About Chef Denise

CPA meets Chef (think type A with an indelible creative side)!

Two women sitting close together in front of a stone fireplace, smiling and hugging.
People walking past a storefront with mannequins in the window, outdoor seating, and large potted plants outside.

There was once life in corporate America. After 10+ years as an accountant, recruiting manager & firm trainer, Denise lost her mother to cancer. She was incredibly sad & completely burned out. With this significant passing & seeking purpose & renewal, she took the advice of her dear friends (you know who you are!) & decided to go to culinary school. A year later, with both a culinary degree & a baking & pastry certificate from Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago, she embarked on her new career.

A woman wearing sunglasses holds a black puppy close to her face. The woman is smiling, and the puppy is looking directly at the camera with a calm expression.
A woman with blonde hair, glasses, and pink lipstick cooks with a large pot on the stove, stirring with a spoon.
A woman with blonde hair in a ponytail, wearing glasses and a white chef's coat, smiling in front of a black background.

Just a year into her cheffing adventure, she stumbled on the perfect space to open her own recreational cooking school for home cooks. Both a school & a store, she & her dedicated chefs taught local learners for almost 12 years. She has taught thousands of classes (both technique driven & also exploring many different cultural dishes), created & written over 5,000 recipes, & has inspired countless home chefs to improve their kitchen skills. She is absolutely passionate about teaching others that cooking is NOT scary & that, really, anybody can have their own culinary successes!

Interior of a store with shelves displaying kitchenware and home goods, a round display table with various products, a large window with poinsettia plants, black and white checkered tile flooring, and chandelier lighting.
A woman in a green apron and striped beanie is smiling while filming in front of a street market stall with vegetables and flowers. A cameraman in black is capturing her, and there are numerous people in the background on the street in front of a building.
A woman with blonde curly hair, wearing glasses and a tiara, sitting at a table signing a book. She is smiling and dressed in a black outfit. Behind her is a poster with a bowl of soup, a shelf with wine bottles, and a vase of flowers.
A bowl of tomato soup garnished with croutons and herbs, on a white plate with green-striped napkin, book titled 'flavour favorites' by Denise Norton in the background.
Scene from a cooking show with a host and crew filming in a kitchen. Additional images include a cupcake, someone adding an egg to a bowl, a kitchen scale, a bowl of salad, and a cup of coffee.

Credentials

  • Graduated top of class, Le Cordon Bleu Chicago

  • Appeared on the WGN Thanksgiving Day parade national TV broadcast as a culinary commentator (2009-2014)

  • Promoted retail store & classes on local & national TV, demonstrating recipes, introducing techniques & creating interest in products & new culinary trends

  •  Authored & published a full color 200+ page cookbook:  Flavour Favorites:  Beloved Recipes from 10 Years of Cooking Classes (available on Amazon.com)

  • Orchestrated every aspect of small business operations for daily cooking classes & private events (birthdays, bachelorette parties, anniversaries, special occasions)

 Major Appearances

  • Recipe for Success TVFN

  • Curtis Stone Take Home Chef TLC

  • Chicago Thanksgiving Parade - WGN TV (6 years)

  • Numerous appearances on WGN TV

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Demo video for TV