About
I have been in the food service industry for nearly 20 years developing my skills and knowledge of all things consumable! I have a deep love of food!! To me every meal is a full body experience. It matters to me how everything smells, tastes, looks, feels and (believe it or not) sounds.
I have never worked in a professional kitchen. All of my experience comes from service and being a 4th generation scratch kitchen home chef. I have literally learned from the best from Washington, D.C. to Beverly Hills to Oklahoma and Ohio. My dishes are refined yet approachable. They look like they want you to make love to them and trust me your senses will!!
Everything I do in any kitchen is all from a place of love. I have crafted multi course dinners built around edible flowers that left my guests in awe and even more in love. I have rolled sushi for my daughter for birthday parties and made yogurt from scratch!! I have been given mystery ingredients and slayed every single one creating everything from a palate cleansing beverage to a butternut squash granita!! And yes, I can teach you how to hand craft some amazing cocktails to compliment your efforts!!
I am not afraid of anything. So bring it. Let's learn together how to make love to our ingredients a little more.
Food heals. Helping others to cook provides life skills. The aromas that come out are magical! I mean, really the best thing anyone has ever done is let me feed their soul in a healthy way.
Highlights
Reviews
Arlene S.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
I think it is important to connect via email or text first and discuss exactly what my clients would want to focus on and narrow it down to the top 3. From there, we should source our materials (food, needed equipment, ect). Once we have a solid plan in place, we can move forward with the fun stuff and schedule the lesson!!
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
I don't have a standard pricing system for my lessons. It honestly depends on how much I have to invest in preparing for the lesson. If you want to roll sushi and you don't have sushi mats, I will likely charge a higher rate as I would need to purchase them for your use. Send me a proposal and let's see what we can do. I'm a totally reasonable person.
How did you get started teaching?
I got started teaching after the birth of my little one. She has a massive list of food allergies and it has challenged me in every way in terms of cooking for her. I have found alternative ways to make food still fun and full of flavor with more restrictions than you can imagine! I'm blessed by her because I have been forced to learn how to work with ingredients I would have likely never ventured through the grocer to find.
I shared my journey on social media and people loved my food so much, they began to ask me for recipes AND TO TEACH THEM!!! I was reluctant because I was already overwhelmed with mom life, but cooking is all about love to me. So there was nothing left but for me to shar the love.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Honestly, the best thing to do is talk to at least 3 teachers. See where your personality fits. Just because I am dope doesn't mean I am your cup of tea....or chocolate manhattan.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
Be honest. I have no judgements, only opportunities to guide you better toward your culinary goals. Think about a dish you have seen you want to try. What about that dish makes you think you need help? How much help do you think you need? Guidance and pointers or a full lesson where you're barely hands on? What kind of learning enviroment do you want? Rigid and culinary school like, or relaxed and more fun. Think about how you want the entire experience to feel. Whatever questions come to mind in that thought process should lead you to the right teacher for your needs.