Our Culinary Journey

From a shared kitchen dream to helping thousands discover the joy of confident cooking. We believe everyone deserves to feel at home in their kitchen.

How We Started

Back in 2019, Rashida and I were running separate cooking workshops in our neighborhood. She'd been a restaurant chef for over a decade, while I was teaching basic skills at community centers. We kept meeting the same frustrated home cooks who felt intimidated by their own kitchens.

The turning point came when we hosted a joint workshop for beginners. Instead of teaching complex recipes, we focused purely on fundamental techniques. People left knowing how to properly hold a knife, understanding heat control, and actually excited to cook at home.

"We realized that confidence in the kitchen isn't about following recipes perfectly—it's about understanding the basics so well that you can adapt and improvise naturally." - Rashida Kovalenko

That workshop became the foundation for everything we do. We've spent the last six years refining our approach, always keeping it practical and accessible.

Meet Our Team

Rashida Kovalenko

Founder & Executive Chef

Fifteen years in professional kitchens taught me that the best cooking comes from understanding your ingredients and trusting your instincts. I love helping people discover that cooking doesn't have to be stressful.

Trent Basham

Co-founder & Culinary Director

My background in education helped shape how we break down complex cooking concepts. Every technique we teach has been tested with real home cooks in real kitchens with real time constraints.

What Drives Us

We believe cooking should bring joy, not anxiety. Too many people feel disconnected from their food and intimidated by their kitchens. Our mission is simple: help you develop the fundamental skills that make cooking feel natural and enjoyable.

Every lesson we create starts with a real question from a real home cook. We don't teach chef techniques for the sake of it—we focus on what actually makes weeknight dinners easier and weekend cooking more fun.

Practical First

Every technique we teach has immediate application in your daily cooking routine.

Build Confidence

Understanding why techniques work helps you adapt and improvise with confidence.

Real Kitchens

We test everything in home kitchens with everyday equipment and time constraints.

Your Pace

Learn at your own speed, practice when it works for you, ask questions without judgment.

Growing Together

15,000+

Home Cooks Supported

850+

Lessons Created

Years Teaching

What started as neighborhood workshops has grown into something much bigger. We hear from people who tell us they actually look forward to cooking dinner now, or that they finally understand why their grandmother's techniques worked so well. Last month, someone wrote to say they successfully improvised a sauce for the first time—that's exactly the kind of confidence we're trying to build.

Our community keeps us grounded. When we're developing new content, we think about the single parent who has twenty minutes to get dinner on the table, or the college student learning to cook beyond ramen. These real situations guide everything we create.