ABOUT ME
My food incorporates classic French technique with modern American ingredients. I am passionate about creating dishes with the finest available ingredients, preferably locally grown and organic. I feel that as a culture we rely too heavily on processed foods, and that we have forgotten how to create wholesome foods from scratch. I want to help people cook and eat better. For this reason, I love to teach private cooking classes, either one-on-one or as a party for a group of friends. I come to your home with all of the necessary ingredients and equipment, and I teach you how to create delicious food for your family or for your next dinner party. I have a list of classes that I teach often, but I can create a custom class for you as well.
I am also available to cook for small dinner parties for between two and twenty people. Meals are typically four courses consisting of a seasonal amuse bouche, soup or salad, entrée, and dessert. I would love to cook for you!
I got my degree in Chemistry from The University of Chicago, worked as a database consultant for seven years, and started cooking professionally as a career change in my late twenties. I graduated first in my class at The French Culinary Institute in New York City where my deans and instructors included Jacques Pepin, Andre Soltner, Jacques Torres, and Alain Sailhac. My hands-on restaurant education was at Gramercy Tavern under then-Executive Chef Tom Colicchio of ‘Top Chef’ fame. I also enjoyed doing trails at his newly opened Craft under Chef Marco Canora. I then moved back to Chicago and worked as the Garde Manger Chef at the Everest Room under Chef Jean Joho and Chef Thierry Tritsch.
These days I am a chef and a mom, balancing my culinary perfectionism with the reality of having to cook for two picky toddlers. Although I would love to experiment with new recipes for fabulous dishes with unusual ingredients, I now spend most of my free time oven-baking homemade chicken nuggets and pureeing organic apple sauce.