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.

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!

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

Demo video for TV

About Chef Denise