I’m no culinary professional, but I do have some experience. Growing up I was constantly cooking with mama, classic slavic cuisine but she made it special. Sharing with me how important it is to pour your love into each dish, something that isn’t simply taught. I did receive honest yet occasional harsh critiques from big bro and papa that definitely assisted in the development process (they’re pretty tough to please). Papa also showed me a few things about cooking outdoors, out in the wilderness or in the backyard with the kazan. During high school I started waitressing at a local Italian restaurant, realizing sometimes simple food (and great service) is what draws the crowd in.

Where I really learned the magic was with the help of the team at Conquering Cuisine. I joined around August 2020, during peak covid time. The team was working hard each day to provide a variety of home cooked meals for the Bucks County community. As the restrictions lowered, the opportunities grew. We could finally talk to customers face-to-face, quite rewarding to hear all the positive feedback from the meal packs. Classes were getting sold out left and right, and of course everybody started throwing parties again so the catering was non stop.

Each week we are learning and experimenting with something new, through success and failure. Learning from local chefs about flavors around the world, testing the limits with how many turkeys we’re able to crank out for the Thanksgiving orders, building charcuterie platters for 150+ people, even learning about sausage making. There is always something new and exciting going on at the shop.

Aside from the exciting culinary adventures, I’ve been introduced to so many people in Doylestown and the surrounding communities. After attending various events and meeting hundreds of people, there’s always a conversation to be started over food. Whether it brings back memories, or it’s simply the best chicken breast they’ve ever had. It’s a pleasure cooking for people who appreciate good food.