Juliet Mendoza - Harmonizing Nutrition, Dance, and House Music
Juliet Mendoza is a dynamic powerhouse, seamlessly blending culinary arts and house music. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Juliet's life has always been infused with the lively sounds and flavors of her Latin American heritage. With a mother who was a professional disco dancer and a stepfather who was a musician, Juliet was destined to be surrounded by music from an early age. Her journey from executive chef and nutritionist to celebrated DJ and producer is as unique as inspiring.
At the tender age of 13, Juliet discovered house music—a moment she describes with vivid intensity, likening it to the exhilarating feeling of falling in love. She recalls the goosebumps and the heart-stirring sensation that left her feeling weightless, a passion that grew stronger over the years. Today, Juliet channels this profound connection into her music, creating immersive soundscapes that transform the dancefloor into a vibrant playground for dancers.
As a devoted mother, Juliet ensures her boys enjoy nutritious and delicious meals, bringing her expertise as an executive chef into her home. She believes that being well-rounded in the culinary world is a gift, one that she cherishes and integrates into her daily life. This holistic approach to food and music makes Juliet a true innovator, blending her passions to create a harmonious balance.
Juliet's unique style of delivering melodic, soulful, and deep sounds has propelled her beyond the boundaries of Los Angeles. She has headlined in international cities like Amsterdam, Paris, Mexico City, Tulum, and Croatia and graced the stages of major U.S. festivals, including Coachella, CRSSD, Skyline Festival, and MMW. She has shared the decks with top DJs such as Hot Since 82, Dennis Ferrer, Marques Wyatt, Riva Starr, Kink, Honey Dijon, DJ Heather, and Peggy Gou, to name a few.
Ralph Session's highly anticipated debut EP, "Freak," on Freerange Records, is officially released today. The EP showcases Juliet's captivating vocals and adds another remarkable achievement to her brilliant career in the house music scene.
In this delightful interview with The DJ Cookbook, Juliet Mendoza opens up about her extraordinary journey, her creative process, and how she masterfully combines her love for nutrition, cooking, and house music.
Q: Juliet, we're curious about where you are right now. Could you also share with us what delicious meal you've had today?
A: Hi, I am in the city of Angels, the place I call home: Los Angeles, California. Today was a meal prep day, so on the menu were garlic rice, steamed yams, sautéed brussels sprouts in butter, salt, pepper, and balsamic reduction, and tomato stewed chicken made with fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, and seasonings.
Q: Did you prepare it yourself?
A: I prepped and cooked at home.
Q: Do you enjoy cooking? If yes, what is your favorite meal of the day and why?
A: Not only do I enjoy it, but it is also very therapeutic. I enjoy putting flavors together. Knowing I can think of any meal I want and make it at home is a huge reward. And the best part is sitting down with my family for a beautiful, delicious home-cooked meal. My favorite meal to cook is dinner because it is the meal I enjoy with friends and family after a long day.
Q: How would you describe your diet?
A: I listen to my body. So sometimes I don’t eat meat. Sometimes, I take some days off to fast and reset my body. I was a chef and nutritional therapist for over ten years. I learned that my body will ask for different things at different times. It’s all environmental.
Q: What is a food staple you can’t go without?
A: Olives, butter, Celtic salt and fresh herbs
Q: Tell us about your family roots.
A: I was born and raised in LA. My Mother is Central American, and my biological father is Creole. My stepfather is Mexican. I grew up with my cousins in the kitchen, learning how to make tortillas, salsas, and Mexican dishes at a young age, and a lot of baseball.
Q: What did you grow up eating?
A: I ate a lot of Central American foods, like rice and beans, cactus, different types of meats, fresh cheese and cremas, fruits and vegetables, and tortillas. My favorite was my grandfather’s buñuelos. He would make them from scratch. They were so simple and so comforting with an abuelita hot chocolate.
Q: Is there a family recipe that you cook often?
A: I actually started a family recipe for Christmas. I make a blueberry duck with some special touches. I can’t give you my recipe. So many people asked for it and wanted to pay me for it when I was an executive chef. But I still make a family recipe at home: fideo and albóndigas soup.
Q: What are your favorite Mexican, Nicaraguan, and Salvadoran dishes, and why? What makes them unique to you?
A: So mole for Mexican. All of the meals I am going to name are made with love. Mole, for me, is unique because it’s made with chocolate and chiles. Depending on the region, you can make it in many different ways, and there is also a green mole to die for. But the mix of spices and chocolate elevates the experience of being mindful when you taste the food in your mouth. It is a true art to find the right balance for this sauce.
Salvadoran would have to be Pan con Chumpe. This is a turkey sandwich on level “3000.” It looks so simple, but the work behind it is top-tier. Pickled veggies, watercress, warm bolillo bread, and fresh turkey or chicken meat. What takes it up to the next level is a sauce made out of peanut butter and spices mixed with the juice of the turkey that has been slowly cooked for hours.
Nicaraguan would have to be Gallo Pinto “ Spotted Rooster” with plantains. It's as simple as rice and beans sound, but not this plate. It is colorful and filled with flavor. There are a few ways to go about it. I would say that my favorite is the Caribbean-influenced recipe made with coconut milk. I mean, the flavor is to die for. It is not your regular rice and bean recipe. It will explode in your mouth with the sweet, delicious plantains to go with it. You can’t ask for anything else.
Q: Since becoming a mother, have you become more conscientious of what your family eats and how it affects them?
A: Definitely! I want to make sure my boys eat healthy food and enjoy it. To me, being well-rounded in the culinary world is a gift. The world has so much to offer when it comes to dishes. It is a big part of human interaction, and there is no need for words.
Q: Can you recommend your favorite food joints or restaurants in LA?
A: Yes! Sapp Coffee Shop in Thai Town Hollywood is my favorite Thai restaurant. It’s a Mom-Pop shop. With an amazing food-friendly environment, you have to try all the menu. My favorite dish is Preserved Egg Kra Pao, duck egg with ground pork.
Chiguacle in Sun Valley is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. It is known for its variety of food and mole. Everything on the menu is fantastic. The mole sampler is so delicious, and the Marlin fish tacos are amazing. But the side of rajas completes my meal every time.
Lastly, I’ll give away the El Criollo Cuban Restaurant in Burbank. My two favorite things on this menu are the Oxtail dish and the Mustard Chicken plate. I can never choose from the two dishes. They are so delicious and filled with so much flavor.
Q: How would you describe the food scene in LA?
A: There is so much going on. Make sure to do your research before you go. Check Yelp for reviews, and get out in the town to explore the city and the yummy, fantastic food options we have. The whole world is here, and there is so much to pick from. Mom-Pop-owned to fine-dining, you name it!
Q: Did music and dancing play a role in your family life?
A: My mother was a competitive disco dancer, and my father was a musician. I always had music around me, whether from growing up at live band practice sessions or listening to music of all kinds at home.
Q: What kind of music did your parents listen to as you were growing up?
A: Rock, disco, blues, jazz, classic rock, metal, punk, oldies, alternative, hip-hop, house, new wave, I can keep going. Everything. I am grateful for it!
Q: What music did you listen to as a teenager, and who were you influenced by?
A: My thing as a teen was rnb, hip-hop, and pop before house music took over when I was 13. Mary J Blige was a vibe for me. Patty LaBelle blew my mind. The Cure, Morrissey, JJ Fad, Madonna. Erykah Badu, Common, Kool Keith. And so many more. I love music so much. I would listen to it night and day.
Q: Do you play an instrument? If yes, which one?
A: I am currently learning to play the bass. As a kid, I was given different instruments and didn’t give them the time of day.
Q: How were you introduced to house music?
A: I would say my mother. She is such a disco head that she would play house music in the car. I remember my friend's brother having a mixed tape that had trance and house music, and he was playing it outside with friends. I stopped what I was doing and asked if I could get a copy of the tape. The sounds made me feel something I had never felt before. That tape changed my life.
Q: What did you feel when you first heard house music?
A: Goosebumps and a feeling in my heart. The only way I can describe that feeling is when you fall in love with someone. You feel like you're not even standing.
Q: Which house track brings you back to that time?
A: Sound Factory- Understand This Groove, CJ Bolland - Sugar is Sweeter, The Bucketheads - The Bomb.
Q: How did you get involved with the house music scene in Los Angeles?
A: My Cousin snuck me out of the house at 13, and I never stopped going back. I would go to a club called Arena in Hollywood. It was all ages. They played it all—from hardstyle Chicago house to more groovy funky house. I found my house family there and kept going out to all the places that played house music. Not only did I make friends with dancers, but I also made friends with club owners, event promoters, and crew members. That landed me a job with Go Ventures, where I would do street promotion. I got to travel and see amazing DJs and beautiful places. I became a door girl. I have worked in bars and underground clubs and helped with events. From the dance floor for many years, I have been a DJ who loves to share the gift of music.
Q: What importance do you place on dancing?
A: The conversation we all have on the dance floor with the DJ and their music is the best feeling in the world.
Q: When did you decide to become a DJ?
A: At 13, I wanted to learn, so my best friends started showing me. I took it more seriously in my twenties. I didn’t do it to play out. I did it for therapy. It all became aligned, and I kept going and practicing ever since, from vinyl to CDs to USB.
Q: What was your first setup like? Did you have vinyl and turntables?
A: my first setup was two turntables and a mixer, all vinyl.
Q: Are you a vinyl digger? If so, what is your most precious vinyl?
A: Yes, I am. Photek ft Robert Owens- Mine to Give the David Morales Happy Mix is everything to me. That song holds a very special place in my heart. It brings me to tears every time I play it or hear it. I get lost in that song.
Q: Can you tell us a fun anecdote from your beginnings as a DJ?
A: I remember bringing home my first set of tables and mixer. I had no idea how to set them up. I tried many different things, but the sound wouldn’t come out. So I called a friend to come over and help me. He walked in and asked what was going on. I said I tried everything with the wires, and I’m not getting any sound. He stood back, looked at everything, and started laughing. He asked me, do you see what is missing? I said no. He said speakers. We did not stop laughing for a while. I just remember being so excited to have my setup. I would play with my friends at their houses. I never touched the speakers, so I didn’t think about it. It was super funny, and I will never forget it.
Q: What role does your music selection play in expressing your identity?
A: Everything! It also depends on my mood. You can tell how I am feeling by what I play. But it has a lot to do with the environment. If I’m playing at an underground club, then late at night. We are going to get deep and nasty. If it’s daytime pool vibes, it can be fun, soulful, and sexy. I love experimenting and expressing myself with music.
Q: How do you prepare for your sets? Do you go by mood, crowd, club?
A: I like to dig for music that makes me feel good or catches my ear. Then, mix that with my collection. I play by the environment. Everywhere is different. You have to read a room.
Q: What is your favorite time slot to play and why?
A: Late-night undergrounds or clubs. Give me the 2 a.m. slot. That way, I can dig into all the sounds that make the journey unforgettable. I love playing on a dance floor that is locked in. They are there for the ride.
Q: When and why did you decide to start producing?
A: I started producing in 2016. I started making music because I was a dancer trying to experience different sounds. The music had changed so much, and I wanted to make music that would give dancers a playground to explore.
Q: What is your studio setup like? Are you excited about a particular synth, DAW, or plugin?
A: I have a few Roland pieces, 2 Akai keyboards, and a Push. I started with Logic and am now transitioning into Ableton. I am excited about that. It’s a new toy, and I can’t wait to see what I can create with it.
Q: How do you produce a track? What comes first, melody, rhythm, or vocals?
A: It all depends on what got the track in my mind. For example, if I’m in the car and hear a track, it brings words to my mind. I write the track first with a reference. But if it’s the other way around where I sit to make a track, I would say that the rhythm is first for me, then the melody.
Q: In your opinion, how has the LA club scene grown?
A: The melting pot of amazing house heads who live in LA now from the East Coast have brought some flavor to the city. The underground scene is so big here that you can find anything you want, from juke to techno to soulful to dnb. We have a more extensive selection now.
Q: What do you think makes a great party?
A: The event space and the music program. People will stay all night if the space is safe and welcoming, has a fantastic sound system, and has a dope dance floor. Just make sure you have great music and food at your party.
Q: Will you be touring and releasing new music this year?
A: Yes. I will be going to Canada for the first time this year. I am so excited about that. Also, there are some cities here in the States that I have yet to go to. I am also looking forward to ADE this year. I have a few releases coming out. On May 31st, there will be a feature on Freerange Records with my friend Ralph Sessions called Freak. A rework with the one and only Glenn Underground, a track I wrote two summers ago called Record, is coming out on RDA in the summer. I am also working on an EP for Defected, which I am really excited about. My label, Spiritual Systems, will also launch this year.
Q: What gigs are you looking forward to this summer?
A: All of them. Every single event is special to me. Meeting new people and connecting with them means so much to me. I can change someone’s life in one night.
Q: Juliet, thank you for sharing your time with The DJ Cookbook!
A: Thank you so much for having me!
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Listen to Freak.
