Kathy Block-Brown's culinary training is diverse. Kathy graduated at the top of her class from the highly-respected Le Cordon Bleu program at the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon and achieved the Certified Culinarian level of the American Culinary Federation. As a sous chef and staff instructor at In Good Taste, Portland's premiere cooking school located in the Pearl District, Kathy has worked with many of Portland's outstanding local chefs and restaurateurs in addition to internationally-known cookbook authors. During the 2006 summer season, Kathy was featured as a guest chef at the Portland Farmers' Market "Chef in the Market," where she shared with market-goers how to use available local produce in recipes prepared for the home table.
However, Kathy Block-Brown's passion for food started early. At age ten, she was at her Austria-Hungarian grandmother's side making soups, strudel, kuchen and other wonderful treats. Even though Kathy's first career took her down a path of teaching and education administration, food was always a passion. Whether in the garden, the kitchen or dining room, Kathy's joy has always been bringing fresh, beautiful and delicious food to her family and guests.
Kathy Block-Brown is committed to preparing time-saving meals focusing on the use of natural meats and produce grown or raised locally, in season and using sustainable practices. All meats used are free from hormones and antibiotics. Fish is selected from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch safe list. During the growing season, produce is purchased directly from the farmer as much as possible. She is also active in organizations that support these efforts. Those include the Chefs Collaborative and Slow Food.
Believing that everyone should be able to sit down at the table and enjoy a meal with family or friends, Kathy is a regular volunteer at Sisters of the Road Cafe, a restaurant that primarily serves Portland, Oregon's low-income and homeless residents. Learn more at www.sistersoftheroad.org.
