BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Boston Public Library’s first Chef-in-Residence, Glorya Fernandez, has begun her one-year residency where she will look to increase nutritional literacy and exploration through cooking demonstrations and hands-on programs.
Fernandez is the founder of gogobytes, which provides guided instruction, demonstrations, and samplings of healthy, anti-inflammatory fresh food preparation.
She created gogobytes because of her family members who suffered with breast cancer and amputations from diabetes. Her focus “is trying to prevent these illnesses from coming upon me and others,” and gogobytes aims to “investigate and share the functionality and benefits of what we ingest.”
Read More: Cambridge City Council Wants To Give Tenants More Legal Support
Fernandez is bringing these food mindsets to her role as Chef-in-Residence at the BPL.
The Chef-in-Residence program is “basically an introduction for folks to come in and see what it really means to prepare food for themselves, from measuring to creation to exploration,” said Fernandez.
She explained that she will be helping people “find out about different fruits and vegetables, different grains, and how to put them together,” as well as “how to do it so it’s the most beneficial for your body.”
Like all BPL programming, the Fernandez’s classes and demonstrations are offered free of charge. The Chef-in-Residence program was made possible by anonymous donors to the BPL Fund.
As Chef-in-Residence, Fernandez is based at the Nutrition Lab at BPL’s Roxbury Branch, which has undergone a multimillion dollar renovation in recent years. “This is going to be a facility where we can take people on an exploration to places they’ve never been before,” said Fernandez.
"We are thrilled to welcome Glorya to the Nutrition Lab as our inaugural Chef-in-Residence. With a passion for culinary instruction and a wealth of experience, she is dedicated to providing engaging programs and community nourishment," said Nutritional Literacy Coordinator Stephanie Chace in a press release announcing the new BPL program.
Speaking on the importance of broadening people’s perspectives and knowledge of food, Fernandez said, “It’s all about… getting folks to understand that they don’t have to be limited to certain processed foods.”
In general, Fernandez shared that she is passionate about the restorative properties of cooking good food. “I’m all about healing the heart, healing the mind, with food.”
WBZ NewsRadio's Carl Stevens (@CarlWBZ) reports.
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App | TikTok