ABOUT.
After years in the kitchen and hiding her hair in a chef hat, Meli has become the leading lady in her own story. Classically trained in fine dining high end resorts, she is here to share her knowledge with you! A highly talented and creative chef with over 15 years in the hospitality industry and 5 years in luxury five star hotels, she's here showing you how cooking can be meditative, fun, relaxing, and that there is no greater gift than food; the enjoyment it brings her is unparalleled and her hope is that you enjoy the recipes, the stories, and share yours with her as well.
'I believe the best way to cook is
with all your heart,
proper cooking techniques, and the best ingredients.'
good, better, best; never let it rest
until good is your better, and better is your best'
'my mantra from grade school -
where am i now
I live in radical Colorado with my partner Roman and our puppy Baci. Roman gets to eat all my creations and Baci gets to beg for them.
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I love pilates, eating, coffee, nerding out on instagram with chefs I love to follow, travel, hiking, and just enjoying this little life I have.
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find me on instagram.
where it all began and how i got here.
I trained for four years as an apprentice at the Balsams Hotel and Resort where I learned everything of what it takes to become a chef. I got to travel the USA working in high end resorts, picked up more techniques, learned a lot about myself, and finally settled in Virginia for a while.
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I honed my skills at the Williamsburg Inn in Colonial Williamsburg. It was an amazing and unparalleled 15 years (15!). It was here that I grew into a chef role. I had a kitchen family there, built my career, and when it was time, packed up with the love of my life and moved to Colorado.
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​From all the training, working, and chef life, my knowledge is vast. I have met amazing people along the way, cooked with some of the greats, and traveled around the world; always searching for the dish that will blow me away. Sometimes cooking like life can be overwhelming, but I am here to show you that it doesn’t have to be, and that amazing dish that you never thought you could recreate at home, is in fact possible!
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From tried and true recipe access to reviews on restaurants, hotels, teaching you what to order, what to look for when choosing a restaurant, and travel etiquette, I am here to tell you; I. got. you.
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Cheers,
recipes
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Here is where I will give you access to professional chef tried and true recipes, that you can create at home to fill your belly and wow your guests. Five star dining can be approachable, easy, and fun. It's all in the skills, knowledge of how and why we do what we do, and of course the heart.
I have an abundance of recipes ! Some difficult, some easy, some gluten free, some loaded with glorious butter. I will post each week with my own how to, tips, and stories.
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reviews
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Dining out is a passion of mine, I want to give credit where credit is due to the restaurants and hotels that amaze me. I give critiques as well as the rest of them, always searching for the perfection of service, style, comfort, and taste. Everything matters to me, the way the room feels, the furniture, the styling of the menu, the service standards, all of this makes for an amazing well-rounded experience. I have had a lot of these in my travels, and a couple that miss the mark. Here is where you can see what chefs love, what they look for, and how they eat.
ratings
Every chef has favorites. Favorite pans, dishes, knives, things that they won't let anyone else touch. Our knives are an extension of our hands, so the respect is huge. I'll share my favorites so you can see what chefs use, in the kitchen and out.
Before you buy that gadget that promises you the world, I'll show you how you can get by without it. There are a lot of different products out there and I will teach you the differences between the best and the worst.
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