Sandra Rocha Evanoff’s Global Mission Starts in Kitsap
COURTESY OF SANDRA ROCHA EVANOFF
By QUINN PROPST
Ward Media Staff Reporter
Poulsbo chef Sandra Rocha Evanoff is using Afro Brazilian cuisine to do more than feed people—she’s building community, fighting food insecurity, and creating space for cultural connection.
From her business, Brasil Comes to You, to her work with global initiatives like the Social Gastronomy Movement, Evanoff blends storytelling, heritage, and advocacy with every meal she serves.
“I do believe that the magic of food connects people, inspires change and brings the community together,” she said.
Evanoff also believes in food as a catalyst for social change.
“We all need to connect with each other around the table, and elevate each other as an individual, no matter if you are rich or poor,” she said. “Food is the Universal Language.”
Beyond her business Evanoff teaches cooking classes online and at BARN on Bainbridge Island, has developed a cooking class and cookbook for immigrant children, volunteers for many organizations and serves on the Olympic College Community Foundation board of directors.
History
Evanoff was born in a remote village in Bahia, Brazil, where her mother raised seven children alone and ran a small bed and breakfast. Though the village lacked running water and electricity, it was rich in connection and fresh, homegrown food.
“We grew beans, corn, cassava, watermelon, almost everything,” she said. “We didn’t have land, but my uncle had lots of land, and he gave it to everybody in the family, like a community garden.”
“So we grew up eating fresh food,” she said. “I never had processed food until I moved to Sao Paulo when I was 11 years old.”
Evanoff began cooking at a young age, learning from her mother as she cooked for guests at their bed and breakfast. Her mother did not have the opportunity for an education but she dreamed of that for her children.
Evanoff, her mother, and sister moved from their close-knit village to São Paulo, initially intending to visit family but never returning home. Life in the city was difficult—they were separated at first, living with different relatives, and had to start from nothing. Eventually, they reunited in a small rented space while her mother worked many jobs to support them.
At 13 Evanoff went to work as a maid.
“So I’ve been working since I was 13,” she said. “We grew up working, working, working.”
It was a challenging time for Evanoff and her family. They did not go back home even to visit until Evahoff was 18. In the big city they lost their sense of belonging, she said.
“That’s why, when I was creating the cooking class for the Latino and Syrian refugees, I felt myself in that situation,” she said. “These kids, you know, who knows how they arrived here? I didn’t have that experience, but had the experience to be in a place that was not mine.”
That’s why she let them choose the food they learned to cook. She wanted it to be a bridge for what they had to leave behind.
When Sandra’s sister went to college, Sandra started her first food-to-go business to help cover the tuition. But when it was her turn, there was no one to support her financially, so she delayed college for ten years.
Still, she felt no resentment—only pride in her sister’s success. Later, while working at Ernst & Young (EY), Evanoff was given the chance to attend college, studying international relations with a focus on politics. EY covered half of her tuition and gave her the opportunity to learn English. During that time, she continued her entrepreneurial spirit—baking cakes and making sandwiches at night to sell on the bus during her morning commute.
Evanoff never received formal chef training. She learned everything through her mother and from watching cooking shows, carefully replicating recipes at home as a teenager.
Evanoff shares her story to help others find hope.
“I want to show people even when you think that there is no hope, you will find your own hope, you will find your own sunshine, and be happy no matter what is the scenario,” she said.
Brasil Comes to You
Brasil Comes to You is more than just a meal, it’s an interactive dining experience that brings the heart of Brazil into your home. The experience features authentic Brazilian cuisine inspired by the country’s rich Indigenous, Portuguese, and African influences.
African culture first arrived in Brazil in the 16th century with the forced arrival of enslaved Africans, primarily through the ports of Bahia. Over five million Africans were brought to Brazil—more than to any other country in the Americas—making Brazil home to the largest Black population in the region today. The state of Bahia, Evanoff’s home state, where much of this population resides, has had a profound and lasting impact on Brazil’s culinary traditions.
However, Afro Brazilian food has been largely ignored in the American food scene and that is something Evanoff is working to combat.
During private dinner parties Evanoff prepares the food in your home while sharing about Brazilian culture, history and food. Brazilian food is beautiful, colorful and delicious but perhaps the biggest reward of the experience is Evanoff herself. Her warmth and generosity invites people in to share in the magic of food as a way to connect across cultures.
Brasil Comes to You was first an auction item for the Kitsap Medical Society’s fundraiser for nursing scholarships in 2009. Evanoff’s husband, a physician, encouraged her to offer the experience. Evanoff had to come up with a name for the auction item that would grab people’s attention and that is how she landed on the name Brasil Comes to You.
“The idea was bringing my kitchen to your kitchen and that’s what I do,” she said.
The auction item quickly became popular and soon many Kitsap nonprofits were asking Evanoff to donate the experience for their fundraisers. Because of its popularity Evanoff’s husband suggested she turn it into a business and thus Brasil Comes to You was born.
Social impact work
The Social Gastronomy Movement (SGM) is a global network that uses food to drive social change, combat inequality, and build more inclusive communities. It focuses on improving nutrition, addressing hunger, and empowering individuals to use their skills for the greater good. In response to global challenges like poverty, climate change, and food insecurity, SGM promotes food systems that support dignity, equity, and sustainability. By connecting people through food, the movement aims to create a more caring and just society—one meal, one community at a time.
The Universal Plate Campaign was born in 2020 as part of the Social Gastronomy Movement. The campaign is a six-week initiative to share fresh, nutritious food with those in need worldwide. It is both an act of advocacy and celebration of working towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of reaching Zero Hunger by 2030.
Food insecurity and hunger is on the rise with a projected 600 million people worldwide facing hunger in 2030, according to the UN.
Evanoff joined the movement in 2021 to work to end hunger in Kitsap County. Initially she provided 60 meals. But by 2023 she worked to provide 1,300 meals locally through partnerships with local food banks and Olive Garden Restaurant.
In the spring of 2024, Evanoff was invited to attend the SGM Journey Learning Summit in Switzerland. The summit brought together chefs from around the world who work to fight hunger in their communities. At the summit they pledged to organize events using food as a universal language.
Upon returning home from the summit Evanoff received an email from the Kitsap Immigration Alliance Center (KIAC) asking her to develop a cooking class for young Latinos and Syrian refugees.
The opportunity to develop a cooking class for young immigrants aligned with her vision. It felt like fate, she said.
The classes not only taught cooking skills but also served as a vehicle to connect the children to their heritage through food. Evanoff worked to empower them with cultural pride and storytelling, hoping to give them a piece of home they can carry with them throughout their lives.
In 2020 Evanoff began working with Gastromotiva, a Brazilian-based social impact organization that uses food as a tool for social change.
Founded in 2006 by Brazilian Chef David Hertz, Gastromotiva began with culinary training for youth in underserved communities and has grown into a global movement. The organization creates scalable models—such as community kitchens, education programs, and sustainable food systems—to promote dignity, inclusion, and development. By connecting chefs, entrepreneurs, and organizations, Gastromotiva works to address hunger, reduce food waste, and support local communities.
“Sandra embodies the spirit of Gastromotiva: generosity, purpose, and action,” Hertz said. “Her work bridges cultures and communities, bringing people together around the table to share not only meals, but dignity, care, and opportunity.”
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