Hometown
Cleveland, Ohio
Chef Bio
Sara grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, traveling in her family’s carnival business. Her first exposure to working with food was spinning cotton candy, making popcorn and shaking lemonade! She has now been cooking professionally for over twenty years and loves the creative process from menu conception to completion. Using colorful seasonal ingredients with international influence, her cooking is chic, health-minded and locally sourced. Sara is available for special event catering and cooking classes.
How long have you been working with Big City Chefs?
Since 2013
If I were a spice, I would be…
Freshly pounded cardamom…exotic, multidimensional, and has that thing you can’t quite put your finger on.
My favorite local purveyors, artisans, and farmers:
We are so spoiled in San Diego from all of the diversity on land & sea. My favorite farmer is Rodney from Kowano Farms in Escondido, CA. He has been feeding my clients & I for nearly a decade. I love Specialty Produce for the exotics and hard to find items and my neighborhood gardens for the local touches. Figs and lemons from my next door neighbor, heirloom lettuce from a backyard farm in Bonita and wild fennel from the canyon.
What I love about cooking and hospitality…
I love nourishing people. I love for people to feel cared for and like their needs are met. I love the vitality that comes with eating locally & seasonally and the creative process of turning simple ingredients into pure pleasure.
What are your top three go-to pantry items?
Garbanzo beans, fresh lemons, good olive oil
