The Fence and Beyond – A Fresh Take on Farm-To-Table

When Chef Alicia begins her day in the kitchen, she’s doing far more than prepping meals – she’s channeling tastes from around the world. Clients and customers of “The Fence And Beyond” have discovered her globally-influenced flavors, from delectable baked goods to mouth-watering entrees.

But Alicia has built a business around more than just a farm-to-table experience – she’s taking those experiences directly to her clients, and offering opportunities for regular folks to learn her signature recipes.

From Spain To Cody

Alicia was born in Madrid, Spain, but didn’t stay there long. When she was six, her parents moved to the U.S. Her interest in cooking was sparked by a hospitality class that she took while living in New Zealand.

“I had a hospitality class there, and I realized I really like cooking,” she said. “So I went back to Spain for culinary school, to the Basque Culinary Center, and I learned a lot of Basque food and a lot of Basque traditions.”

Alicia explained that she chose the Center because it was one of the only culinary schools that offers an actual degree. After four years in San Sebastian, Spain, and honing her skills at fine dining establishments around the world, she returned to the States to find that her parents were preparing to relocate – to Cody, Wyoming.

“We lived in California, so we just wanted to get out of the city,” she said. “We wanted to have a farm and all that you could do here.”

A year later, Alicia and her family now reside on a farm up the South Fork, where they raise 90 animals, including goats, chickens, pigs, ducks, and quail.

“I started my business with the farmers market by using products that I have at my farm,” she said. “And from there, I started catering, doing private chef work, and then I started doing these hands on dinners and pop up dinners.”

The Fence And Beyond

Alicia said the name for her business expanded on the idea of thinking outside of the box.

“I was in Spain visiting with my grandparents, and my grandma and I were having lunch at a restaurant, and it just came to me,” she said. “The fence is the box, but we’re beyond that. I bring a lot of Spanish and European flavors to my cooking, I like to use a lot of European spices and techniques. And so I think we kind of stick out from what people in Cody are used to.”

With The Fence And Beyond, Chef Alicia offers farm-to-table products, private chef services, weekly meal prep, catering, and hands-on and pop-up dinners from her home on the South Fork. She has a commercial kitchen, and she can host 14 people for her five-course pop-up dinners and ten for the hands-on cooking classes. In February, she offered three hands-on dinners, where participants learned how to make dumplings, pizza, and sushi.

“I offer private chef dinner services,” she said. “I could go to your house and prepare everything there, or I could do catering, or just drop it off. The private chef service includes me cooking and serving and cleaning up.”

Keeping It Local-Ish

Although the idea of farm-to-table generally means using locally sourced ingredients, Chef Alicia’s signature dishes require items you can’t grow in Wyoming.

“I work with Zach and Val at Farm Table west to use their ingredients for my products,” she said. “I try to stay as local as possible. But in Spain, the way the food’s processed is different than in the states, and so I’m trying to bring that here. I use Italian flour as well, because it’s easier to digest.”

Alicia creates a wide range of tongue-tingling culinary delights, from the sweet to the savory – and even the fermented. At one recent Farmer’s Market, she offered a unique smoked kombucha, as well as apricot. And her stand reflects the global flavors she has incorporated into her cooking and baking, from braided milk bread and giant salty pretzels to duck egg Spanish omelettes.

“I also sell Basque cheesecake here at the market,” said Alicia. “It’s creamier and less sugary than the New York style cheesecakes we’re used to.”

Although the website for The Fence And Beyond lays out all of her services, Alicia said the easiest way to reach her is her Facebook page, where she posts monthly calendars for the events she’ll be hosting. To meet Chef Alicia in person and pick up some of her delectable creations, though, you can find her at the Cody Farmer’s Market every Saturday, either at the Cody VFW in the winter or at the corner of Beck and 13th in the summer.

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