In 2014, my daughter Sofie was 4 years old and I had been working at her pre-school’s kitchen in charge of the baked goods/snacks for about 6 months. It was a Kosher kitchen so all the muffins, snacks, desserts, birthday cakes etc needed to be Parve, meaning be created in a way it could be served on meat and dairy days. I had already changed my diet then so everything I made was vegan and gluten free.
The staff took notice of the new menu being served and soon the parents found out that their kids with dairy, egg and gluten food allergies, or these dietary choices were able to now participate in those special times of birthday celebrations or a snack meal with the classroom. As a mother, I understand how important those times shared as a school community are for the kids and it was incredible to be able to provide that to them.
Through the parents I also learned that a dairy, egg and gluten free diet truly helped children in the autism spectrum in their quality of life – therefore the family as well. We know how food choices make us feel, for these families, it meant a much calmer and happier home.
I am so thankful to those kids and parents – Julia’s Oven came to life because of them. I had THE toughest crowd to please, so if any child enjoyed my products, I knew they were successful. By the way, I use the same age group to test new products to this day. My daughter at 6 years old once told me of a new bread roll I was creating: “Mommy, this is the ugliest bread I’ve ever seen, but it is delicious.” Don’t you love their honesty?
I started baking from my own kitchen to cater to those very friends. Soon the space became too small so I moved to a small commercial space that I shared with a dear friend and amazing Chocolatier Melissa Coppel. In just over a year Julia’s Oven had to look for its own space to accommodate our growing production and today we cater to most of the Hotel and Casino Properties in Las Vegas. So, if you were ever in a convention or larger gathering in one of the properties on the Strip, and tried a vegan and gluten free dessert or pastry, chances are they were ours.
I am originally from São Paulo, Brazil and grew up with my brother and sister in the outskirts of the city. My dad has been in the food business since high school, so I was the happiest kid on the planet, getting to taste all kinds of goodies – chocolate, hard candy, ice cream, you name it. Those huge machines and production lines were fascinating to me.
I was an athlete and that’s how I ended up in Las Vegas on a full ride volleyball scholarship at UNLV in 1999. I’ve been in Las Vegas ever since (shock), with the exception of a couple of years in Brazil and Chile for work.
I am a mother and a wife too – likely the hardest but most gratifying job I have. I am also a Pastry Chef and Julia’s Oven is the fruit of my own quest for health and balance.
