Born in California, grown in New York, rooted in Caracas, and adulting in the Hudson Valley, NY. I am an enthusiastic wide-eyed traveler, whose respect for cultures and societies develops intrinsically through the foods and flavors of lived experiences. Through it all, I have come to realize that food is the most important way in which I relate to the world.

After years of working and traveling at a cost of living consulting firm my curiosity and passion for foreign cultures became a constant search for the flavors that make up uncharted territories. It was through market walks, chats, and nibbles in Khan el-Khalili, Cairo, Tsukiji Market, Tokyo, and Porta Palazzo, Torino, to name a few; that my appreciation for authentic food as a portal to a culture’s heart was fully unveiled.

Cooking for others, sharing a meal, the passing down of food traditions, are all a vehicle for human connection. But I needed more, so I turned my passion for healthy and culturally-sensitive eating into something bigger. In 2014, I obtained my Master’s degree in Gastronomy from Boston University, followed by my chef’s cap from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts. And in 2020 I became a certified Nutritional Therapist through the Nutritional Therapy Association.

In the past, I have developed recipes and menus while exploring food photography, styling, and writing. Currently, I am focusing my energy on Nutritional counseling through Gut Feeling, managing the DJ Cookbook, Food styling with Schneur Menaker Photography, and raising my daughter Alma Champagne – after Evelyn Champagne King, and our newest addition Ali Levan – after Larry Levan; two of the greatest if you ask me 😉

http://gutfeeling.us/