Today we’d like to introduce you to Livia Salinas
Hi Livia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Livia Orlandin Salinas, a wife, a mother and a brigadeiro (bree-gah-day-row) fanatic. Like most Southern born Brazilians, my family is Italian and that means growing up around food, attending weekly family gatherings and big Sunday lunches filled with plenty of desserts. I learned how to make brigadeiros with my dear grandmother, who used to make them for all family parties, and I would help her by scraping the pans and eating the leftovers! With a hospitality and tourism background, I lived in Europe and became a foodie and fell in love with sharing my recipes of brigadeiros with my friends from different parts of the world and always hearing how they were delicious and addictive. After moving to the US in 2006, I married my high school sweetheart and worked at large hotel chains. Our son Lucca was welcomed in 2013. Wanting him to grow up around my culture and keeping our passion for food, I decided to develop a gourmet line of my biggest passion, brigadeiros. Gourmet brigadeiros have only the highest quality ingredients and are 100% artisanal. It’s a perfect combination of my love for food and my cultural background.
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?
It hasn’t necessarily been a bumpy road, but it hasn’t been an automatic success. Brigadeiros are unique and, therefore, require a lot of work in order for them to be recognized and known. My biggest challenge, which I believe will always be present, is to incorporate this type of dessert into people’s minds. No one instantly thinks of brigadeiros as their “go-to” sweets. First, there is cake, then cookies, ice cream and so on. For people to even recognize the potential of this unique product takes a lot of work, patience and recognition. Quality and freshness are key to success, but on top of that, marketing and branding are also deeply required. Brigadeiros are labor-intensive, artisanal, small-batch produced, and a complete work of love for chocolate. It is all worth it seeing people’s faces when they try them for the first time!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My specialty is brigadeiro, a chocolate truffle-like candy created in Brazil in the 1940s. Present at every party such as birthdays, weddings, corporate events and any other celebrations. A party isn’t a party without brigadeiros! It’s a perfect bite-sized decadent treat. I am very proud to have been able to incorporate my treats into weddings. The popularity of dessert stations at weddings is on the rise, and seeing my creations along with other creatives in the industry is beyond satisfying and rewarding! I truly believe that what sets me apart from so many other bakers/dessert specialists is quality and consistency of my product. The ingredients used are some of the best in the chocolate world. Belgian chocolate and sprinkles make a huge difference in taste as well as fresh fruits and made from scratch jams. The consistency maintained by always using high-quality items keeps my customers coming back for more.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I have been lucky with the acceptance of my creations within the American culture. Coming from Brazil, a country with a very different background, tropical atmosphere, and love for sugar adapting flavorings has been crucial.
Pricing:
- Gift Boxes range from $6 to $36
- Catering Packages start at $65
- Specialty Desserts and Custom Made items start at $2 each
Contact Info:
- Email: info@bonjourbrigadeiro.com
- Website: www.bonjourbrigadeiro.com
- Instagram: bonjourbrigadeiro
- Facebook: bonjourbrigadeirotx
- Other: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/bonjour-brigadeiro-handcrafted-chocolate-and-treats-austin-and-houston-tx-1046401
Image Credits
Marycar Photography Paige Vaughn Photography Valerie Thompson Photography Julie Wilhite Photography The Bledsoes Photography
