Chef Tess is a nickname. My real name is Stephanie. Tess was the name my mother used whenever she wanted me to join her in the kitchen. It stuck all through my childhood and beyond. Even now if she has a cooking idea she calls me "little Tess". I am a real chef and a real mom! I am a graduate of Scottsdale Culinary Institute, Scottsdale Arizona as of thirteen years, and a good ol' American gal! Originally I worked as a pastry chef at the Phoenician Resort and then as an assistant banquet chef at another resort in Arizona. There I worked in several capacities including line cook, baker and vegetable and fruit display artist. I loved my experiences. When I got pregnant with my first son, it just had to stop. Morning sickness was killing me! Hot pastrami and sauerkraut on a grill don't help!
In a few months I was blessed with a gorgeous baby boy. I put my full attention on my new son. It was quite and lonely and I soon realized that I am one of the worst cases of "Social Butterfly" out there. I was off to the library, absorbing all I could on the food world. I added book after book to the learning I had already received at culinary school. I have enjoyed the benefits of being a full time mother for the last 9 years. I won't lie. It was hard to go from two incomes to one and it was even harder to downsize so we could pay off debt.
Reality hit. Practical everyday cooking became a way of life! I have used my skills to fine tune my family's budget. I focused on health and nutrition, whole grain cookery, and making those things taste wonderful! In that time, I put aside my full time work in the restaurant industry, but used my creative mind, desire to learn, and my heart to create wonderful cooking classes and outstandingly fun hands on seminars. I have been teaching food seminars for the last 5 years. I love to see the sparkle in a student's eyes when they finally grasp a concept! It is so exciting! Many of my students have gone on to become wonderful "chefs". Imagine my joy in seeing them find their inner artist and find a new talent they never knew they had! Please feel welcome! I hope you will enjoy your visit !
Please be advised, I am a real gal. I am practical and down-to-earth . I am also organized, happy, light hearted, open, and find it easy to love everyone I meet. If you are expecting anything more than a person, you will be disappointed. I make mistakes, I cook from a box sometimes. I am as real as it gets. When I don't know something, I will tell you! If you will join me on a journey of learning, we will both become our best selves. That being said, I hope that you feel welcome to visit me anytime! I am always thrilled to make a new friend!
