Recipe developer and culinary consultant with twenty years of professional kitchens behind every recipe I test.
Food isn't an industry I happened to fall into...it's what I've wanted to do since I was barely walking. The second I was old enough to stand on a stool and reach the counter, I was experimenting. That obsession eventually took me to culinary school at Seattle Culinary Academy.
Since then I've spent about twenty years working every position a kitchen has: diners, fine-dining establishments, brigade-style kitchens, bakeries, training kitchens, and R&D kitchens. That range is the point: I've seen how recipes survive (or don't) in every kind of kitchen.
Today Honed Kitchens is focused on recipe testing and development. I know how expensive opening or running a kitchen is, and I don't want financial strain to keep anyone from getting help, so I work with realistic budgets, or trade my services for goods and services. If cost is what's holding you back, reach out anyway.
Outside of cooking I'm an avid reader, mainly sci-fi and horror. I have a house plant obsession and try to grow as many culinary items indoors as I can, since I don't have any outdoor space (with varying degrees of success.)
I'm also a huge fermentation nerd. I usually have a handful of counter-top projects going at a time: naturally carbonated sodas, cultured dairy products, sourdough experiments, hot sauces, and lacto-fermentation oddities. I probably spend more time talking to my fermentation station and plants than I do people.
Four dogs, four very official roles. Consider the dog tax paid.
Chief Eating Officer (CEO)
Loki has been on the team for 14 years. He's the most responsible team member of all...dogs and humans alike. He will test all carrots, bananas, popcorn, and steak for quality-control purposes. Though he should be well into retirement, he refuses to give up his very intense workload of finding the best sunshine nap spot.
Chief Observing Officer (COO)
Seymour has been with us for 10 years. His very important duties include staring you down judgmentally, staring at your feet for potential food waste reporting, and the occasional mopping (his fur is the best for this.) He would prefer that all recipes are made under his direct observation.
Chief Fish Officer (CFO)
Remus has been with us for 7 years. He really only has one goal (brain cell) with us. That goal (brain cell) is, "Hey, I have fish." Remus is adamant that all recipes must contain at least one fish...so all of our recipes contain at least one fish (don't worry, not all of our recipes contain fish.) He is also the team's emotional support. If a recipe or goal goes awry, he will gift you one of his many fish to cheer you up.
Chief Pest Officer (CPO)
Mira has been on the team for 3 years. You may think that having an employee whose only goal is to always be underfoot would greatly decrease your output. You are correct. However, Mira's belief is, "To learn how to work under pressure, you must be under pressure." We're not entirely sure we agree with this, but she refuses to be fired.
