I began my culinary journey in earnest in 2002 when I quit my job and enrolled in culinary school. I immersed myself in my course work during the day. In the evenings and on weekends I assisted professional chefs in their publicly offered classes. After I graduated, the owner of the cooking school approached me to become an instructor for their public classes. From that time on, I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
Over the past 18 + years, I have taught large groups of students at well-respected cooking schools such as Laguna Culinary Arts, Laguna High School, Villa Cucina and A Store For Cooks in California as well as Sur La Table in Michigan. In 2005, I founded Cooking with Class. I set out to create private cooking classes for individuals and small groups. I opened our home to my students and travelled to many of theirs. I have cooked for large groups in Croatia, Provence and Tuscany. My classes are designed to ensure a warm, relaxed and inviting experience for everyone. I offer choices so that my students have a voice in what they create, who they create it with, and when. I take pride in maintaining a cooking experience that is personal and delicious. All of my classes are private unless noted otherwise.
I graduated with Merit from the Professional Chef Program at Laguna Culinary Arts. I have a Certificate in Wines, Sprits and other Alcoholic Beverages from the Wine, Education Trust from London, England. I trained at the Miele Experience Center in Chicago, focusing on the use of their steam oven. I hold a Certificate of Completion for Learn2Serve Food Safety Management Principles.
I am a professional culinary instructor and recipe developer and tester. I have taught over 9,000 students since I began teaching in 2003. I get much of my inspiration for my classes and recipes from my collection of over 1,000 cookbooks ( and growing). I reside in Franklin, Michigan with my husband Mike and our English Cream Golden Retriever, Gordie.
I hope to cook with you soon.
