Cooking Class - Exquisite Spanish Fare

Pros: - The chef warmed up to us at the end of the cooking session despite having a rocky start in the beginning. :) Helped us clean the stove and washed some dishes herself. Potatoes were amazing!! Had an incredibly diverse background story about how she came to specialize in vegan culinary cuisine. Cons: - The chef bought seafood and groceries from Ralphs down the street and did not prepare dough from scratch . She used pre-made tarts and pie pastry for two of the four dishes). Additionally, half of the 12 mussels she brought died and were thrown away. - Only four of the Ralph’s shrimp were used in the paella. We were hoping at least 6 or more would be used. Additionally, the shrimp was frozen and melted which resulted in them sitting in their own juices and us questioning the sanitization integrity of the rest of the ingredients she pre-measured in jars. Ingredients could have come from her house and we had no way of verifying whether they were safe to consume. - The empanadas ruptured due to the chef not being mindful of the temperature of the filling (we had to point this out on her behalf). Additionally half of the empanadas burned since the pan was not flipped half way ( uneven bake) . Take aways: - The dishes did not even come close to the pictures advertised on the website. Frankly, this meal could’ve have been prepared without the chef with better quality ingredients for less money and much more. This is a scam and just underwhelming overall. It’s a carb fest is all there is to say which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if it is what you are looking for but unfortunately, this is not what was marketed/advertised.) Not cons but not pros: - Original attitude was extremely off putting from the get-go on the phone and when given parking suggestions. It seemed as if we were getting patronized for trying to prevent her from getting towed. - Was condescending when our provided pan was too small and we offered a pot in its place. Chef didn’t offer any learning opportunities or background knowledge regarding the dishes we put together except replacing rice with angel hair pasta in the paella. Chef told us to wash dishes twice and asked us to dry her pan for her.

Great experience and a delicious meal!

We recently hosted Chef Rachel at our home for a private dinner to celebrate my wife's birthday. It was a great experience from start to finish. Each dish was thoughtfully crafted and beautifully presented. We could tell Chef Rachel is passionate about her craft, as her attention to detail was excellent in every way. Overall, having Chef Rachel cook at our home was a dining experience that we will remember for a long time. If you’re looking for an exceptional chef to create a memorable meal in your own space, we highly recommend Chef Rachel.