There’s a lot to love about the Brava community and today we’re excited to highlight another member who inspires us in the kitchen. We’re sitting down with our very own Marketing and Brand Partnership Manager, Ernie Puebla. Ernie takes us through his favorite aspects of working with our community, how he uses Brava while training for marathons, and his favorite Brava hacks. Spoiler: one of Ernie’s hacks is folding leftover Chicken Chile Verde into Brava Eggs or Quesadillas and we think that is genius.
Q: You’ve worked at Brava for several years now. Can you tell us about what you do at Brava? What does a day in the life of Ernie look like?
I have had multiple roles with Brava from showroom manager to scheduling orientation calls with new Brava owners. My current role is managing relations with our brand partnerships. I ensure all our new partners receive product for review write ups and social engagements. I am their liaison to the Brava team. I make sure that our partners feel like they are personally connected to us and not to a brand. Fun fact, 99.9% of the time I am the one responding as Brava Home to the IG DM’s!
No matter how my workload varies during the day, I always make time for a workout. I am obsessed with my Peloton! A live class is my escape from reality and a fun workout all wrapped up in 30-60 minutes a day. A quick ride helps me get back into work mode before the day is complete.
Q: As the Marketing and Brand Partnership Manager you interact with *so* many people in the Brava community. What are some of your favorite aspects of working with community members?
I love to see how a new Brava owner in the community embraces their cooking adventure. At first they might feel timid to share their first cooks to the community. They quickly learn that everyone has started their journey the same way and that community loves to help where they can. The best is when you see a member grow to be a Brava influencer in the group and generate excitement to try to new recipes. I have tried a few recipes based on our communities posts that I thought I would not like. I look forward to checking on the Facebook community page everyday and learning something new.
Q: Tell us about your background with cooking, before Brava and after Brava.
A: My background with cooking before Brava was non-existent. It was a lot of take out and basic breakfast options like bowls of cereal. Since I like to workout and run marathons I figured I could eat whatever I want. As I get older I need to have a healthier diet. I learned to cook quick healthy meals with basic ingredients. Once I felt comfortable with the Brava recipes, I started to make small changes to add new spices or protein where I can. My favorite cook is the roasted mixed vegetables. I can add almost any veggie and protein for a healthy dinner in 20 minutes. Cooking is more fun with Brava and less of a chore.
Q: Favorite Brava recipe(s)?
A: Beside the roasted mixed vegetables cook my go-to is frittatas for breakfast and chicken verde for dinner. Both recipes can be updated based on what you have in the refrigerator. I love to add veggies to the frittatas and some of my Dad’s fresh salsa. The chicken verde is so easy to make and is great for leftovers with eggs and in quesadillas too.
Q: Favorite accessory, feature, and/or cook mode?
A: My favorite accessory of course is the egg tray. Obviously so I can make frittatas but the egg tray works great to reheat leftovers.
Q: What ingredients are always in your kitchen and how do you use Brava to cook with them?
A: I always have to have mushrooms and sharp cheddar cheese. They somehow are always part of my breakfast and dinner concoctions. And of course hot sauce. I would add it to ice cream if I could!
Q: Who is inspiring you in the kitchen right now?
A: Since I am on social media a lot for work, our partners we have worked with in the past influence how I eat these days. Besides doing a dry January I have successfully cut out gluten and sugar from my diet. I sleep better, have more energy and stay more focused during the work day. Not to say that I still want to try a Brava lava cake in the future but I feel more comfortable choosing a healthy recipe from my favorite list instead.
Want to see what else our community is whipping up? Join the Brava Home’s Facebook Community and follow along on Instagram. Share your Brava creations with the hashtag #BravaLife for a chance to be featured!