Leah Steenberg, Natural Chef

Attending Bauman College opened my eyes to the strong tie between nutrition and health. I always knew it was there, but until I attended Bauman I didn’t understand how strong that tie really is, I didn’t understand how much or even how I could affect it. Attending Bauman has helped me take responsibility for my health and be a source of information for those around me.

I loved being a student at Bauman College; I was proud to wear my chef’s whites, proud to be learning information that might change the life of someone dear to me, I appreciated the philosophic discussions we had about lifestyle choices, enjoyed learning new kitchen techniques, and LOVED trying new recipes.

I am currently working at Let’s Cook in Minneapolis, Minnesota as the Kitchen Coordinator. I coordinate all of the cooking classes and special events that happen in our kitchen, as well as many of the corporate team building events. I also coordinate our volunteer team; we have over 75 people who assist us with our events. My prior administrative experience and my culinary experience through Bauman College have made this position a great fit for me; I love my job! It’s hard to say what I like best, my tasks vary and each day is different. From time to time I put myself on the teaching calendar. I’ve taught classes on food from the 1940ís, Super Bowl party appetizers, and more. This fall, I will be teaching a class on cooking with seaweed. I’m really excited about this one!

I see the word “client” very differently than I expected to when I graduated from Bauman College. Today, “client” means a guest who would like to schedule a private participatory cooking event for their friends and family or their business group. I help this person set up an event that includes team building, making and enjoying foods they might not have tried before. Our guests are always impressed with our menu selections, chef instructors, volunteer teams, and flexibility. Frequently we have guests who have food allergies or food restrictions and I use my Bauman College knowledge to help our chef instructor come up with alternative dishes. We want to make sure ALL of our guests get to enjoy the food and their experience at Let’s Cook!