Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Virginia.
Hi Laura, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in the city of Maracaibo, Venezuela, a city where I was surrounded by cultural foods that enrich everyday life. Even so, my mother had an excellent culinary understanding, passing on experiences to the family that were too strong to forget. When I moved alone to the United States of America, my country and my mother’s culinary practices launched me on a new adventure of preparing fun meals; especially since now, he had no one to serve, being away from family. Along the way, I learned how to make my favorite Venezuelan dishes, as well as invent exciting dishes that were made health-consciously.
I started creating dishes for my family’s events and parties, but I wanted to create something different, such as including healthy ingredients in these dishes that most people ignored at parties. My family and friends cheered me on for creating these different colorful dishes. They motivated me to create more and share my work on social media.
Cocina de Laura was first thought of in 2018, when I was working in one of my first jobs, in a grocery store in the city. There, I received extensive training on the origins and uses of the different types of cheeses, charcuterie, as well as other products that are sold in that grocery store, which allowed me to merge healthy dishes with charcuterie.
Before moving to the United States, I owned a cosmetics company and there I realized the power of marketing tools and business essentials. With a natural interest in food, training in a wide range of products, and experience as a business owner, it was clear I was ready to serve Houston on a grand scale.
Besides my catering business, I’m an engineer and film producer, working on an animated movie called “Adam and Eve”. As you can see, creating and delivering products to people that they can enjoy is what I like to do most!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been an interesting road with a lot of learning, I would say. In the beginning, I had to do a lot of research on food permits, since for me it was essential to first comply with the law before starting to offer my products. It took me a while since I was new to this area. As much of a hassle as it was, I still took the necessary steps to be able to obtain the permits.
During the pandemic, the road became a bit difficult, as people were afraid to interact with other people. The demand for clients had gone down. However, I remained consistent and motivated in my business, and I started promoting individual cheeseboard boxes, which allowed people more privacy instead of sharing their cheeseboard. This idea helped a lot since people love the cheeseboard, and they wanted to continue enjoying this service.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Cocina de Laura?
Cocina de laura is a catering business that delivers a healthier dietary option in a way that is fun and interactive. We offer healthy and quality products to support good dietary practices. This can easily be done by serving edibles in an appealing way, such as paying attention to how the foods are laid out and by their colors. I find that people like to eat what is attractive and decorative.
Our cheeseboards and grazing tables are the perfect way to add color, elegance and sophistication to any special occasion. They combine the finest, most fresh and delicious ingredients coming from local communities in order to create stunning visual content for the table.
I offer clean ingredients in our cheeseboards with high quality cheeses, fresh vegetables and fruits, always supporting locals and nothing we serve contains pork. We provide alternatives made from chicken, beef and turkey. This is what sets us apart from other catering businesses.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory is the parties my family would throw at my grandparents’ house. My whole family gathered in one place, where I used to spend a lot of time talking and playing with my cousins, laughing about my uncle jokes and eating delicious food. One of the things I enjoyed most was seeing my mom and my aunts spending time in the kitchen, creating different typical Venezuelan dishes for the family. Dishes full of color, organic flavors and fresh ingredients that they used to plant in the garden. At that moment, I was thinking I want to do the same when I grow up. This memory gave me the motivation to start in the catering industry. The ability to share with others the same experience that they did at that time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cocinadelaura.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cocinadelaura/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cocinadelauraCDL
