A Craft With No Finish Line

I always joke that my first culinary mentor was Rachael Ray. As a kid, I would sit in front of her show and pretend I had my own little cooking segment. The dish I made the most was a simple fusilli with sweet peas and Parmesan. I must have cooked it a hundred times. Years later, I ended up working in a restaurant that served a similar pasta, and it brought me right back to those childhood moments when food felt like magic.

I never planned on becoming a chef. I studied to be an ESL teacher because that was the responsible choice. After a study abroad in Granada, I knew deep down that teaching wasn’t my path. It just didn’t fit. A few years later, someone encouraged me to cook professionally, and that suggestion changed the entire trajectory of my life. I took my self-taught skills and slowly made my way into the world of food, first through the personal and private chef lane. That side of the industry felt more natural to me than anything I had ever tried before.

My first real step into hospitality came at sixteen. I worked at the one and only Chowder House in my hometown. It was close to where I grew up, so of course it made sense to start there. I loved talking to people, serving them, and hearing their stories. I loved the energy of the place. At the time, I didn’t know if it was possible to make cooking and service my real career, but I knew I loved being a part of that world.

The beginning of my culinary journey felt like throwing ideas at the wall and hoping something would stick. I didn’t know what direction to take. I only knew that food needed to be part of my life in some real way. So I held onto my ambition and my curiosity. I made a promise to myself that no matter what happened, food would not disappear from my story.

What keeps me inspired is how endless this craft is. There is always something new to taste, someone brilliant to learn from, a new place to eat, and an ingredient that opens another door. Just when you think you have mastered something, you find out there is another technique or another piece of its history that deepens your understanding. I love the fact that I will never reach the end of it. There is always more to discover.

A moment that shaped me was when I realized the private side of the industry was where my heart lived. Working closely with clients gave me a sense of connection and purpose I had not felt before. I got to understand who they were beyond the meal, what their lives looked like, and how I could bring peace into their home through a simple dinner. Taking one thing off their plate so they could breathe a little easier made me genuinely happy. It never felt transactional. It felt like care.

I love fresh and seasonal ingredients prepared with intention. I do not like to complicate things. Time, attention, and good ingredients are enough. Anyone can make something delicious if they slow down, pay attention, and let the food speak for itself.

Some of my happiest memories come from cooking with my best friend in Los Angeles. We would work on different events together, laughing the whole time and talking about our favorite dishes and ingredients. Cooking with someone who understands you and shares your passion is something incredibly special. It brings you closer in a way that feels effortless and natural.

I am proudest of the moments I never expected. Cooking for celebrities, traveling the world with them, stepping into lives and places I never imagined I would see. Every time I packed a suitcase for another trip, I found myself thinking: “Is this really happening?”.Those experiences changed me. They made me braver, more grateful, and more aware of how special this path is.

What I love most about restaurant culture is the can-do spirit. When a team moves with one mentality, the energy becomes electric. Even though I did not spend years working the line, I can feel that magic whenever I dine out. It is a beautiful thing to witness.

My hope for the future of the industry is that chefs allow themselves to pursue what lights them up. I want to see more people experiment with pop-ups, try different work styles, take time off to travel, or even pivot to something new if that is what their heart is calling for. Cooking is a deep part of my identity, but it is not all of me, and I want other chefs to have that freedom too. I want them to explore every part of who they are, not just the part that shows up in the kitchen.

Photo credits to @directedbyaidan, @dwdeangelo, @jennamariehansen, @nathrodriguesph & @nicoleminn.