Denise started her professional career as a schoolteacher in Detroit, Michigan. After six years, she decided to make the transition into the corporate world as an educational trainer for Fortune 500 health and beauty companies (Revlon, Clinique and GAP to name a few.) Always passionate about food, she began taking cooking classes and attend seminars about cooking methodology, culinary techniques, recipe development, and the creation of delicious dishes.
Later she began to offer out her expertise on a volunteer basis to organizations that promote the educational aspects of food and wine, becoming an active member of The American Institute of Food and Wine (AIWF) Northern California Chapter. She held the position of Board Secretary from 1999 to 2001. She developed wine and food events with local wineries and distinguished Bay Area chefs.
In addition, her responsibilities included running the silent auction at the annual fundraising affair. She put together a volunteer team and contributed to the organization’s membership efforts. After attending a seminar on Food Writing at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, CA, she became feature editor of the AIWF NorCal Newsletter.
Denise has conducted wine sessions and food classes as a volunteer at Copia, the Center for Wine, Food and the Arts in Napa Valley, assisting visiting chefs and winemakers in their education programs. Denise is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) and writes a column about the Northwest for the IACP Cooking Teachers Newsletter. She also worked as a kitchen assistant Ramekins Sonoma Valley Culinary School working side-by-side with nationally renowned chefs. Having moved to Oregon in 2002, Denise conducted cooking classes at Allyson’s of Ashland until forming her own cooking school in 2002.
Denise created The Last Bite to share her culinary passions with other food enthusiasts. Her cooking lessons are held in her home on the golf course in Eagle Point, Oregon. Her mission is to create an intimate setting in which student’s can improve their cooking techniques “one plate at a time” in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. The little morsel on The Last Bite plate symbolizes her commitment to provide dishes delicious “to the last bite” that students can easily replicate in their own kitchen.
The Last Bite lessons in creative cooking… one plate at a time.
