Today we’d like to introduce you to Abeoler Lewis.
Hi Abeoler, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story began actually six years ago when I was pregnant with my son. I had made this joke to my coworkers within the kitchen I worked at that time, that if I ever had a child with allergies I would cry. I had hated being called from the kitchen to handle customers that came in with allergies. Then my son was born and it seems like he had all the issues in the world. Apart from having jaundice, he was having really severe responses to his formulas and even my breast milk. It turned out that he had a milk protein allergy and he also later had issues with some grains and wheat products. Having your child have an allergic response to your breast milk it’s the type of traumatic memory as a chef I couldn’t shake. I was no longer judging allergy moms from the outside. It was this experience that really made me understand and propelled me to channel my energy to this niche as a chef.
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?
This journey has definitely not been a smooth road. I focused more of my energy into specializing as an allergy chef first at Universal, then at Disney as well as pursuing an education in nutrition & dietetics because of my son but it was not until this pandemic that I really challenged myself to do more. With the financial stress and pressure of this pandemic, after being furloughed, called back to work, bring furloughed again, I needed to make enough for my mortgage. I had a single light bulb moment during the Christmas season as I watched everyone drinking the milky coquito that would surely ruin me if I had a glass; why not make this but for those that are always excluded: the allergy community. I made a vegan, top-8 free (with the exception of coconut) version of this drink and also did keto and diabetic variations as well. I remember someone s suggesting that I share this with the Ear for Each Other Community. That’s where Curio Culinaria was given the opportunity to flourish. I am so thankful for the way this group has embraced what I do and supported my work. It took a moment of absolute frustration, and to some extent desperation as a parent facing financial burden and that moment of pressure really created a diamond. For me, the most difficult part of what I do is sometimes I feel like I’m the only one that understands my ideas and understands what I’m trying to create. Getting my ideas out of my head and into a physical form or a concept that others can grasp is very difficult. For example, as seamless as I’ve made my ordering process now, getting here has been a frustrating and stressful process. It has taken me over a year to build the website because no developer really understood what I was explaining when trying to create this, and in order to create the level of user friendliness and ease in allergy selection that I wanted, I decided to do it myself.
Also, one thing that I never accounted for was the amount of equipment and tools that is required to run an allergy friendly business. As a chef, those that do similar work may own one or two of an item or tool. In the case of Curio Culinaria, honestly, I have about eight waffle irons each labeled for specific groups of allergies. As for every other equipment, there’s at least 3 in the kitchen. The investment that I’ve put into this is probably triple or quadruple of what any other individual would have put into a standard culinary-based business but I have no regrets about the direction that I’ve chosen to take my career. This has honestly been the most fulfilling path I could have ever taken. Had I been told two years ago that this is where life would take me, I would’ve never believed.
We’ve been impressed with Curio Culinaria, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Curio Culinaria is an allergy-friendly ghost kitchen located in Orlando, FL. As a past Disney allergy chef assistant and current Nutrition and Dietetics student, I seeks to serve everyone, but my primary focus is on the often excluded allergy, intolerance, medical, and religious communities. Whether it’s a nut allergy, a medical condition, are seeking kosher desserts, need a vegan fix, or just want get started on that healthy diet; that’s what I want to help with. I pride myself on working with trusted vendors and distributors to bring the safest food to consumers. There’s been a great deal of change in the local food scene and I’m proud to be playing my part in helping to alter tastes and perceptions about what food, especially what allergy-friendly food should be.
I am extremely proud of the fact that I am the first to offer such a wide variety of foods to the allergy community. I don’t know why it’s taken this long, and taken a pandemic for me to realize that people with allergies want and desire food that’s not just edible, but has amazing flavor and aesthetic as well.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me with Curio Culinaria is creating rich flavors and pushing the boundaries of what People think allergy friendly foods should look and taste like. I push myself to create constantly even when it makes me feel afraid or when I’m uncomfortable with an idea. Sometimes I get requests that I don’t know how to create but because that idea or that item has been planted in my mind, I will research, I will experiment over and over, have months of failed test until I get the success that I want. I know often times people with allergies may get items that are technically edible, but lacks any real flavor and has unappetizing textures and consistencies. I want to end that acceptance of substandard food just because it’s the only option available. I wanted to create allergy friendly foods, that once tasted, it makes people smile. Also, being able to create the first for someone with an allergy that’s never had a particular experience with food. That is the most fulfilling part of what I do. Have you ever seen the look on a child’s face that’s never had a birthday cake? Watching them take their first bite. I can say I have. The way their face lights up when they open the box, or the expressions and they make when the smell hits their nose. Forget the joy when they have their first bite. It’s a feeling, and a pride that’s indescribable. Despite all of the struggles and stresses and frustrations, those moments are what propel me. I want to create more of that type of magic. I want to create more of that happiness and those kinds of memories for those with allergies.
Contact Info:
- Email: CurioCulinaria@gmail.com
- Website: www.CurioCulinaria.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/curioculinaria
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/curioculinaria
- Twitter: www.Twitter.com/curioculinaria
