I've catered in the past and spent years experimenting with recipes, tasting, making mistakes, trying again and learning by doing.
I was born in São Vicente, Cape Verde, and grew up on Boa Vista. My roots also connect me to Senegal and West Africa through another part of my family.
France was a major part of my upbringing and education, and later I lived in Italy for about two years. While living in Venice when I was younger, I worked in restaurants as both a waiter and prep cook.
These experiences became part of the way I understand food. They taught me that food is never just about what is on the plate. It is also about people, places, memory, culture and the experiences that surround a meal.
Wherever I go, food becomes part of the experience. I want to know what people eat, where they shop, what's in the market and what restaurant I shouldn't leave without trying.
Mexico is somewhere I return to regularly, and its food continues to inspire me.
Every place adds something to the way I cook and the way I think about food. Sometimes it's an ingredient. Sometimes it's a technique. Sometimes it's simply a memory of a meal that stays with me long after I've left.
But if I'm being completely truthful, I may love to eat even more.
That's what Flavors Without Borders is about. Food I've grown up with, food I've discovered, food I'm learning to make and food I simply can't stop thinking about.