I’ve always joked that growing up Jewish in the South means I’m one part pickles, one part pie. Hosting is a family value held in the highest esteem, and I’ve been setting the Passover table since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. Fostering connection over a shared meal is in my blood.

 

Summer weeks with my grandparents meant wandering their abundant backyard garden before dinner, learning how to tell which produce was up – that’s Southern for ready – shucking corn, snapping peas, and letting homegrown watermelon juice drip down my chin. Little did I know, I was attuning to the seasonality of food, lamenting yet another winter side of frozen vegetables (it was the 80s), but consoled by the countdown until the tomatoes’ first blush. Frugality fostered creativity, with my dad often marveling that my mom and I could “whip up something out of nothing”. 

 

As an only child, I’d entertain myself on family trips by pouring over piles of Bon Appétit and Eating Well magazine. During my senior year in high school, I worked as a cook in the vegetarian kitchen of my town’s only natural food store. There, I learned volumes about preparing interesting and nutritious dishes, inspired often by the recipes of Mollie Katzen of Moosewood fame. I came of age in the heyday of the Food Network and the rise of celebrity chefs – many of whom also happen to be self-taught. 

 

I had aspirations of becoming a food writer and considered culinary school, but was dissuaded as a vegetarian in a time before eating plant-based was celebrated. Instead, I followed a traditional university path, landed in California and began my career in environmental non-profit. Books on farmworker rights and the slow food movement filled my nightstand. Though my professional focus turned to interior design, I was immersed in the mid 2000s all-things-green movement centering the voices of writers and activists like Nina Planck and Vendana Shiva, alongside local heroes Alice Waters and Michael Pollan.

 

Through all of this osmosis, a zero waste culinary ethos naturally emerged. Alongside the freshest local bounty, bendy carrots become pickles, wilty greens are whirled into pesto, and veggie trimmings get thrown in the freezer to accumulate for broth. I have honed my craft by delighting clients with innovative combinations rooted in an understanding of classic food pairings, emphasizing vibrant flavors and contrasting textures. 

 

My food is 

                   seasonal

                   organic

                   nutrient dense 

                   gluten free

 

​From my Virginia upbringing to my Berkeley home, all of these influences have shaped my culinary story, coloring what I now bring to my table, and to yours.