Born and raised in Southern California, I followed my family roots in entertainment and received my first degree in Cinematic Arts from the University of Southern California. After working in the film industry for several years, I decided to professionally pursue my passion for cooking and baking. I went back to school and received a diploma from Le Cordon Bleu. I trained under chef Paul Prudhomme, working in both his restaurant and test kitchen in New Orleans, then transferred back to Los Angeles where I worked with the Patina Group and, in my spare time, started a small catering company. In 2007, I was hired to work in the Test Kitchen at The Los Angeles Times.
Before long, I was promoted to Test Kitchen director. For 12 years, I had a dream job in the newspaper’s award-winning Food Section. I’ve contributed cooking stories which have been reprinted in newspapers across the country; I ran our weekly Culinary SOS column, where readers write in requesting recipes from their favorite restaurants around the world; I contributed daily kitchen tips, holiday and cooking posts to our online blog; and was regularly featured in television, radio and online, as well as at special events. I’ve worked with celebrated chefs, restaurants and food writers; created and oversaw the testing of thousands of recipes; edited recipes for both print and online; and helped individual readers at home, whether they’re looking for entertaining ideas or trying to recreate a long-lost family dish.
Today, I’m a culinary consultant for major corporations and restaurants. I continue to develop and test recipes for a variety of clients. I am a food writer, and am also available for food styling and photography needs.
