A Latina in the twenty first century with a knack for combining flavors and making delectable meals? Sounds like success. This individual has a name now known throughout the globe as Chef Lorena Garcia.
Strong family traditions and going back to her roots in Venezuela bestows memories of family gatherings and how food brought them together. This is what gave her the last boost to pursue her passion for cuisine. “Bringing loved ones together to enjoy wonderful food is something that has always fulfilled me.”
Choosing between countless paper cuts and headaches, and a lifetime of burns and eternal hours spent slaving for others’ satisfaction was not an ultimatum, but a simple decision. As it turns out, the culinary field was not the initial career path chosen, but that of law studies. A graduate of Santa Maria University in Caracas and later moving to the United States to complete an associate’s degree in paralegal studies, Lorena leaped into her dream of culinary arts. After graduating from Johnson and Wales University in North Miami, Florida, her life as a chef would soon begin.
But it is not without trials and tribulations that she has reached the level she is at today. At the end of her senior year at Johnson and Wales, Lorena found herself on the line one crazy night of her internship. With a sous chef that could care less about the purpose of her employment, all the pother line cooks were sent home. Orders came in, non-stop, as he bellowed the numerous requests for sea bass, lobsters, groupers, and so on. Eight flames covered by seven pans for seven orders lay before her as she completed yet another check. As the last plate was placed in the over pass, he yells out “Where’s the last one?!” A polite and confident reply: “Chef, there were only seven. You did not call in eight. There were seven.” Not wanting to start an uproar with the brute she had found him to be, she reached for a new pan in front of her to prepare the dish. Not thinking of how it was already blazing hot from standing just inches away from the flames, she added the oil and tossed in the fish. Flames surrounded her face as the oil splashed on her face. Yelling at the top of her lungs, covered in tears that seemed to evaporate of her crimson red, scorched face, Lorena completed the dish. Still screaming at her and ordering her to continue working, the sous chef at least called her weak and a drama queen. The manager pushed through the swinging doors from the dining room as he heard her cries for relief, literally swept her off her feet, and rushed her to the nearest hospital where the doctors informed her that she had received third and second degree burns. They formed a pattern of patches of flesh and muscle tissue throughout her face and neck. Plastic surgery was the only solution.
It was passed two in the morning by the time her parents were notified. She was in the hands of a plastic surgeon in no time. After several months of recovery, being in total darkness from the bandages, and only being exposed to an un-masked state when special creams were applied created by the surgeon himself, she was once again “normal.”
Although a drawback, this would not cause any restraints. As soon as the bandages came off, she was off to a start as an apprentice in countries best known for their cuisine – France, Italy, China, Japan, Korea, and Thailand – and landing in acclaimed restaurants working beside world-famous chefs. Returning to the United States after gathering the know-how, she presented everyone with the “here’s how” by letting her talent flow through her restaurant Food Café, and later Elements Tierra. These two booming restaurants where located in Miami’s Design District and showcased eclectic blends of Latin, Asian-influenced menus.
After tasting these great experiences, they were sold in 2008 to seek new prospects. A new bistro is scheduled to be unwrapped in June of 2010. The Lorena Garcia Cocina Restaurant will be sited at the Miami International Airport where she has collaborated with HMS Host Marriot Services and Bacardi Mojito to present travelers with a more nutritious approach to Latin cuisine.
Rising to the top has taken tremendous effort and endurance, but all is paying off well. Never giving up on the dream of reaching everyone with the beauty and power of simple foods with a twist, she devotes every ounce of her time to the art of cooking and all its branches. Today, she has become an icon and inspiration for the Latin community all around the world. Broadcasting cooking shows across South America, the internet, and cable/satellite dish has helped spread the word: this lady is not one to be underestimated as was the case at the very beginning of her career. This only gave strength and an extra drive to attain what she wanted. Now, at the peak of stardom, numerous opportunities shine through for her. When she is not traveling around the country promoting Nestlé products as its spokesperson, she is on cooking shows, like that of her own called Sazon con Lorena Garcia, or putting together recipes for her upcoming book. In 2007, a self-named signature line of products was introduced in Belk Department Stores (the largest privately-owned department store company in the United States.
Late 2010 will bring about a new project. Situated in the heart of the Miami Design District will be the Lorena Garcia Studio. There, over 5,000 square feet of space will allow for recipe development, studio production, brand development, cooking classes, and all media affairs. Natural flair and a headstrong mind-set got her where she is today, and will carry her through the times.
“My vision is to not only define food and cooking as an art, but to go back to the roots of cooking and showcase the process through a more simplistic, ethereal approach as an expression of life and living.”
- Lorena Garcia
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