Today we’d like to introduce you to Eddie Munoz.
Hi Eddie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
“The Genesis of El Cantón Cocina was a surprising and unexpected turn of life for me. Originally, I had no intention of cooking as a business or to even sell my cooking, but somehow it found its way to me. Before El Cantón Cocina, I was in a very tough position in life. The passion of cooking came in a form of a necessary skills for both me and my daughter, primarily my daughter. I needed to learn how to cook, and I needed to learn how to do it very well at that. I did not want my daughter to grow up eating food that wasn’t enjoyable, so that fueled my dedication to grow as a cook. Yet this had only sparked a flame of desire for me, a newfound skill that brought light to a purpose-giving hobby. I wanted to go to the next level, so I had moved toward going to culinary school. That was one of the best possible moves to grow my skills as a cook. It brought different skills and assets to help me improve my grade as a chef, an aspiring experience that helped me open my eyes to the arts of the kitchen. While the school did have its pros, the cons caught up. Financially it was leeching me dry, soon to be a recurring problem for me later down the road. My daughter came first, my skills as a chef would mean nothing if I had no one to cook for.
Eventually, I came across a certain dish after experimenting and just honing my skills alone. Birria, a savory and spicy Mexicano dish. A stew that had only the eyes of the taste buds blooming with flavor, bringing a nearly once and a lifetime burst of ecstasy. Of course, I had no intention of selling this. That was until my family, primarily my girl, had encouraged me, constantly insisting that I should sell this to the public, emphasizing that I would make a fortune. I gave in one day and decided to try it, thus sparking a new flame within me. It was a golden experience, showing the public what I can do. The money was great, but I do this to share delicious food with my city. It is a form of love and art to me, it is like a painting that gives you joy in the form of taste. It all started in my garage, which then led to pop-ups around Houston. There I experienced the loving aura that Houstonians truly display, not only did I receive recognition, but pop-ups rose my dishes popularity. I wanted to make everyone feel like family through my food, the warmness of the stew to capture their heart, and for the savory meat to keep them coming for more. As of currently, I am dedicated and persistent to achieve my dream of buying and owning my very own food truck. I am sure I will, of course, I am only here with the loving support of my girl and Houston in general too. I do believe that I will reach my goal through the same support I receive today. Until then, El Cantón Cocina continues to be a nomadic business for all of Houston to enjoy, just make sure to go to the right pop-up. You’ll never know when I’ll be there.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
In the beginning, permits were what prevented me from doing much. Yet I tore that obstacle down, still, it was not the last of my troubles. A food business is never easy, it will always have its fair share of conflicts, it is inevitable. Financial support and stability alone is a harsh problem that even now, I can face if not careful enough. Through how I am running this right now, I face a problem of consistency for customers. It is not always guaranteed to sell food at each pop-up, and I do understand that wholeheartedly, but that only forms a new possible problem. Thank God I have not succumbed to this, but discouragement takes its place whenever these types of problems arise. Although I am persistent and dedicated to my art, I will admit that it can and eventually will be a huge problem. Despite all my problems, I find solutions from continuing on with my despite them standing in my constantly. As of currently, my main problem is finding jobs at night. Wondering why? It is because of the insanely hot weather that Texas brings. It is gruesome out there, even with a fan and cold water. Standing over a stove is hot enough, but nowadays, we have the scorching sun shining its wrath upon us. Even then, I’m sure I’ll find my way out of this hole. I always have in the past, and I always will in the future.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a cook, a nomadic culinarian. I cook delicious food for everyone to enjoy, only with the sole purpose to bring joy and something new to talk about. I have primarily used street tacos, as well as birria that come in the forms of tacos, quesadillas, and ramen too! Still, there is a whole lot of room for the opportunity with food, but that does not prevent me from being proud of where I stand today. I will continue to experiment and create new dishes, all to achieve the goal of bringing something new to your taste buds.
What matters most to you?
To me, my number one priority is family. Family means everything to me, that means my girl and my daughter. In fact, family is the main reason I began cooking. My daughter living with me caused a realization that I needed to know how to cook for her and I. That leads to my second most important ideology to me, which is business for family stability. I love my hobby, but I will sacrifice it if it endangers financial stability for my family. If it is not stable, I can’t continue it, or I will start finding other methods to bring money to support my family.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Chefeddie713
- Facebook: Elcantoncocina
Image Credits
Jacob Luna
