Thursday, September 15, 2016

Soul Story: Emilie Hernandez- Avocado Chef




“Mackadocious, she's sweet and precocious, she's the one girl that I just dig” (Slinky, 311) A tomboy after my own heart. Emilie is a striking woman indeed and such a remarkable figure. As she says, “We have such an awesome group of women around us. Doing such great things and so powerful it is great to have all these women around right here as friends.” She is totally right, and having to include her as an admirable soul in my book, she has to be one of the most beautifully enlightened women that is particularly a marvelous human being. Having a chance to be a part and hear of her experiences, fierce passion, and drive to see the sweet reflection in others…getting to know Ms. Hernandez has crazy fun listed as many of her charming traits you would be lucky to experience. Check her out.


Why do you do what you do?
I am a personal chef. I especially love grocery shopping. HEB is the perfect place you can find me when prepping for client’s meals and events. It is one of my favorite places to be. I go in my coat sometimes and love when people ask me about it. Just so I can talk about it. There at the grocery I go to the meat market and get to talk to the guys there, get the info on some good deals and the meat, seafood and produce and have a great time. Shopping is one of the best parts of what I do. I love what I do.
You love what you do, how did becoming a personal chef happen?
I attended Texas State a majored in Broadcast Journalism with intentions on being a host for motocross games. I use to race motocross and that was a dream of mine to be a part of. Then I broke my back and had to finish, but here I am with something that I absolutely enjoy to everyday.
I have cooked since I was a kid. Since 2013 I worked with another personal chef and when ties amicably parted I was referred. It kept happening until I got to where I am now. I have no formal marketing and have cooked for people through word of mouth connections. It has been great and from personal to demonstration cooking I am loving it.
In addition to my personal chef scheduling I also demo(stration) cook for Humble House (http://www.humblehousefoods.com/) at Groomers Seafood (http://groomerseafood.com/ ). Demoing recipes with their sauces and spreads. Also, I do cooking demonstrations with Tenderbelly bacon (http://www.tenderbelly.com/ ) a Colorado based company with awesome cuts of pork.


*Side note from Em: By the way…I absolutely love sauces, it is the best part, like truly obsessed, with any food with sauce. If it has sauce I want more of it.  
Why the avocado tattoo?
(laughing big) I am a huge 311 fan. In the 311 community, there are song-titled nicknames for each
gender: a “Brodel” is a guy and “Slinky” for the ladies….in the Facebook community, there are groups for each where 311 fans from all over can chat and stay in touch with each other.  There are no boys allowed in the Slinkies group and no ladies in the brodels. The lead singer, Nick Hexum has a consistent way of standing in front of the crowd after certain songs….hands up and hips thrusted toward the crowd. The ladies in the slinkies group seemed to notice his manhood more often than not due to his tailored pants. When he would stand like that so many pictures, comments, conversations and more happened in the group and the ladies (not me!) decided to coin Mr. Hexum’s manhood as “The Avocado”. While I may be a heterosexual woman, the avocado on my wrist is more of an inside joke in the female 311 community…a community that supports and encourages each other….it also represents something funny, something that relates to 311 (but doesn’t say it out loud) and something I truly love to eat. I love my tattoo…it’s truly one of my favorites.

If Emilie was a dish, what would she be?
Hard chocolate, Reese’s ice cream bar with strawberry puree. It’s tough, once cracked she is sweet. I am a true mama bear. I love being able to take care of people when they need it. I will be the first one on the scene with what you need and how we can get you feeling great again.


What bevvie would accompany your sweetness?
Mojito with extra rum.

Biking and Yoga. What do they do for you?
Oh my. Both are so liberating. Cruising on my Tealy (bike) is: still using my sensory, peripheral, attention. It is not if something is going to happen, it is when. All the things that are happening around me, the sounds and lights of where I am, having the to keep aware.  It keeps me heightened through all my senses and it’s great to see and meet others who get that vibe of riding too.
Like that one last ride. Before turning in back into the world.
The last ride when it’s 3 am and the streets are empty.
When all you hear is the sound of the bike. Or when you run into other bikers on the street and hear the love of the frames they have and hearing how everyone just loves to ride and the ticks of the gears.

There is no other sound like riding.


And yoga? It started at Lulu doing there free classes in 2012. As a birthright, with my Jewish heritage, I was able to travel to Israel. I was practicing with the Dead Sea as my line of sight, it was amazing. I took that trip like why the hell not, and been practicing ever since. 
Emilie is certainly a traveler for yoga. Here she is practicing yoga in Costa Rica where at a yoga retreat with Mobile Om (www.mobileomtx.com)



What’s your final destiny?
A cafĂ©-yoga studio. With cooking and teaching there as well. A nice slender styled place where people can learn to meal prep, cook, and chill with a practice in the space. I want it to be personal. It’ll be a definite spot where people will connect and be right there with each other in everything that the place will mean.


She’s love, fun, and above and beyond the smile that she gives and receives from people that enjoy everything she is cooking up. Emilie is that heightened sense of joy from that essential bike ride, the taste of creative confection to the excitement of dancing and riding high of the best song of your life. San Antonio is lucky to have her on its radar as she blends her path of more to come for the city to taste.