Once Upon a Thyme

Personal Chef | Culinary Instructor | Recipe Development | Public Speaking

Chef Alicia Cabase-Toledo has loved being in the kitchen since a very young age.  Born in Virginia and raised in Miami, Florida she was immersed in the traditional cuisine and customs of her Colombian, Panamanian and Filipino heritage. She speaks English and Spanish fluently. 

She combines her passion for food and traveling as often as possible and has visited many cities in the United States, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Europe on her quest for inspiration and to sample local fare around the world.

Chef Alicia earned a Culinary Arts Degree from the prestigious Johnson & Wales University and has been a personal chef for 7 years as chef/owner of Once Upon a Thyme.  Past clients have ranged from private families to public figures, including celebrities and corporate groups. Prior to becoming a personal chef, she worked in many facets of the industry in restaurants and hotels.

In addition to personal chefing, Alicia teaches adults and children cooking lessons and has developed recipes for several companies.  Corporations have booked Chef Alicia to lead culinary team building sessions as well. 

Alicia has been invited to lead culinary presentations at various festivals held at the Fairchild Tropical and Botanical Garden including the popular Mango Festival and the Chocolate Festival.

Community service is very important to Chef Alicia. She has presented many cooking demonstrations for school children, including Girl Scouts of America. She has been a guest speaker at Rotary Club International functions, the Miami-Dade County Health Department and was contracted as a keynote speaker 2009/2010 for Sanofi-aventis Community Health Partnership (CHP), It’s In Our Hands, in the Miami area, seeking to link Hispanic residents with local healthcare professionals and health resources in their neighborhoods to improve and promote healthy eating habits. 

In 2010/2011 Chef Alicia was a lead chef instructor for the Common Threads organization in Miami teaching children cooking skills while introducing them to healthy world cuisine and culture.

Chef Alicia is also a very active volunteer in the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Food Pantry Ministry and supports UNICEF and the World Food Programme.