06/03/2019

For years people have always come to me with advice on where to eat, where to shop, what wine is my favorite and places to visit.  They know that when there are things in my life that I enjoy, I love to share them and give my thoughts…  Ok, maybe more my opinions.  Life should be fun and what better way to foster that than by sharing.  Since becoming a mom, this motto seems to be a constant theme or song, ha, not sure which, but, “Sharing is Caring”.  This blog is simply my place to talk about all my favorite things.

A little bit about me: I live in Newport Beach, CA.  I’m a mom of two (12 year old boy and 10 year old girl).   Along with being a mom, I’m a private chef.  I started my business Culinary by Design about 13 years ago.  It wasn’t always easy for me trying to figure out what I wanted to be, though.  There were a lot of bumps (career changes) along the way.  Cooking for me was always something that I loved and found peace and joy in. (sorry that may sound corny, but it’s true!)  I love food, and the fact that I’m as adventurous today with what I will taste has my parents laughing.  As a child I was extremely limited with the top of my list being peanut butter and jelly. Thankfully for me, my palette expanded!

When I met my husband, I was in the middle of an Advertising career, which I enjoyed, but didn’t really have a passion for.  My husband was extremely passionate about his career and I was envious.  So what did I do? I convinced him it was a great idea for me to go back to school, (culinary school) shortly after getting married.  It was pretty much a win-win for him.  Who doesn’t love a home cooked meal and more specifically, a restaurant quality meal in the comforts of their own home? Ironically, I knew from the start of my culinary career that I didn’t want to work in a restaurant, though.  I wanted something where I could interact directly with people through food and be able to still be there for my kids.  So, Culinary by Design was started shortly after I graduated.  Today, I offer meal-deliveries (customized to each of my clients), cooking lessons and catering in the surrounding Newport Beach/Orange County area.

And now I can say I honestly love my job!

Hopefully, you’ll enjoy my blog!  Things to look forward to: reviews of restaurants I’ve been to, recipes that can help make dinner easier, kitchen gadgets, places I’ve visited, wines and so much more.  To sum it up, all things that make me happy.

Remember, sharing is caring, till next time!


Personal Chef, Mom, Lover of New and Old Experiences - Stephanie Miller