{"id":35382,"date":"2023-09-12T21:36:27","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T01:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mdcthereporter.com\/staging\/8357\/?p=35382"},"modified":"2023-09-15T14:46:49","modified_gmt":"2023-09-15T18:46:49","slug":"miami-culinary-institute-student-aims-to-be-the-dj-khaled-of-latin-cuisine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mdcthereporter.com\/staging\/8357\/miami-culinary-institute-student-aims-to-be-the-dj-khaled-of-latin-cuisine\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami Culinary Institute Student Aims To Be The DJ Khaled Of Latin Cuisine"},"content":{"rendered":"

As his mom battled thyroid and breast cancer in 2018, Christian Barruos-Brens<\/span>\u2014<\/span>then a 16-year-old high school student at Miami Lakes Educational Center<\/span>\u2014s<\/span>earched for a way to help.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to her diagnosis, the teenager developed a passion for the culinary arts. Serving as her unofficial sous chef in their Hialeah kitchen, he inhaled the scents of her Dominican-flavored dishes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChristian used to help me, since he was six or seven years of age, [saying] \u2018mom let me help you cut up little pieces of cheese\u2019 or \u2018can I help serve fruit to the guests?\u2019 \u201d Celeste recalls.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Chocolate Confection: Pictured is Christian Barruos-Brens best-selling Cafecito Brownie. It\u2019s in homage to his father, Fernando Barruos, who enjoyed Cuban coffee before passing away in 2021. ANDRES GIRALDO \/ THE REPORTER<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So as she braved through radiation and chemotherapy sessions, Christian turned to what bonded him and his mom, the kitchen, to help<\/span>. He <\/span>opened Moonlight Brownies, now known as Moonlight Sweets<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t have a car when I started out so I had to figure out a plan. I used to ride my bike up to four miles to deliver to clients,\u201d said Christian, who eventually found a way to deliver his original brownie creations via popular food delivery apps. \u201cI had Uber Eats drivers showing up to my mom\u2019s house like [it was] a ghost kitchen.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, Christian<\/span>\u2014<\/span>with his mom now cancer free<\/span>\u2014<\/span>is perfecting his craft as a student at the <\/span>Miami Culinary Institute<\/span><\/a><\/span> where he is pursuing an associate in science degree in culinary arts. He is scheduled to graduate next spring.<\/span><\/p>\n

In his first year at MCI, the 20-year-old, whose face is often adorned with a wide smile, has made an impression on his peers and professors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing around people who have the same goals as you is a different experience,\u201d said Christian\u2019s classmate, Noelia Hidalgo, who teamed with him to create a gourmet burger using the young chef\u2019s signature sauce. \u201cIt\u2019s just such an easy environment to be in, especially [when] you share that drive to learn and passion for food.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Miami-based chef and MCI instructor Patrick McCurry, who has taught Christian in two classes, lauds his natural leadership skills.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cIt was instilled in him to know it\u2019s not about himself,\u201d McCurry said. \u201cIt\u2019s about the team.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Christian, who is in the <\/span>Rising Scholars<\/span><\/a><\/span> Program at MDC, describes his cooking style as \u201cfusing the vibrant flavors of Latin and Caribbean cuisine,\u201d to pay homage to the Dominican and Cuban cultures he was raised in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of his favorite concoctions include barbecue ribs infused with Brandy, a Dominican peas-and-rice-inspired risotto and homemade veggie burgers that feature sofrito, white beans, sweet potatoes and a caramelized mango onion jam.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>But his most personal creation is the Cafecito Brownie. It mimics a colada shot being poured over a brownie. The chocolate confection was inspired by his dad, Fernando Barruos, who had a penchant for drinking Cuban coffee. He passed away during Christian\u2019s senior year in high school.<\/span><\/p>\n

Christian promotes his passion for the culinary field on his Instagram page,<\/span> @<\/span>ChefChristian_LLC<\/span><\/a><\/span>, which is brimming with posts featuring his high-octane energy and videos of the numerous appearances he makes throughout the week.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently, he made cupcakes, burgers and Dominican-style cakes with dulce de leche for two I AM MDC celebrations, flexed his BBQ skills <\/span>at a 4th of July outing at Hialeah Campus and served up brownies and milkshakes at North Campus\u2019 Juneteenth event.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That hustle is paying off. His Instagram page, which now has more than 3,000 followers, caught\u00a0 the attention of a television producer in Colombia and earned him a spot on a cooking show, <\/span>Batalla En Abuela\u2019s Kitche<\/span><\/i>n<\/span><\/a><\/span>, now airing on the Roku Channel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This fall, he will be part of the Spanish-language series,<\/span> La Fuerza de Creer<\/span><\/i>, on Univision that spotlights Hispanic empowerment. On set, h<\/span>e coached actors to be authentic on screen chefs and created the dishes<\/a> <\/span>and recipes that are featured on the show.<\/span><\/p>\n

Known to his peers as Chef Christian, the rising Instagram-entrepreneur is hoping that notoriety will fuel his<\/span> future. He dreams of someday owning a catering and banquet hall business to provide services for large scale events. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/b>I want to be like the next <\/span>Dave Grutman<\/span><\/a><\/span>,\u201d he said with a chuckle. \u201cOr maybe the DJ Khaled of cuisine.<\/span><\/p>\n

To place an order or to get a full menu of Christian Barruos-Brens offerings, message him on his Instagram page <\/span><\/i>\u00a0@ChefChristian_LLC<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Click<\/span><\/i> here<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/span> to subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter, The Hammerhead. For news tips, contact us at <\/span><\/i>mdc.thereporter@gmail.com<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Sweet Moment: Christian Barruos-Brens poses with his mom, Celeste, on Sept. 6 during the I AM MDC event at Wolfson Campus. They are surrounded by the 200 cupcakes and a Dominican-style cake with dulce de leche Christian made for the occasion. ANDRES GIRALDO \/ THE REPORTER<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As his mom battled thyroid and breast cancer in 2018, Christian Barruos-Brens\u2014then a 16-year-old high school student at Miami Lakes Educational Center\u2014searched for a way to help. Prior to her diagnosis, the teenager developed a passion for the culinary arts. Serving as her unofficial sous chef in their Hialeah kitchen, he inhaled the scents of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13482609,"featured_media":35388,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2753],"tags":[644,3471],"class_list":{"0":"post-35382","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-wolfson-campus","9":"tag-miami-culinary-institute","10":"tag-latin-cuisine"},"yoast_head":"\nMCI Student Aims To Be The DJ Khaled Of Latin Cuisine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Christian Barruos-Brens has been perfecting his culinary style since he was a kid. 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