Hi there. I just got back from cheffing a delicious retreat at Ojo Caliente Resort in New Mexico. The food was amazing (if I do say so myself), the group was magical, and the healing waters of Ojo are beyond words. I’m feeling nourished and grounded after several thirteen hour days in the kitchen and that’s saying something!

As a private chef, my schedule is a weird and wonderful blend of go-go-go and time off. As I’m coming up on two years of owning my business, this is something I’ve learned to work with so that I’m actually receiving the gift of time off and not getting stuck in the momentum of “doing.” (There was a time where I was hustling energetically even when I had time off but those days are fewer and further between.) Anyways…

One of the sweetest reflections I received from this retreat was that my dishes take concepts to the next level. In other words, I “elevate” my offerings beyond the ordinary. Admittedly, not all compliments are easy to receive… but this one was. As a chef, I love adding a little extra something to each dish I serve. Whether it’s applemint in the lentil salad, dipping shortbread banana “sandwiches” in chocolate, marinating tempeh before it bakes, dry brining meat, adding maple peanut butter to date bark, or serving up a Brazilian limeade plus a little matcha, I love elevating my offerings with a yummy extra something. (Case and point: I added salted caramel chocolate to my espresso this morning and it was divine.)

Those who know me have heard me say, “life is short and then we die.” I wholeheartedly stand behind this statement. Food is more than a meal. It’s an opportunity to embrace that which nourishes us; to experience gratitude for all the beings that make food possible; and to remember how delicious life is amidst the heartbreak, suffering, and division.

I will always add a little extra something to my dishes because it’s a way of honoring the fragility of our existence and of savoring each moment – literally and figuratively. To elevated experiences, in the kitchen and out. To that little extra something that reminds us how lucky we are to be alive.