That Time I Won A Car On TV (Pt 2)

Check out Part 1 to catch up on my experience winning $6,000 worth of prizes (in the form of two Vespa scooter) on the game show “Let’s Make A Deal” Onwards As I sat in the audience I had the BIGGEST smile of my life.  It had been 5 minutes into the show’s taping and I […]

That Time I Won A Car On TV (Pt 1)

Last week we looked back on that time I was interviewed on Huffington Post. but today I want to go revisit another special moment back in the day. (Right now at LIFT Enrichment HQ, January is our SECOND busiest month of the year (the first is September because our Winter after-school classes are  starting  We’re […]

The Story of Orange Chicken (How It Came To America)

Orange chicken is one of those classic Chinese-American dishes that makes you wonder, how did it get to America?  What happened to it along the way that turned it from a citrus-flavored chicken stir-fry to the crispy, sweet and flavorful dish we CRAVE whenever we step into a Chinese restaurant? How It Started – Orange Peel […]

Huffington Post, School Lunches and what Congress calls a “vegetable”

As a chef, school lunch programs are a hot-button topic as policies move our nutrition standards forward, but with some troubles. This post is a lookback on some interesting points from my conversation with Huffington Post Live. I was part of a panel in 2014 to provide different viewpoints on school lunch programs. Each panelist […]

Corn & Zucchini Cakes from Chef Aaron Sanchez

Celebrity Chef Aaron Sanchez has a swagger that’s fun to watch on shows like “Chopped” or “Masterchef” He’s a Mexican-American chef whose food style brings in spice, unique flavors and creativity. When working on the curriculum for our Food Network Favorites theme, I wanted to bring a strong-vegetable dish to our classes.   Something that […]

Why We Chose Food Network Favorites

Some chefs are SO famous that if you just say their first names you know exactly who I’m referring to such as: Gordan Giada Bobby Jamie Guy Ina Quick test, do you know all of their last names?  Answers are at the bottom! While these chefs won’t be cooking for your kids anytime soon, we’ve […]

Weekend Recipe: Healthier Orange Chicken & Tofu

On Monday I visited our summer camp in Ventura, CA (my hometown!) to see this recipe in action. I’ve been tinkering it for years and finally have the perfect version.  Plus in our class we have all of the kids make the classic and vegetarian (with tofu) version. Orange Chicken From a Chinese Restaurant: More […]

Why We Teach Cooking & Had To Bid Adieu to Lego Robotics (plus yummy “Tofu Vinadaloo”

This post is a long-time coming and reflects a key decision made 6 months ago. It was a hard decision, but ultimately ensured the long-time success of LIFT Enrichment Here is the story of why we specialize in Cooking after-school classes, and by the end of this school year, will be done with Lego Robotics. […]

The Joy of Simplicity (and a tasty Crab Salad)

Last week I had a small, but important, epiphany about business, cooking and life in general.   I was on the phone with our Program Manager Lisa trying to figure out how to better setup our newest service for clients, the Birthday Pizza Party.  It’s a great event, where a chef teacher leads a 2-hour […]

Inside A Cooking Class: Veggie Quesadilla with Mango Salsa

If you haven’t tried this salsa, you’re missing out. Mango salsa has a zesty, fresh and citrus flavor combination that is absolutely delicious. We made this in class recently, and it was a fantastic experience for all. I personally love Veggie Quesadillas with Mango Salsa because there is a lot of hands-on chopping, mixing and […]