I was born and raised in Missoula, Montana, and spent my earlier years running through the fields on my family’s small farm and woods, streams, mountains, and lakes of the Treasure State. Farming, raising animals, fishing and hunting were a fact of life that helped instill core values and appreciation for seasonal and local ingredients that have stayed with me in my culinary career. I grew up in a culinary-focused family, and I sharpened my knives while helping my family run their businesses. These experiences solidified my passion, and I enrolled at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vermont. Culinary school led to an internship in celebrated Portland, Oregon, and an apprenticeship with famous Italian butcher Dario Cecchini in Panzano, Italy. Later I moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to work for Ford Fry Restaurant Group at St. Cecilia. These next few years exposed me to a world’s worth of techniques, flavors, and styles.  In late 2015 my husband and I moved to Seattle, Washington, searching for new challenges while exploring the diversity of the Puget Sound and Northern Cascades. I joined the team at Manolin and cannot imagine a better place to draw upon my experiences with local and sustainable farming, whole animal butchery, freshly caught and conscientiously harvested seafood, and the incredible seasonal bounty the Pacific Northwest has to offer. With an insatiable appetite for learning, traveling, and exploring, you can find me at the helm as Executive chef of Manolin, Rupee Bar Old Salt, and co-owner of Cascadia Meats. When I’m not in the kitchen, look for me on top of a mountain, wading through a stream or lighting a campfire somewhere in the great Pacific Northwest.