Here’s a little something about how my story goes…..

One day my mom told me to go into the living room, to sit and wait until she gets done getting dressed.  We were going to Chuckie Cheese. Between my siblings and I , we knew it would take forever. The 7 year old me sat in the big chair in my living room flicking through channels of my big gray box tv ( Ha! times have truly changed).  I stumbled upon Giada De Laurentiis (Everyday Italian), she was making chicken ravioli ,and I clenched my pearls ! I was glued to the TV as I watched episode after episode. I turned up the tv, attempting to drown out the bustling streets of Chicago. I whispered to myself, saying “I want to be a Chef, a great Chef”, as I listened to Emeril Lagasse saying “BAM!” in the background.

Nonetheless, I wrote recipes day and night. Being raised in Chicago, I enjoyed walking home from school on (Devon and Western) , taking in the bold fragrances of Garam Masala, Curries brewing, and Fresh lamb being butchered.

Deeply immersing myself into my craft and passion, I found Johnson and Wales University through my search of “Best Culinary Schools in the World.” I applied, got accepted, and graduated.  While in Culinary School in North Miami, I had the luxury to work with well known Chefs, specializing in Farm to Table, Caribbean, Cuban, and Asian cuisines. I took advantage of the opportunity to assist in the opening, by being a line cook at Gloria and Emilio Estefan’s Restaurant. I can remember vividly the Executive Chef saying, “Now you can put this on your resume.” 

Through my exposure to all of these different cuisines, it was hard for me to choose just one to “specialize” in. Every culture had something unique about them, but they all had some type of similarity whether it was regional, spices, or agriculture techniques. I promised myself that I would not be a chef that just stuck with one speciality my whole career. After the long busy nights at restaurants, and in the corporate chef world, I decided to take my talents to the homes of people. I became a Private Chef, providing Luxury Fine Dining. 

Sitting in the car, expressing to my twin sister about how much I love cooking, and how I want to share my gift with the world. It was that very conversation in the car that birthed Canvas by Cheffusion, with the concept of Fusing Cultures Through Food. Canvas by Cheffusion, is based in Nashville, Tennessee.