Mom’s Sweet Tooth Inspires Breast Cancer-Fighting Gelato Company

Life has a funny way of helping you discover yourself.

I have been cooking for over 35 years and it’s not only a part of who I am, but also a part of where I came from. Millie was the name of my mother, a woman who loved sugar and was a magician in the kitchen. She always had some kind of special treat baking, chilling, or freezing.

I was running a successful restaurant, Sbicca,in San Diego when my mother lost her battle to breast cancer. Dealing with her loss came at a time in my life where I seemed to have it all; in reality, I was emotionally, spiritually, and physically at my lowest.

Depression is often brought on by extreme life changes—and not only was Ifeelingit, but my loved ones alsosawit. Feeling weak, I went to my doctor who diagnosed me with an autoimmune disease that would result in a strict plant-based diet. Food was the only solace I had left and now I had to be on a plant-based diet? Seriously?

I thought my life was over until a friend told me about a place out in Lemon Grove, California, called Optimum Health Institute that focused on health from a holistic standpoint. I decided to go for a week and after that short period, I felt better than I had in alongtime. They taught not only the benefits of a vegan diet, but arawdiet that I saw as a major challenge since there was no cooking involved. As a chef it can be considered a “no man’s land.”

Becoming a vegan is no joke. I did begin to feel a significant difference in my body and mood when I stopped eating meat, but I still craved my mother’s sweets. She raised me with that sweet tooth and I found myself playing around with my Cuisinart ice cream machine and came up with a few gelato recipes that my friends and family really enjoyed. Depending on the flavor, the base was organic almond or coconut milk, which gave the gelato a creamy consistency and kept it soy-free. My mother kept popping up in my mind so naturally I decided to honor her memory by calling it Millie’s Vegan Gelato.

After a few months in business, I had the epiphany that it wasn’t enough for me to just make a product. Rather, I wanted a purpose-driven business that would give back to breast cancer charities. I admired companies like Tom’s Shoes, who found a way to wake up every morning helping people. One of the things they advise to all cancer patients is to let go of dairy. The hormones in dairy are one of the worst things for a person battling cancer, and it makes complete sense why the dairy alternatives market is booming.

Today,Millie’s Vegan Gelatois dedicated to giving back and participates in various charity events and donations. (To my surprise Millie’s new giveback model attracted young millennials, many of whom had also lost family members to breast cancer, to work for the company.) We have even hosted a gelato bar for Stella McCartney’s annual End Blood Cancer events two years running. Our gelato is sold in over 100 stores throughout California, including Gelson’s, Erewhon, and Bristol Farms.

More and more people are seeing the benefits of a gluten-free, dairy-free diet and we are happy to be a healthy, yet indulgent treat for people to feel good about while eating. The most difficult time in my life challenged me to serve up plant-based desserts with a purpose, and I know my mother would be proud if she were with me today.