Hi there. I’m Erica and I’m here to help you get comfy in your kitchen! In the summer of 2019, I completed culinary school at The Natural Gourmet Institute and became a certified health-supportive chef. Since then, I've been putting that degree to work--I write a newsletter with the best cooking tips in the game, host virtual cooking classes, work as a personal chef (aka professional meal prepper), and share about my all the kitchen adventures that come along with this work over on Instagram. I think you'll sense a theme: all my work is aimed at helping you feel as empowered, excited, and confident about cooking as I do.
I live in a cozy spot in Brooklyn with my husband, Quentin, and our two sweet kittens and spend the majority of my time in the kitchen. When I'm not cooking, you can usually find me creating or consuming food-related content (a fancy way of saying I like to sit on my couch and read and write about food) or on a long walk in my local park listening to a podcast (let's be real, it's probably a food podcast).
A bit about my background:
I graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2013 with degrees in Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies. A few corporate jobs and a couple burnout-induced autoimmune disease diagnoses later, I found myself spending hours a day in my kitchen with hopes of finding a bit more balance in terms of both my mental and physical health.
I've dabbled in the kitchen since I was a kid, but it was during this time of intensely focused cooking that I really fell in love with food. As I gained confidence in the kitchen, I also started to move more assuredly toward a career that aligned with my passion for food. In the winter of 2018, I finally took the leap, and applied to the Chef’s Training Program at the Natural Gourmet Institute.
And where I am now:
With a couple years of professional cooking under my belt, I'm more committed to my work in the food world than ever and my philosophy around cooking, eating, and feeding others continues to evolve. I started cooking in earnest as a way to improve my own physical health, but the longer I spend working with and around food, the more multifaceted my view of "health" as it pertains to food becomes; of course I still believe food needs to be a source of physical nourishment, but now I see how deeply tied it is to emotional, financial, community, and environmental health as well.
All this to say: I'm deeply passionate about helping people get food on their tables, whether that's via professional cheffing, food writing, community organizing, or teaching cooking classes --I work to weave a nuanced view of health into all these endeavors. And, of course, to make it fun along the way.