LEARNING TO COOK isn’t just about the knife skills, the timing, or the technique. It’s not all about the plating or the need to be an artist either. It’s about who you are and how you incorporate seasonal, local ingredients and express your creativity through dishes. Cooking is about understanding that there is more to altering a food's state by applying heat to food in different ways. I have learned that the ingredients should be the star of the show in every recipe, not the complex techniques kitchens use to mask underwhelming ingredients.

For me it is about bringing people together to share a great meal. There are many ways to bring people together, but a memorable meal is one of the most powerful.

From a very early age, I started cooking in order to keep myself occupied instead of playing video games or watching TV. The age of 13 is really where it started getting serious. My parents decided that my siblings and I were old enough to live alone for short periods of time while they were out on business trips; but despite being able to order take out as we pleased, I wasn't satisfied knowing that I could produce a healthier, more affordable meal for my sisters. It wasn't until Covid hit that I had more time than I knew what to do with, so instead of binging Netlix, I decided to treat cook books like textbooks. I worked through a dozen cookbooks front to back learning as much as I could from famous chefs, David Chang, Morimoto, Correy Lee, Grant Achatz, all of whom I looked up to. After a month or two of intensive cooking with very positive feedback from everyone who tried my cooking, I came to the realization that I have talent and true passion for cooking. I want to pursue cooking in many forms and see where it leads me.

As restaurants were beginning to open again, I decided that this was my time to get my foot in the door. After applying to almost every restaurant in San Francisco, I ended up getting a job as a line cook at Monsieur Benjamin, the little sister of famous 3 Michelin Star restaurant Benu. After working on Saute and Fry for almost 5 months I decided that I wanted to fulfill a dream before I went to university. At Le Cordon Bleu, in a little over a year I got my Bachelors in Cuisine, Pastry and Molecular Gastronomy from the #1 Culinary school in the world in 2023.

Despite having just graduated from one of the most prestigious culinary schools, I decided to continue my education by going to Southern Methodist University in Dallas TX, to major in Financial Economics with an independent study in restaurant management. After just a couple of weeks into college I found a job as a freelance private chef in Highland park. As a fulltime student and private chef I found myself working 30 hours a week planning, prepping and cooking 6-11 course dinner parties for anywhere from 10-25 guests.

In the summer before my sophomore year, I found myself with an opportunity to work for Emeril Lagasse Jr in New Orleans at his eponymous restaurant Emeril’s, where I was a finance intern in the prior to stepping into my shoes as a line cook for dinner service. After a month in New Orleans, I worked for the 2 Michelin star restaurant Californios, in San Francisco CA for the remainder of summer.

Despite having an extremely successful career path as a private chef in Dallas, I realized that what was missing was the ability to serve my peers. Thus the creation of Pozzo Loco and Cut the Crepe was created. Pozzo Loco is a Wood Fired Pizza oven on wheels, to serve weddings, block parties and any private event with authentic Organic Napoleon style pizzas.