Test Kitchen Lead & Nutrition Chef | Recipe Developer | Food Scientist | Age 38 San Francisco-based culinary innovator who believes healthy food should never compromise on flavor or joy.
My Story
Growing up in a household where my grandmother’s kitchen was the heart of our family, I learned early that food is love made visible. But it wasn’t until I found myself burnt out in corporate consulting at 29, surviving on takeout and energy drinks, that I realized I’d completely lost touch with that fundamental truth. My body was rebelling, my energy was nonexistent, and I felt disconnected from the very thing that had always brought me comfort.
The transition from spreadsheets to spatulas wasn’t immediate or easy. I enrolled in culinary school while still working full-time, spent weekends at farmers markets learning about seasonal produce, and slowly began rebuilding my relationship with food. What started as personal necessity evolved into a passion for proving that nutritious meals could be every bit as satisfying as their less healthy counterparts.
The Turning Point
The moment everything clicked was during a particularly challenging recipe development session at my first test kitchen job. I was tasked with creating a plant-forward version of mac and cheese that wouldn’t make anyone feel deprived. After seventeen failed attempts, I was ready to give up. Then I remembered my grandmother’s secret,she never tried to replace ingredients, she celebrated them.
Instead of fighting against cauliflower to make it taste like pasta, I embraced its natural creaminess. I roasted it until the edges caramelized, blended it with cashews and nutritional yeast, then tossed it with perfectly al dente pasta and fresh herbs from the kitchen garden. When my notoriously picky colleague took that first bite and his eyes widened with genuine surprise and delight, I knew I’d found my calling.
That mac and cheese became one of our most popular recipes, but more importantly, it taught me that healthy cooking isn’t about restriction,it’s about abundance, creativity, and understanding how to make real food taste incredible.
What I Learned the Hard Way
My biggest mistake early on was trying to be everything to everyone. I spent months developing elaborate recipes with fifteen ingredients and three-hour prep times, thinking complexity equaled credibility. Reality check: nobody has time for that, especially not the busy professionals I was trying to help.
I also fell into the trap of food perfectionism, obsessing over making everything from scratch and feeling guilty about any shortcuts. This led to my own kitchen burnout and some pretty spectacular dinner party disasters. Learning to balance idealism with practicality took longer than I care to admit, and involved more than a few tears over collapsed soufflés and forgotten timers.
The hardest lesson was accepting that sustainable healthy eating looks different for everyone. What works for me as someone who cooks professionally might not work for a parent juggling three kids’ schedules or someone working night shifts.
My Approach Now
These days, my philosophy centers on what I call “joyful pragmatism.” Every recipe I develop has to pass three tests: Does it taste amazing? Can a real person actually make this on a Tuesday night? Will it nourish both body and soul? If the answer isn’t yes to all three, it doesn’t make it out of my test kitchen.
I focus on techniques that maximize flavor while minimizing effort,things like batch-roasting vegetables, building pantry staples that work across multiple meals, and understanding how to layer umami in plant-forward dishes. My goal is to give people the confidence and tools to cook intuitively, not just follow recipes blindly.
I’m also passionate about seasonal eating, not because it’s trendy, but because it’s the easiest way to ensure your food tastes incredible while supporting your local food system. When you work with ingredients at their peak, you don’t need to do much to make them shine.
What I Believe
- Real food doesn’t need to be complicated to be delicious,some of the best meals come from simple, high-quality ingredients prepared with care
- Healthy eating should enhance your life, not control it,flexibility and pleasure are just as important as nutrients
- Everyone can learn to cook well,it’s about understanding techniques, not memorizing recipes
- Seasonal, local eating isn’t elitist,it’s practical, economical, and deeply satisfying
- The best nutrition advice is the kind you can actually follow long-term
How I Can Help You
Whether you’re a complete beginner who’s intimidated by anything more complex than toast, or an experienced cook looking to incorporate more nutritious ingredients without sacrificing flavor, I’m here to help you build confidence in the kitchen. Through my recipe development and testing process, I create foolproof, delicious meals that happen to be incredibly good for you.
I work with individuals and families to develop personalized meal planning strategies that fit their actual lives, not some idealized version of them. My approach focuses on building a foundation of versatile techniques and go-to recipes that can adapt to whatever you have on hand, whatever season you’re in, and whatever your energy level demands on any given day.
A Little More About Me
When I’m not in the test kitchen, you’ll probably find me wandering through the Ferry Building farmers market with way too many reusable bags, or hiking the Marin Headlands with my rescue dog, Basil (yes, really). I’m slightly obsessed with sourdough bread, terrible at keeping houseplants alive despite my best efforts, and believe that a well-stocked pantry is the foundation of a happy life.
Let’s Connect
I love hearing from fellow food enthusiasts, whether you want to share a cooking victory, ask about ingredient substitutions, or just chat about the magic that happens when good people gather around good food. Don’t be shy about reaching out,I promise I’m much friendlier than I am when I’m trying to perfect a tricky recipe!
Get In Touch
You can find more recipes, cooking tips, and kitchen inspiration at savorybitesdaily.com, or drop me a line directly at [email protected]