My name is Cynthia Villarreal and my name is Ximena Martinez, together we are not only mother and daughter we are also La Casa de mi Abuela. Before we start talking about our project, I want to share our life story.
I was very fortunate to be raised in a family full of love and unity my parents would work long hours to be able to provide for my sibling and I. Everyone had different schedules but our dinner time was always sacred we were all expected to show up and enjoy a meal together. I have enjoyed being in a kitchen since I was a child. Every summer we would be sent to our grandparent’s ranch, my grandmother Nena is my hero and idol. She is the reason why my passion for kitchen initiated, she would bring me to the kitchen and guide me as I made tortilla de harina for my younger cousins. My childhood summers were always exciting because I knew that even though we would not travel I would get to spend time with her and learn how to cook different dishes.
When I got married, I knew that I wanted to pursue cooking and have my grandmother Nena as my mentor. So, in 2006 my husband and I opened a small catering business named Dolce and Devine. We would service birthday parties, baby showers, and other small events. As time passed we were known by our signature dishes of Chicharron Prensado and Rajas.
Just when we though life was going our way, my husband passed away in 2009. It was unexpected and devasting, but I knew that as much as my world had crumbled and I was going through a rough time I had to continue with the right head on my shoulders because Ximena depended on me. So, I decided to go back to school and get my Associates in Culinary Arts.
I graduated with an associate’s degree in Culinary Arts in 2012, at the same time I got a certification at the Suggar Culinary Institute. Deep down I knew I was better prepared and that I could invest now all of my knowledge in my business Dolce and Divine, but I then realized I was still not ready to continue alone in the business that my late husband and I had started. So, my parents asked me to join their team in their restaurant, this would help me be surrounded by family and avoid me being alone, but also helping me have more time to spend with my now 7-year-old daughter. I took the opportunity and with that a new opportunity arose and I started creating my own salsas. I created “Las Salsas El Sirenito, El Ostion Endiablado, and La Ranita Habanera. All these sauces are still available in our family restaurants. I was so involved in my job that I lost track of time, what was a short-term plan was consuming my entire time. I realized that when I would leave the office it was late in the evening and surrounded by food, I did not want to get home and cook. So, I did what most working families do we would buy out every night. Fast foods were our meals, because I wanted to spend the small amount of time that I had with Ximena and conversing not thinking of what to cook. After a couple of months Ximena asked me if I could make her a home cooked meal so we opened our old family recipe cook book and together we made our chicharron en salsa, and it was then when we had the idea of cooking together home cooked meals, but selling them to people that were like us and worked until late. This would help us work as a team but also provide meals for families that do not have the time to cook and want to spend the little time that they have eating a delicious meal and conversing with their families. That is how Casa de mi Abuela started, Ximena and I work as a team to cook meals that will bring families together. We cook meals that bring many childhood memories to their dinner table. We take care of the cooking while they enjoy their family.
OUR SIGNATURE HOMEMADE CHICHARRON SAUCE
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TASTY!
Life is like a chicharron, the more you add to it, the better it becomes
WITH THE ORIGINAL FLAVOR DE LA ABUELA
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