Today we’d like to introduce you to Krysia Villon.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Kahlo was a miracle baby. This is where our story begins. We tried for years to conceive and even with hormones and all the doctor’s offices and dollars spent, nothing. Then, when I had decided to accept I would not be a mother in this lifetime and become a working chef, this is when this precious gift entered our lives.
From the moment she took her first breath, I began seeing the world, my life, and my decisions through Kahlo’s eyes. Just before she came to us, I had entered the world of food, in an official capacity, when I decided to throw myself into culinary school. I had a wonderful experience at Johnson & Wales in Providence. Since her birth, I have continued my professional food path, focusing on indigenous food history, by working on my graduate degree in Gastronomy at Boston University. The more I have immersed myself in the world of food — cooking, learning, teaching others — the more I found a natural connection in teaching Kahlo and found it easy to bring her into the fold with me. She has been my co-pilot as we travel outside the country to visit family in Peru or on special vacations to expand her worldview and her palate.
When Kahlo was an infant I began searching for stories to tell her at bedtime and I came across the origin story of quinoa. It is a legend that tells the story of how the stars gifted quinoa to the people. I fell in love with this story and began telling it to her before bed. This is what launched my interest in food history and legends, in documenting them, sometimes translating them, and sharing them. Therefore, in each blog entry, we share with our audience: 1. Why we chose our topic; 2. A little history about the dish or a major ingredient in the dish, and; 3. A personal, family recipe. Our vlog is, honestly, just the two of us goofing around in the kitchen. I wanted to give folks the opportunity to see what a young child in the kitchen can look like.
Kahlo loves to be in the kitchen and I have loved having her there with me. My goal with this project is to teach my daughter but by making it public — through Kahlo’s Eyes — we get to potentially teach many others. Each one, teach one. Isn’t that what they say?
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We’re just now getting started and the biggest obstacle I’m facing right now is getting the right combination of platforms going and maintaining enough active content on all them. It’s hugely time-consuming. I had to really know myself and know my limits before delving into this project as I am currently working full-time in the food industry, in graduate schools, with a young child who can be a bit unpredictable at the time (ha!). I had to get comfortable with the idea that I might not get a lot of sleep some days, or for weeks at a time, as I prepare new content to be posted on each site. I also had to fully commit myself to the project. I’m not overly concerned with everything being “perfect,” as I want our true personalities to come through, but I also don’t want to seem totally unplanned. Kahlo, even though she’s only 5 years old, gets to have a say in content and in her level of participation. I want her to be a kid after all!
So far, the road has been pretty smooth. Once I decided on the platforms we would use to best tell our story, I started to build content for each platform independently. I came up with a year’s worth of content ideas — and how to feed the content for each site — while also considering what we would really be able to achieve. Each platform speaks to each other but they are not the same — and this makes sense because we all know that the same person who lives on Facebook is not the same person who lives on YouTube or the same as someone who likes to sit and read a blog. YouTube is a whole other beast and I’ll have to get back to you on how we handle that piece. I’m doing this project with a 5-year-old and if she doesn’t want to film that day, then we’re not filming. So, there’s that. 🙂
what should we know about Kahlo’s Eyes? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
While I never intended to go to school for this long, I have definitely gotten a lot out of each educational institution I’ve attended. I had a life-changing and affirming experience with my undergraduate studies at Mount Holyoke College. I gained more knowledge, skills and confidence as a cook in with a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales in Providence. I am gaining an incredible amount of depth in my food knowledge as I work on my Master’s degree at Boston University in the Gastronomy program. I have also been working for an amazing company, Taza Chocolate, for the last 5 years and have done everything from working in retail sales in farmer’s markets and stores, planned block parties, given factory tours through a program that sees close to 20,000 people a year, ran the factory store and developed classes and activities for adults, children, and chocolate-lovers alike. I am most proud of the fact that I have finally achieved bringing all the things that I love and give me life together: food, family and history. I think of myself as a storyteller and storytellers never stop learning. I’m raising my daughter with this in mind.
In the U.S., I think we often wait too long to teach our kids how to cook or, sometimes, not at all. We don’t always teach them from where their food comes or from whose hands it originated. It doesn’t have to be hard or scripted or complicated to teach them. You don’t have to have a fancy kitchen in a fancy house. You don’t have to shop all organic. You don’t have to have all the latest, coolest gadgets and equipment. You just need to give a little of yourself. The returns will be immense, I promise.
I’m just a mom who wants to give my baby the world like any other. Yet I believe the world of food is the perfect entryway to learn about everything in our world: our own cultural background(s), language, respect for other cultures and peoples, a deeper understanding of gender roles, history, math, nutrition, and of course, cooking. Knowing about food is not only a great survival skill to have but it is also an educational and an emotional one. We should find joy and discovery and find ourselves in the food we eat. It becomes us so we should honor the process it had to go through to get here to awaken our palates and feed our bellies.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
Interestingly enough, two very opposing childhood experiences have shaped me and my interest in the culinary world: I did not grow up eating a lot of home-cooked meals AND my father owned a couple of restaurants that influenced my love for being in the kitchen. With regards to something that played a role in setting me up for success, I would say being the oldest of 5 children and leaving home at a relatively young age meant that I did for myself a lot. I have always learned how to do things by myself with lots of research and planning. That includes applying to college, looking for jobs, buying my first car, buying a house, or becoming a mother. I have the need to be knowledgeable and prepared. I have also let go of the notion of being in control. It’s a farce so you should consider all the angles and try to be prepared for whatever may come!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kahloseyes.com
- Email: kahlos.eyes@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kahlos.eyes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kahloseyes/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP_obTUASlrt4kXTaH8nCRA/featured
Image Credit:
Krysia Villon
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
