Food has always played a big part in Ysanet Batista’s life. Soon after she was born, she went to live with her grandmother in the Dominican Republic. Batista remembers fondly how she would make succulent meat-rich stews, mashed plantains and jugo de avena, a drinkable oatmeal breakfast.
As much as she enjoyed making food, though, it remained just a hobby. Other than frequent daydreams about starring in her own cooking show, Ysanet Batista never thought she could make a living in the kitchen. Soon, though, she would prove herself wrong.Batista’s unexpected path to cooking success began in 2002 when she was 14. Her mother was diagnosed with painful kidney stones and was told by her doctor to stop consuming red meat, soda and milk.
Other than frequent daydreams about starring in her own cooking show, Ysanet Batista never thought she could make a living in the kitchen. Soon, though, she would prove herself wrong. “People were saying that you have to stay woke and be aware of how politics and policies impact our personal lives,” she said.
It’s also a business running on a different model: Woke Foods is a co-op, where every employee can become a part-owner. Batista makes a point of hiring immigrants and down-on-their-luck Americans, including two women recently released from Rikers Island. If Batista has her way, everyone will soon be eating healthier foods from ethical farms. She now leads workshops, speaks at events and meets with politicians around the topics of food justice and healthy eating.
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