Looking to learn how to take your cooking skills to the next level without having fancy equipment or a huge kitchen? I’m your girl!
If you are interested in working with me, scroll down below for more info.
Marlee Brady here!
A snarky but helpful former chef, that has watched The Office too many times, who is on a mission turn your cooking skills around.
Professional Chef turned Food Blogger
I was in the same boat once. I was a young teenager tasked with what seemed like an impossible challenge: to plan and execute family dinner for two weeks! Being lost on where to start, I turned to cooking shows to get inspirations for my meals.
This challenge ignited a small desire to learn how to cook and over time that desire grew and grew until I finally went to culinary school, went to Austria on a cooking competition, and worked in the restaurant industry for almost 10 years.
Woah Woah Woah. Austria?! Culinary School?!
Well… I guess I’ll tell you a little about that.
I went to culinary school at the Art Institute of Phoenix for close to a year and a half. We even had a world-renowned Master Chef as an instructor. That guy was hilarious when he would get mad, swearing at us in his thick German accent. Ahhh the good old days.
I was selected out of many students to be on a 4-member team that was shipped off to Austria to compete with other students our age and to be judged by world-renowned Master Chefs. No pressure.
Sadly, my partner had really upset the Germans the year before by taking second place. He and I were quickly shown the door after the first round. So we consoled ourselves by visiting Venice. Who were the real losers now?!
I graduated culinary school with double honors; but honestly, how can you fail out of culinary school… well, I guess I know a few.
After culinary school (and during, let’s be honest), I worked my way through some of the more popular restaurants in Phoenix and ended my career while working for a James Beard nominated chef. I do know how to make a bang, that’s for sure.
Behind the 60-70 hour work weeks, I had this guy supporting me while also trying to live his dream of becoming a pharmacist. Y’all, I believe in early investing!
We got married, he started school, and some years later, we added a cute little guy to our family. The cute little guy was the reason I decided to retire from professional cooking and pick up food blogging. And my life has never been the same since!
So Where Are All The Sandwiches?
Here’s the story on how the name for this blog came about.
In many of the kitchens I worked, I quickly moved up the ranks and became the backbone of the kitchens (not bragging, just stating a fact). Over time, my coworkers would start to ask me questions about management and the like, you know… questions well above my pay grade. I would simply look at them, while handling my razor-sharp knives, and say “I just make sandwiches.” And keep on working.
As I began thinking about my goals with this blog and what I wanted to help people learn was confidence. I realized that the more I said “I just make sandwiches,” the more I was downplaying my skill and knowledge I had obtained through my years of work and training.
I felt like that’s what a lot of home cooks feel like, though. You feel like you “just make sandwiches,” or don’t have the knowledge and skill to create amazing and gourmet food at home.
That is simply not true.
Ok, but What Does This Have To Do With You Teaching Me How To Create Restaurant Quality Food?
Home cooks everywhere, just like yourself, are looking for inspiration and help on how to cook restaurant-esque quality food at home but don’t know quite where to start or how to make their kitchen work for them.
This is where I come in.
Have you wanted to create recipes on your own without constantly checking and rechecking the recipe you’ve already read 10 times? But something that’s holding you back. And that’s confidence!
Cooking can be scary. It can be scary trying a new method of cooking. Hello, sous vide, I’m talking to you! It can be scary trying to make hollandaise without scrambling the egg yolks (I even have a post all about making hollandaise).
Are you a novice in cooking? No worries! I hold your hand every step of the way and I provide pictures along with my step by step instructions on how to accomplish a technique because, just like you, I was a beginner too and I know how intimidating cooking can be.
Have you always wanted to know how to cook with seasonal produce and just don’t know how? I have a post all about that.
Do you want to know what are the absolutely essential tools to have in a successful gourmet kitchen? You bet I definitely have a post on that!
Over the course of my cooking journey, I have been blessed to work with some of the best chefs and cooks to grace the Phoenix valley and they have all taught me so much; I want to pass what I know on to you!
So what are you waiting for?!
Subscribe to my free newsletter and download your FREE Basic Cooking Principles Guide to get you started on your gourmet cooking journey!
Happy eating!
Marlee
If you’re in the market for some of my favorite posts, be sure to check these out!
How to Make Pasta From Scratch
3 Tips to Start Cooking Gourmet and Actually Have Time For It!
Work With Me!
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Send an email to [email protected] and we can discuss a proposal that will fit your needs as well as my readers!