Lead Chef
Krysia Villon is a born-and-bred Bostonian, Peruvian American chef of Quechua ancestry, instructor, and food historian. She runs a speciality empanada business, Chiqui's Kitchen, while also exploring, playing with, and teaching others about indigenous products of the Americas. Krysia has been everything from a dishwasher to a union community organizer to a chocolate factory store and tour manager and believes that all these personal and professional experiences inform her research and her cooking. She received her BA from Mount Holyoke College, her AS in Culinary Arts from Johnson & Wales University at Providence, and her MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. Her research focused on quinoa's role in the expression of Indigeneity on the Peruvian table. Krysia is a proud mother of a 3rd grader, 2 guinea pigs, 1 bunny, and a full deck garden with many plant babies. She documents her food journey, thoughts, and recipes on a food blog, Kahlo's Eyes, named for her daughter. Kahlo is the inspiration behind all that is beautiful in her life.