Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassie Frakes.
Hi Cassie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
From as long as I can remember, I was interested in food. Growing up my mom was a wonderful cook. There are many pictures of me, as a toddler on a stool stirring a pot on the stove. My parents always encouraged hands on learning and what better way to learn, than by doing. I was a latch key kid. Both my parents worked full time and there were often times I was responsible for putting dinner on the table for my family. What once was a household chore, became a huge passion for me. After graduating high school I begged my parents to allow me to attend culinary school. This being the early 2000’s female chefs were not well known. It was a male dominated industry that my parents knew very little about. My mom was a nurse, my dad a business owner, and the thought of their daughter pursuing a life as a chef seemed very foreign to them. They recommended I attend a local community college and work in the restaurant industry to get a better scope of what this life would entail. I took classes, volunteered at the Balboa school of cooking and worked part time as a server at a restaurant. I LOVED it. The rush of a busy night, connecting with the community I was serving and rubbing elbows with cooks and chefs was exciting for me. Begrudgingly, my parents agreed to allow me to pursue this dream of mine. The Culinary Institute of America in New York was the only option for me. It was (is) arguably the best culinary school in the US. In addition to learning the skills I needed I was also earning a degree. The CIA was incredible. Operating much like a military school it was very regimented. Clean chefs uniform and punctuality was important. I met incredible, like minded professionals and made lifelong friends. I thrived in this environment and it taught me so much about mental toughness that would serve me well in my adult years.
Upon graduating in 2006 I was accepted into a teaching apprenticeship program at CIA. Being one of only six students accepted per year, this was a big accomplishment. My role was to teach baking and pastry students culinary skills in what would be their capstone course at the school. The setting was a café serving lunch and baked goods to the public. Once my year long apprenticeship completed, I decided it was best to head back home to San Diego to regroup and focus on my next step. This was the height of the 2008 downturn and jobs, especially culinary jobs, were very hard to come by. I had resorted to working front of house to wait out the storm. What first was a temporary gig turned into much more. Moving up through the ranks I was hired as a food and beverage manager at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort and Spa. My love for front of house and knowledge for the back was sought after and gave me great insight into the inner workings of a luxury resort. After four years at Hyatt It was time for a change. I caught word of a bakery opening in Carlsbad. A “made from scratch bakery” that happened to be owned and operated by a woman. I felt it was time to step away from the corporate world, and perhaps make a difference in a small but growing company. I was hired as the General Manager of SusieCakes Bakery in Carlsbad in the winter of 2014, we opened our doors to the public in the spring of 2015.
After four years as the GM I was asked to step into a more regional role. I was the regional manager for Orange County and San Diego overseeing multiple bakeries. Talk about a juggling act. As most know, the food and beverage work is volatile. One day could be smooth, next chaos. And the bakery world is no different. I was traveling a ton, and managing a workload that felt like a ton. It was time to step back and reevaluate what my true purpose was. I got married in the fall of 2015 and had a baby in the fall of 2016. The path to motherhood is incredibly transformative. While I once lived for myself, and my career, I now was living to provide for our sweet baby boy Hudson. My birth to Hudson was traumatic. After a very long labor he was born with the cord around his neck and needed assistance to breathe. Looking back on this experience now, I am able to say this sent me into a tailspin. I suffered from incredible postpartum anxiety and depression and because of my background thought I could carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. I am a fighter. I am a doer. I am a chef, and I thought I could just power through any pain I was feeling. This I know now, is totally untrue. I needed help. I needed assistance and I needed to be cared for.
During the pandemic I finally had time for myself. Our little boy is now four years old and in preschool. This left me with idol hands and time to let my mind wander. How can I give back? How can I support new moms or women in general?… and a light bulb went off-I can cook for them. When Hudson was born I had a few friends drop food off. But being the chef in the family, most nights we were eating Door Dash, frozen dinners or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. This is no way to care for a postpartum body. In other cultures, the first forty days after giving birth are sacred. It’s a time for healing your body. It’s a time for bonding with your new baby and growing family. In the US this doesn’t really happen. We accept visitors in the hospital, and family members fly in from out of town to see the new arrival. This attention focused on the baby and lack of support for the mother, can leave the new mom feeling neglected. What better way to help support a growing family than to cook for them. In my mind, food is medicine. I thought about how I can provide nutrient dense foods, to new mothers or women in general, and make them delicious and convenient. And thus, my company Luna Nourish was born!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Working in the food and beverage industry can be brutal. But also working in F&B can be near impossible if you are a woman. Many restaurants do not have proper benefits for such things as a growing family. Women are still not accepted as equals when referencing pay and workload. The industry has come a long way since even the early 2000s when I was starting out, but there is much work still to be done. It also can take a very long time to hone your craft and feel confident in your skill set. This takes years of hustling, long hours and little pay to establish yourself. Culinary degree or not, all chefs start in the same place.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Luna Nourish provides fully prepared, naturally sourced meals conveniently delivered to your doorstep. With an emphasis on prenatal and postnatal wellness, Luna Nourish offers nutrient-rich foods aimed at supporting a woman’s wellbeing and thus those around her. Creating life is incredible, we believe in nourishing it! All items are made from scratch in our Luna kitchen. We use organic ingredients and local items when available. Our portions are large, and serve 1-2 people. The intent behind this is items could be split into lunch or dinner or shared with a partner. “What’s good for the goose is great for the gander”. Our philosophy is rooted in the belief that a happy, nourished woman will make the best choices for herself and her family. The ripples of love she will experience reaches everyone in her orbit.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Great question! My dad owns a manufacturing company. Most of the raw materials are sourced outside of the US in such places like Portugal and India. For most of my formative years, my dad traveled to and from Europe doing business. He established a great relationship with a family in Braga, Portugal who owned a Metal foundry. When I was seven, I traveled to Portugal with my parents. The cobblestone streets, beautiful beaches and of course the FOOD is something I will never forget. We have traveled back to Portugal many times since then, but I was never forget my first time. On our first night, we enjoyed a local delicacy of crispy suckling pig served with crispy potato chips. The restaurant artfully displays the smoked pigs by hanging them from the ceiling. A sight my seven year old self would never forget!
Contact Info:
- Email: lunanourish@gmail.com
- Website: www.LunaNourish.com
- Instagram: @Lunanourish
- Facebook: @LunaNourish
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