Maria de la Torre Cooking, Sugarcraft Pursuing an adventure that started at a very young age in her grandmother's kitchen, Maria traveled the world discovering local flavors and cookery traditions, securing a Cordon Bleu diploma from the Tante Marie Cookery school in the UK, catering internationally for special events, and setting up Sugar and Saffron in the south of France where she currently lives.
Languages: English, French, Spanish |
Julie Francis Cooking Chef Julie Francis, a Cincinnati (USA) native, has fond memories of her trips to Paris with her family to experience the markets and the amazing small chef-owned bistros that they loved. In her professional career as an acclaimed Cincinnati restauranteur and chef of Aioli and Nectar restaurants, (2001-2017) she promoted seasonal and local sourcing before it became popular. During her career, Julie was proud to participate in many Cincinnati culinary events like 1 Night 12 Kitchens, Cincinnati Food and Wine Classic, Luminosity, and Zoofari. She was honored to be invited to cook at The James Beard House with other esteemed Cincinnati Chefs in 2014. Julie was drawn to start her personal chef business, Nectar Personal Chef Services, after seeing the enjoyment that families and individuals experienced with her in home cooking, and how providing delicious, healthy food made people happy, and let them relax at home. Languages: English |
Donna Covrett Cooking, Yoga After 20 years in the culinary industry in the USA as a pastry chef and restaurateur, Donna moved behind the scenes into food journalism — five years with an alt-weekly publication and eight years as the food and dining editor for Cincinnati Magazine. In 2014 she co-authored a cookbook for Chef Dan Wright’s popular restaurant SENATE, and launched Cincinnati Food and Wine Classic, a festival featuring local and national chefs, food artisans, brewers, winemakers, and storytellers showcasing their talents through demos, seminars, competitions, and tastings. Along with a storied career in the culinary industry, Donna has long-held an equally passionate career in the healing arts teaching yoga, mindful movement, and meditation in public classrooms and workplace environments, as well as working individually with clients to provide tools for optimal mobility.
Languages: English |
|
Renee Schuler Cooking
Known for her beautiful seasonal food, hospitable service, and creative unique presentation, Chef Schuler and her staff are in demand for many of the region’s events taking place in iconic venues, private homes, and workplace—including Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Major League Baseball—and can count famous faces such as Martha Stewart and Mark Zuckerberg among her clients. Eat Well Celebrations and Feasts, Renee’s high-profile catering company serves northern Kentucky and southern Ohio in the USA since 2005. When not running her business, cooking at home, or donating her time and talent locally, Chef Schuler loves to travel, believing in the power of experiencing other cultures as a way to deepen our connection with each other. “Naturally I’m attracted to a region’s food traditions, with village markets one of my favorite places to explore. In fact, framed photographs that I took of the market in Marseille, France hang in my home”.
Languages: English |
|
Cooking Chef and restaurateur Tony Ferrari was inspired to become a chef during his first job washing dishes and making fresh pasta at his uncle's Italian bistro. He went on to graduate from Johnson & Wales University in Miami, Florida, and worked at a variety of notable Miami restaurants before traveling to Europe to learn old-world culinary traditions and techniques. Chef Ferrari received a James Beard and Jean-Louis Palladin Foundation grant to travel Thailand and the west coast of the U.S. to study holistic farming, cooking, and agriculture. Today Tony is in his hometown of Cincinnati where he owns and operates two locations of Mom 'N Em Coffee and Wine Bar. Additionally he oversees all operations for the Ferrari Bros. brand, from the financials and real estate to travel and hospitality.
Languages: English |
