Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Faye Mikulec.
Faye, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I guess it all started growing up in rural Sinton, Texas, just a 30-minute drive from Corpus Christi. I was homeschooled on a 20-acre farm with six siblings. Throughout my childhood, aside from swimming in ponds and riding motorcycles, we were also part of a wonderful church family.
Around the age of 12, at one of our church potlucks, I got my first real taste of what it felt like to cook for others—to see the enjoyment on their faces and hear the praise from their mouths about how great my food was (I had made my mother’s chicken enchilada recipe). That was an awesome feeling. From that point on, I just wanted to cook for others and share the amazing tastes and flavors I learned from my mother’s cooking.
Being homeschooled and part of a big family, I watched my mother cook three meals a day, every day. There was always something wholesome and delicious being created in our old farmhouse kitchen. It was under her direction and guidance that I was able to embrace and follow my passion for cooking.
Fast forward to the fall of 2001. While attending my first semester in culinary arts at a local community college, a couple of my classmates told me about a job opening at a small French bistro where they worked. Little did I know that this is where I would meet one of the greatest mentors I’ve ever had—Chef Christian Chavanne.
Christian moved to Texas in his early 20s after growing up in France and choosing culinary arts as his profession. While living in Corpus Christi, he owned a quaint, reservation-only French bistro in the heart of the historic Heritage Park district.
In that tiny bistro, I had my first true taste of French cuisine—beautifully prepared food paired with remarkable French wines. Every day at work, Chef Christian would say, “Try this bite of food with this sip of wine,” and it was magic. So many new and wonderful flavors I had never experienced before—so many sauces and ingredients that I felt instantly drawn to.
While working at the bistro, I also met another local chef—the head chef at the top-rated restaurant in Corpus Christi, Republic of Texas Bar and Grill. After dinner service on weekends, Chef Brian Carson would visit Chef Christian, and they would chat over a glass of wine as we closed up the bistro.
When it came time for Chef Christian to move to Palestine, Texas, Chef Brian Carson had just opened his own deli and catering business. I became his right-hand man for the next five years, working under Chef Carson, who is from Philadelphia and trained in traditional American & French cooking.
During those five years, I learned even more about French and American cooking techniques and flavors. It was also during that time that I had the opportunity to visit Paris, France for a week—walking the city every day, experiencing everything from breakfast to lunch to dinner, and all the food, drinks, coffee, cheese, wine, and charcuterie in between. Everything I loved—so fresh and so incredible.
Chef Brian Carson’s deli closed down in 2006, and I had my first and only child in 2007. I decided to move back to the farm where I grew up to raise her during the early years of her life—in the country, where things are just a little slower and the sky shines a little brighter. In 2012 we moved back to the big city of Corpus Christi, where I was given the opportunity to run the kitchen at a local wine bar. I started by creating the menu, testing and tasting all of the dishes, and went on to run the kitchen for about 5 years. My mom and brother were two of my first and favorite employees, and my mom’s bread and pizza dough recipes were the ones we used for everyday service.
Everything we made there was from scratch and organic. If we didn’t grow it in my backyard, we bought it at the farmers market to serve in the restaurant—just good, wholesome Italian-style cooking!
In May 2017, I left my kitchen job at the wine bar and created Urban Farm Summer Camp. During the camp, hosted at my home where I have gardens and raised chickens, students would decorate their own aprons at the start of the week. Each day, they created meals using ingredients straight from the garden.
When the summer ended, I decided to turn my little kitchen into Gourmet Faye’s private chef & catering services , where I handled all sorts of events. I also supplied a local coffee shop with 20+ desserts twice a week. My most famous item by far has been a pistachio cake that I learned to make from my best friend Melinda, when I was about 20 years old. It’s my signature cake—one that everyone knows—and it’s a really big deal in our city.
For two years in a row, (2018 & 2019) I won the “Most Creative Taco” award at our local taco festival. I created a crispy taco with all the flavors of my pistachio cake and absolutely knocked it out of the park.
I also have my own line of corn tortillas! In 2023, I mixed a friend’s salsa into my maseca and created Gourmet Faye’s Tortillas con Salsa (with Captain Dave’s South Texas–style salsa.
About three years ago, I started teaching pasta-making classes. I now host an array of cooking classes at three local businesses and also offer in-home classes for groups, parties, kids, and family fun!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t feel like I’ve had many struggles. Even though I’m not immune to the problems that life sometimes throws at us I think it always just seems to work out & sometimes things that come along presented to us as a struggle are just a big steppingstones onto the next adventure. I’ve always worked hard and enjoyed the work I do and been extremely grateful and blessed for being able to use what Ive learned to do what I love.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
About three years ago, I started teaching pasta-making classes. I now host cooking classes at three local businesses and also offer in-home classes for groups, parties, kids, and family fun. I guess you could say I’m a traveling culinary instructor going to homes and businesses having fun little cooking parties where everybody learns a lot and enjoys themselves tremendously. As always, my driving force has been the desire to share all of the amazing things I’ve learned & tasted—starting with pasta.
I’ve wanted to share the incredible flavors and experiences I’ve encountered throughout my career, and this teaching journey has been amazing. I can’t believe I get to do what I love—cooking—and have fun teaching others how to cook and incorporate wholesome, simple, local, healthy, and most of all delicious food into their daily lives. It really is the best thing ever. It’s like a party every time I teach a class.
Students often arrive timid, with little confidence in what they’re about to create. But after a couple of hours of hands-on learning, laughing, and eating, they leave excited and eager to share their new skills with everyone they know. One of the most exciting things for me is having my students send pics or tell me stories about the dishes they’re creating & sharing. Since I started instructing in 2023, I’ve taught hundreds of classes and thousands of students across many types of cooking. Everything from pasta-making, mozzarella and ricotta, bread-making & my signature vegan menudo, cakes, cookies, knife skills, éclairs—and most recently teaching folks how to cook with freshly milled flour! My pasta making course is my most popular. It is a set of 3 individual classes. In “Pasta 101” class I teach the basics. Every individual makes their own ball of dough out of semolina flour from Italy and farm fresh eggs, then they go on to rolling out, cutting and eating their creations. ““Pasta 201” class students learn 2-3 filled pastas. Ravioli with slow cooked beef cheek filling & garlic cream sauce & traditional tortellini en brodo. In”pasta 301” class students receive a personalized ”pasta master”certificate for completion of all 3 classes. I’m so proud that nearly every class I offer sells out. This city loves me, and I love it right back. I want to show others how simple it can be to cook for yourself and your family—how to make things from scratch and create wholesome food that not only nourishes your body but is also fun and delicious. Extremely delicious. My cooking has always been about homegrown, nose to tail, cooking that supports local farmers, ranchers, dairy owners, cheese mongers & butchers. My classes and food creations favor the French ingredients and techniques that I was trained in while also embracing the TexMex culture that I grew up in.
I am also known all around town for MY SIGNATURE PISTACHIO CAKE. I usually get couple of orders each week for this cake. my signature pistachio cake is a recipe that I was introduced to 20 years ago by my best friend Melinda and I’ve been making ever since. This cake has quite the following here in the coastal bend
Aside from classes and the occasional pistachio cake order, I’m a strong supporter of our local farmers, growers, and makers. During the year, I do many cooking demos at our local farmers market, & children’s recreation centers, teaching the public how to turn market ingredients into delicious meals.
My motto has always been: “Ready to wow you with my food.” And I’m proud that I still get that reaction from people when they take a class or taste my food. I just love the wow factor. I love healthy, wholesome, simple,honest, and delicious food.
I’m currently working on my first cookbook, with hopes of publishing it in 2027. I also look forward to one day teaching travelers from around the world about South Texas cooking. I’m developing week-long experiences where guests can come along with me and visit local farms, a local dairy (where I source milk for my cheese-making classes), a craft butcher shop, and even go surf fishing along our beautiful beaches for local redfish, drum, pompano, & trout. Catch & cook food tours on the coast!
And of course, we’ll finish by creating meals using locally sourced ingredients from the farm, the dairy, and the ocean.
I am most proud that I have been able to create this journey on my own by following through with ideas that I have to share my experiences with food and cooking with others.
I’d say what sets me apart from others is (except for those who have started recently) there really is no one else doing what I’m doing in this area definitely not doing it as well as I do & with so much continued success. (I am not really sure if there are other traveling culinary instructors anywhere)
Please feel free to visit my fb or IG “Gourmet Faye” for more pics, videos, info or inspo if you’d like!
Who else deserves credit in your story?
MY MOM has always been my biggest influence, & supporter. She is just a natural in the kitchen.
My most profound mentor (with whom I still keep in touch with and see every couple of years) has been CHEF CHRISTIAN CHAVANNE ! Christian moved to Texas in his early 20s after growing up in France and choosing culinary arts as his profession. While living in Corpus Christi, he owned a quaint, reservation-only French bistro in the heart of the historic Heritage Park district.
In that tiny bistro, I had my first true taste of French cuisine—beautifully prepared food paired with remarkable French wines. Every day at work, Chef Christian would say, “Try this bite of food with this sip of wine,” and it was magic. So many new and wonderful flavors I had never experienced before—so many sauces and ingredients that I felt instantly drawn to. I still share those flavors with others every day..
CHEF BRIAN CARSON was my next biggest mentor.(with whom I still keep in touch with)
When it came time for Chef Christian to move to Palestine, Texas, Chef Brian Carson had just opened his own deli and catering business. I became his right-hand man for the next five years, working under Chef Carson, who is from Philadelphia and trained in traditional American & French cooking.
During those five years, I learned even more about French and American cooking techniques and flavors. It was also during that time that I had the opportunity to visit Paris, France for a week—walking the city every day, experiencing everything from breakfast to lunch to dinner, and all the food, drinks, coffee, cheese, wine, and charcuterie in between. Everything I loved—so fresh and so incredible
Contact Info:
- Website: https://GourmetFaye.com
- Instagram: Gourmet Faye
- Facebook: Gourmet Faye
- Twitter: Gourmet Faye
Image Credits
Debbie Noble
Matthew Meza
Chris Zamora
