Cook Smart, Not Hard
About
I love teaching people how to prepare tasty, healthy food from everywhere I've lived and travelled to. While in Lima, Peru, I did a short course at Le Cordon Bleu and learned classic French techniques in New World Spanish. I love taking people to markets for ingredients and telling how to break down the cost of each aspect and make a judgement on what to buy and why. Then we go cook it together!
Actually, I'm a former US diplomat who retired early. I've instructed many people on a variety or topics but cooking is my happy place and this will be the first time sharing it with the world from ingredient shopping to nutritional breakdown to meal prep. I'm excited to share my passion!
Highlights
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Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
Ideally, I like to know beforehand what they want to learn and how they learn best. I can generally do this in an email and then a phonecall before we set up an in person meeting. Or we can just go to the store and talk there. I'm flexible and improvisation on the fly is a strength of mine.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I've been cooking since I was three. My parents trusted my brother and I to not only feed ourselves but also have dinner ready when they got home. Although my degrees are in international politics and comparative religion, I've cooked, eaten, and gone to markets in all 77 countries I've visited. I also worked as a chef at a local homeless center for a brief time.
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Depends on how many students and how many lessons. I'm not doing this for profit alone but would like fair compensation.
How did you get started teaching?
It's been a lifelong passion of mine. My mother was a elementary school teacher and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.