HI, i'm hilary
I’m a reformed corporate type and home cook turned professional Chef. Born in L.A. and raised in Mexico, I’ve lived and traveled many places, but have called Amsterdam home for over 10 years. I’m a natural food nerd. I enjoy exploring the emotional, cultural and historical influences at play with our food. Above all, I’m captivated by the transformative magic of cooking, to cook is to love.
what i do
Holistic Nutritionist, Product Developer and Entrepreneur, I’m the Founder of a small eatery in Amsterdam. I also work with other companies, restaurants and cafes on their menus, recipes, products and concept development. My funky creation, FENTO serves healthy Mexican with a South Asian twist—think delicious tropical food vibes and healthy in disguise. We’re in two locations in Amsterdam: The Foodhallen and Potgieterstraat in Amsterdam Oud-West.
what i cook and eat
My food philosophy revolves around eating consciously, which to me means mostly plant-based eating and cooking from scratch. I gravitate to Mexican and South Asian influences, home fermented and pickled foods. Moderation in all things is my ethos, so I focus on variety, balance and natural whole foods. I work around a few preferences and food intolerances, excluding processed foods, most dairy products and non-cultured soy (e.g. no meat replacements, protein isolate or much tofu) from a lot of my cooking. I enjoy the occasional ethically sourced animal product like eggs or fish.
