August 21, 2009
One of my lifelong dreams has been to attend formal cooking school, but as we all know life comes along- with two young children and a slew of community responsibilities,there was not the time and space in my schedule and heart to make this culinary wish happen.
Since cooking school was not a viable option, I set out to find an instructor that could work with me at home. I needed someone to help me take my culinary pursuits to the next level and happily this search led me to Kim Schiffer of Fresh! Foods.
Kim has cooked professionally for 25 years. Her Southern roots in Louisiana are evident in her passionate cooking and flavors. For the past fifteen years Kim has worked as a private chef and caterer. She has an absolute fervor for local, seasonal, and organic foods. In addition to her work as a private chef, Kim managed the kitchen for Fairview Garden’s Celebrity Chef and worked along such world-class chefs as John Ash (From the Earth to the Table), Debra Madison (Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone), Judy Rodgers (The Zuni Café Cookbook), Suzanne Goin (Sunday Suppers at Lucques) and Michael Tusk (from Quince Restaurant in San Francisco). For the past eight years Kim has been an integral part of the Santa Barbara City College Adult Education Program.
Recently, Kim has studied and cooked in Italy, Morocco and in Northern California at both Chez Panisse in Berkeley and Zuni Café in San Francisco. In addition, she has opened a cooking school in Andalucia region of Spain called Casa Ana where she leads culinary tours and classes.
In the kitchen, Kim Schiffer is my mentor, teacher and friend. She is chef with amazing ability, incredible insight and invaluable experience. We both share a passion for quality ingredients and fresh food. Together, we pour over cookbooks, drool over gorgeous produce ripe in the garden or at the farmers market, collaborate over menus and wine pairings, and share a love affair with our treasured kitchen equipment.
Kim is my hero in an apron and gives me the confidence to make whatever my heart desires, no matter how challenging. Her philosophy of making everything from scratch, and I mean everything- from mayo and cheese to pickles and ice cream- with as many local ingredients as possible, has been influential on my cooking and my philosophy on life. Throughout my website you will see me mention Kim and things we have delved into together.
