Short Bio

You often hear stories about people who leave their day jobs to pursue their dreams. Helmi Smeulders did just that. Originally from Holland, Helmi has been living on Curaçao in the Caribbean for twenty years. A lawyer by trade, she left her job to follow her heart and love for food. She started her culinary adventure in 2004 by establishing the catering company Thelma & Louise - Wild Cooking. Her style, imagination and creativity reshaped the catering concept on the island. Introducing new and unique elements that had never been seen before. The elaborate themes and unrelenting attention to detail have impressed even the Dutch royalty. Between events Helmi finds time to travel the world; exploring the foods, cooking techniques and latest trends. These journeys led her to combine her love for cooking, travel and photography and start a second culinary adventure; Spice Girl – Caribbean Flavors with a twist. A food blog that reshapes the traditional Caribbean kitchen and brings out the best in Caribbean food. Helmi leads a culinary revolution by breaking down and applying new techniques to century old recipes. Combined with her fierce believe in the quality of fresh and locally grown produce, the Caribbean kitchen is evolving from comfort to culinary, from traditional to modern. She happily shares her passion by creating remarkable culinary experiences such as secret popup restaurants, culinary road trips, hands-on workshops, adventurous cooking holidays and exclusive chef’s tables. Helmi published her first cookbook Modern Caribbean Flavors in 2015. In December 2018 she published her second book: Island Vibes The Joy of Caribbean Cooking.

Favorited Recipes by Helmi Smeulders

Recipes Submitted by Helmi Smeulders