the beginning
san francisco, ca
Growing up, no one in my family was a chef, but boy did everyone love to cook and EAT! I was always an adventurous eater, but add in living with my Cantonese grandma and eating “weird” food like tripe, duck feet, pig ears, frog legs, and sea cucumber, and my interest in food and travel became a passion.
The college years
University of california, davis
When it came time for college, it was hard reigning in my many passions. Ultimately, I chose Food Science and was fascinated with the science behind food and cooking. I decided to specialize in fermentation and product development and worked for a while in Research and Development for a gourmet foods company. While there, my boss at the time saw something in me and urged me to pursue culinary school…
Culinary School
The Culinary Institute of America, greystone
Culinary school, for me, was a dream come true. Living in the Napa Valley, we were blessed with an abundance of small local farms, creameries, wineries, and olive oil producers. Meeting the local farmers and working with their cherished ingredients really planted the seed (haha!) of eating locally and I became more conscious of and excited about farm to table cooking. During this time, I was also exposed to many international techniques and ingredients and continued to expand my love of global cuisines. I had the opportunity to work with chefs like Thomas Keller, Rick Bayless, Masaharu Morimoto, and Richard Blais and was further inspired to earn my chops in the restaurant world.
mountain livin’ and Farm Life
steamboat springs, co
After several more adventures, my husband and I found ourselves in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. After ten years of cooking in and managing kitchens, opening new restaurant concepts, and even being invited to cook at the James Beard House in New York, I found that my true passion lay in local ingredients and simple rustic dishes.
In 2018, I took the leap and left the restaurant world to work on a small farm. At the farm, I got my hands in the dirt and got to see and experience the food world in a whole other way. During this time, I also helped develop an agritourism program at the farm including cooking classes and farm lunches.
After two years of working on the farm, I am now (in 2020) working full time in my private chef and knitting businesses. I am still doing occasional farm work, and am working on doing more farm collaborations with various farms in the Yampa Valley. As a private chef in Steamboat, I only hope to share my love of local eating, simple foods, and the delicious meals cooked by grandmas from around the world with you!
When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m knitting! Check out my eco friendly, outdoors inspired knitwear company below.
