Andrea Condes shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Andrea, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Watercolors! I took as many art classes as I could when I was in high school and watercolor turned out to be one of my favorite mediums.
When I go camping I bring a paint set with me and linear time definitely disappears.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Four Directions Cuisine is an Arvada based private chef and catering company. We specialize in global Indigenous cuisine with our main focus being in South, Central and North American traditional foods. I’ve been cooking most of my life and have an educational background in baking and pastry arts from the flagship campus, Culinary Institute of America. Once I graduated with both baking and pastry and business degrees from CIA, I spent the next 15 years working in different kitchens all over the US.
While living in Wisconsin, some of the ladies of the Oneida Cannery were kind enough to kickstart my Indigenous food education. I now have the honor of carrying and sharing stories/knowledge with others in my work and travels.
Indigenous science education (gardening and farming practices), is also offered in collaboration with my partner Alejandra Tobar (Alatriz) through our independent project, Pachamama5453 (IG: @pachamama_nation).
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I used to be Milagros Coromoto Condes, daughter of the Andes. Then I was adopted by US Americans when I was about nine (9) weeks old and we came to the US when I was about three (3) years old. I was raised in middle America Ohio, played basketball, participated in Girl Scouts, and was essentially raised to be an “all American girl”. Once I graduated high school and left for college in New York, whether I realized it or not, the deprogramming work began.
I was no longer in that environment everyday. I was now surrounded by international students and chef instructors, and I was learning about all of them through food. Food is a through line for human connectedness. When people sit down at a table where I’m going to serve them I want to tell them a story every single time. I want them to learn something about me and the vast Indigenous cultures that exist.
If you’ve been a fan of 4DC and have been following the journey for at least a year, you know that I changed my name (though not legally, yet) to Andrea Milagros Condes. Decolonizing is a life long process. Reclaiming most of my original name is a part of that. Cooking the foods that I cook is a part of decolonizing as well.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering, like failure, offers us lessons in resiliency. If you never fall, you never learn how to get back up. If every project is a success, how do you learn how to trouble shoot and adjust? If your plan A always works out, you never learn how to create plans B through Z.
I’ve taken some big swings in my career. Some things have worked out, some haven’t, some are continued works in progress. I’ve moved across the country, I’ve bet on myself, I’ve helped others starting out knowing how difficult it was to navigate launching my first business without much guidance or mentorship….
The important part is that I learn from each scenario, adjust if necessary, and keep it moving.
It’s up to each individual to decide what success looks like for them.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
For the most part, yes. What you see is what you get, and I also have range.
My inner circle of family/friends/community get to see a goofier maybe even more playful side of me that a lot of folks I interact with in the public don’t necessarily get to see.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
I’m a child of the Andes who knows how to build a fire and cook some food. Someone who knows how to live within nature not over nature.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fourdirectionscuisine.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fourdirectionscuisine/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-condes-murdoch-76894224a/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fourdirectionscuisine
- Other: We are sunsetting our outdoor chef’s table on Sunday 10/12/25. This is the ticket link:
https://fourdirectionscuisine.com/shop/the-rooted-andina-indigenous-peoples-day-indigebrunch-10-12-25/
Image Credits
Andrea Condes
