Today we’d like to introduce you to Marian E. Mulero
Hi Marian E. , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My love for the culinary arts began more than 22 years ago when I decided to stop eating products that come from animals for their protection and animal rights. From there I became very interested in how the vegetables and fruits were produced. A love of agriculture and using local products supporting the farmers of Puerto Rico. My dream was to have a restaurant that had a huge garden to harvest organic products and create plant-based recipes. I had the opportunity to enter the University of Puerto Rico and begin a career in nutrition, but I realized that my love was in the kitchen and I wanted to study culinary arts.
Since then my passion for cooking books has grown, and I still have a large repertoire of books that follow me wherever I move. Among them are THE HEALTHY KITCHEN by Andrew Weil, M.D. and Rosie Daley The French Laundry Cookbook and Bouchon by Chef Thomas Keller, The Artful Vegan from The Millenium Restaurant in California, RAW by Charlie Trotter & Roxanne Klein, PUERTO RICO LA GRAN COCINA DEL CARIBE by Jose L. Diaz de Villegas, CHEZ PANISE FRUIT by Alice Waters, THE ESCOFFIER by Auguste Escoffier, CULINARY ARTISTRY by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, to mention a few. And even today with all the technology I still love reading books and looking for ideas for future creations.
My dream was to have a restaurant that had a huge garden to harvest organic products and create plant-based recipes. I had the opportunity after high school at age 19 to enter the University of Puerto Rico and begin a career in nutrition, but I realized that my love was in the kitchen and I wanted to study culinary arts. At this moment I decided to follow my passion and find what was necessary to become a chef.
My first job was at a small vegan restaurant, it was called Salud con Sabor. The chef and owner taught me how to prepare delicious healthy meals. The menu changed depending on the season and on what the farmers brought for the week. It was a beautiful experience as respect for the products we prepared was essential. At that moment my family and I decided to look for culinary academies in the United States, among them we visited the Culinary Institute of America and Natural Gourmet Institute in New York. But since my family was still in Puerto Rico, we decided to select Le Cordon Blue Culinary Academy, which was in Orlando, Florida, near Puerto Rico so that it would not be difficult to meet again during our free time.
Le Cordon Bleu is a French culinary and hospitality education institution that teaches haute cuisine. His educational focuses are hospitality management, culinary arts, and gastronomy. I didn’t think twice and went alone to start this great career. Apart from cooking, here I also learned Gastronomy & Nutrition, Food Cost, Management, Garde Manger, Knife Skills, Meat Fabrication, Baking, and Pastry, to mention some of the courses.
Now you might be wondering, if I wanted to make a career in vegan and healthy food, I was learning how to cut meats and make desserts with butters and creams derived from animals. Well, at first it was difficult, when they were teaching us how to boil a live lobster, I started crying and had to leave the room. But I was so determined that I even participated in a cooking competition and my team and I prepared it 100% vegan dish and we won the prize against the other teams that did use meat.
I started baking and pastry classes I discovered a passion for creating art with desserts. I was fascinated by everything, from how to weigh the ingredients accurately, how to mix and see the entire process of changes due to the heat of the oven, or what techniques to use to combine the ingredients. And after you have all your mise en place you can start painting and combining textures, and temperatures to create a delicious and beautiful dessert, a work of art. Execution, consistency, precision, well-balanced desserts, and looking amazing is the career of a pastry chef.
Thanks to the fact that my family had a vacation home in Orlando, I had the opportunity to focus 100% on studying. I took advantage and stayed after classes in the school library reviewing everything I had learned. Some of the chefs let me practice recipes after class and I participated in all the competitions and events. every second counted. Watching Food Network practicing recipes, and decorating the dishes as if it were a Michelin Stars restaurant was a daily thing for me. At this point, I had no food restrictions and I saw cooking from another point, as an opportunity to use all the ingredients respectfully and never forget that if you use good products, you don’t have to add a thousand ingredients to your recipe.
One of the chefs who shaped my career was Chef Melissa, the instructor of the pastry class. She saw my desire to learn and passion that some afternoons she stayed with me and we practiced recipes. She motivated me to join the American Culinary Federation in Orlando where I participated in competitions where I won Bronze and Silver in plated desserts and Banquet Desserts.
Before graduating we had to do an internship. My love for fine dining and desserts continued to grow. I wanted to work at The French Laundry, Yountville California, Chez Panisse, or the Ritz Carlton in Maui. The French Laundry is a three-Michelin-star French and Californian cuisine restaurant located in Yountville, California. It is still one of the best restaurants in the world, the dream of many chefs is to work in that kitchen. Chez Panisse is a Berkeley, California restaurant, known as one of the originators of California cuisine, and the farm-to-table movement opened and owned by Alice Waters. The restaurant emphasizes ingredients rather than technique and has developed a supply network of direct relationships with local farmers, ranchers, and dairies. After sending applications to these places and many more, the only one who gave me the opportunity at that time was chef Eric Tucker, the founding and current Chef – and co-owner of Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco California. They offer globally inspired plant-based fare in an inviting fine-dining setting. So in 2004 I didn’t wait a second and packed my bags with my books and went to San Francisco. I started in the salads station but I wanted to work in the desserts area. At that time he couldn’t transfer me so I got another job at Quince, a three-Michelin-star restaurant located in San Francisco. Here I was making focaccia rolls and breadsticks for 6 hours in the morning, and after here went to my internship job, preparing delicious vegan cold dishes. I had all the energy and youth to do it! In my free time, I spent it discovering restaurants, bakeries, and bookstores in this beautiful city. My main focus was to work and learn from the best, no matter the sacrifices or hours, I was like a sponge, absorbing knowledge and experience.
Upon returning to Orlando and graduating I officially got my first job with my diploma at Norman’s by the famous restaurateur, chef, and author Norman Van Aken. This place marked my career incredibly. Aside from learning how to prepare recipes for the evening service, cleaning, and organization were essential for us. Every night the sous chef came to check that everything was in excellent condition before we could go home.
My desire to continue learning increased and I decided to look for work in hotels where it was another new world for me. Chef Lucy Martin, Executive Pastry Chef at that time hired me at Orlando World Center Marriott, which is a hotel and convention center that is the largest Marriott in the world. I learned to make recipes for 50 cakes at a time, and thousands of desserts for banquets. The production here was very large so it required a lot of concentration, good mathematics to calculate formulas at different quantities, teamwork, and what I loved most was the opportunity to work all shifts. From making danishes, croissants, and breakfast muffins, to preparing ice cream mixes, wedding cakes, and art pieces made with 100% chocolate. Chef Lucy allowed me to advance in position and have more responsibilities. This company invested in continuing education for my growth, which is important always to innovate and learn new techniques and trends. I was able to attend classes at the Notter School of Pastry Arts, Chef Ewald Notter is a pastry chef, and since 1991, he has been an integral member of Club Coupe du Monde Team USA. I also attend to The World Pastry Forum Professional Program for 3 summer camps. Classes and seminars taught by international luminaries of the pastry industry, drawing students from all over the world. Laurent Branlard, Entremet & Entremet Tart, Jean Claude Canestrier, MOF, Sugar Showpiece Techniques, and Jean Phillipe Maury, MOF, Chocolate Showpiece Techniques. The best of the best Pastry Chefs of the world leaning, networking, and competitions, it was key to witness and be there around so many talents.
Around this time the popularity of cupcakes skyrocketed, becoming a culinary trend that spread throughout the environment. Sprinkles Cupcakes, Magnolia Bakery, were super popular and recognized in the USA for their cupcakes. My older sister, who is an independent, professional, intelligent woman, great at marketing, and finance, and super organized, made me a proposal to open our own business in Indiana, Indianapolis. In that area, there was an opportunity, especially because we were Latin women, and sisters, it was going to attract curiosity in an area where we were the minority. We scheduled a tasting in my apartment in Orlando, I presented her with my best cake recipes baked in a cupcake pan and topped with a cute buttercream frosting. She LOVED the flavors, textures, and combination. Next, I explained to Chef Lucy Martin (Executive Chef and my boss at Marriott World Center) that I was offered this opportunity and that I had to prepare to move out of state and start this new project. It was a difficult decision. Although I was young and in the first decade of my career, it was an opportunity that did not happen every day. I got into my green Jeep Wrangler and with my belongings and books I drove and arrived at my new destination.
In 2010 we opened Parcha Sweets, which was the name of our bakery. Passion fruit because my favorite fruit is passion fruit and the flower of this fruit is exotic, beautiful. It was something that happened very quickly, in the blink of an eye we already had 3 pastry cooks and 2 cashiers, we won the best red velvet cupcake, and we were booked. We were in local magazines, we participated in community events. I got to know the other part of my profession. The consistency, freshness, quality, and execution of our product were extremely important. Now you no longer work for a hotel that has 2,008 rooms, suites, 110, restaurants, 9. You don’t work for a famous chef clock-in and clock-out, now it all depends on your dedication and attention to detail. Now you have to have goals, daily, weekly, monthly goals, and seasonal goals. Keep your calendar busy now and in the coming year. You have to sell enough to pay all your bills, the employees, the rent, and the permits, be one step ahead in new trends, in seasonal products, know your products well, and who to buy from. It’s another level. At this point you have to learn a little about everything, especially being a small business. It was intense, I remember on Thanksgiving I slept in the bakery in a chair for just two hours, so I could continue baking the pre-order pies. On Valentine’s Day, there was a line outside before we opened of people waiting for us to open our doors to buy our desserts. It was an unforgettable learning experience. But, my health came first and I had to return to Florida where I was reunited with my parents who had already moved from Puerto Rico to Miami.
My sister confirmed the sale of the business. It was the best decision at that time. Now I was in Miami, looking for a balanced life between personal and professional. I was in my 30’s. Over the years I worked at Miami Dade Culinary College, Mandarin Oriental in Brickell, Mariano Moreno Culinary Istitude, but where there was important support and growth in my career was at the Ritz Carlton Coconut Grove. Back to Marriott company with a different touch, their motto, “We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen”. I was in charge of the pastry area. We were a small but strong team, we worked fast, with consistency, and always attentive to detail. Multitasking, and creating new recipes, there was never a moment of boredom or stopping production, there was always one order after another. Chef Ashley Stanton, Executive Chef at The Ritz Coconut Grove. She influenced me a lot as a female chef. An intelligent, hard-working chef, with a lot of creativity, helping her team grow. “If you succeed, I will succeed”. I remember many times that we were super busy and she would arrive at the pastry kitchen, and just by looking at my eyes she would realize that we needed support, we were in a sense of urgency to be able to complete our tasks. Without asking, she joined the pastry team and helped us deliver our orders. She taught me that when we are a team and our commitment and mission is to deliver an unforgettable experience through our food and satisfy the needs of our guests, it does not matter if there is cleaning to do, scooping cookies, organizing, whatever there is to do so that the work can be delivered, we must take the initiative to anticipate the needs of our team and guests.
While working there, I received a call about a possible opportunity to participate in a Food Network competition, The Best Baker in America. It was a call from a talent agency looking for chefs to participate in Season 3. They interviewed me several times and asked for my resume, my background, photos, etc. It looked like I was applying to be president of the United States. After several weeks they confirmed to me that I was going to go to Los Angeles for two weeks and compete against 8 other very talented chefs. Again, me and my backpack, but this time without books. It was just me and clothes for those days, nothing more. Here I thought, that what I needed was in my mind, in my experiences, memories, in the times I forgot to set the oven time, when the caramel burned, when I kept thinking about, did I add the correct amount or not. In all the learning moments, lessons, travelings, awards, and experiences. I was nervous but excited. I got close but not to the end, but for me it was a total triumph. Meeting talented, professional chefs, and seeing behind the scenes how a Food Network Show is produced, was incredible. And that is how Chef Marian Cakes & Desserts tables was born.
After appearing on national TV, many people contacted me through email or messages. They wanted to order cakes. Without a plan and continued working for corporate, in my free time, I had the responsibility of complying with orders that I accepted. Maybe I think I’m a superhero but the reality is that I have to refocus, life is short and prioritize in our lives what is healthiest for us.
I opened Chef Marian in 2020, it has not been easy but I have always had people who have supported me and believed in the concept, in the recipes, in the idea, in our talent, perseverance, and love for the culinary arts.
So, more orders, more requests, more commitments. A few years later I received a call from Telemundo to participate in a show called Que Delicioso. Where I share a recipe using tropical fruits inspired by Puerto Rico. It was wonderful!
Today, I am only focusing on my own cake and dessert business. We provide desserts at The Palace in Coral Gables, The Cocoplum, Villa Toscana in Homestead, The Watermark, and more. In addition to orders directly with our clients for weddings, quinceañeras, for all types of occasions.
It has been a great journey full of experiences and memories that make me who I am today. And as a goal one day to have a factory of high-quality products working in harmony.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the biggest challenges was becoming independent. However, I always was active, working, and learning. But yes, there were many family moments that I missed. This profession takes a lot of dedication and time.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a pastry chef. It means that I know cookies, bread, pies & tarts, sauces, tortes, puff pastries, custards, ice cream, souffle, restaurant-plated desserts, gluten-free, vegan, and sugar-free desserts. But my top quality is my passion and dedication. Patience and dedication pay off!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Now I see how social media and social networks help a lot to learn new trends, and techniques, and meet other professionals in the industry. You don’t have to travel to learn anymore. I am sure that every chef has to update and adapt to rapidly advancing technology. You have to have daily motivation to be open to new knowledge and ideas.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chefmariandesserts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marianemulero/?locale=it&hl=en
