Chef Stephanie Ito
Chef Stephanie Ito won her first culinary award at the age of four when she received a commendation from her pre-school teacher for "making a delicious dinner." She no longer recalls what dish she prepared, but it was likely her signature samwishes, or possibly her delicious wofels. She followed this up by winning the Haslett Middle School Betty Crocker Award in 8th grade for her perfect apple pie.
Her love of food is evident - she plans her trips around food and restaurants, and has an uncanny ability to describe almost every meal she has ever eaten. Her non-foodie parents wonder where she came from every time she starts talking about Sunday night dinner at 9am on Tuesday.
Despite her early successes in the kitchen and her intense love of food, she was 29 years old by the time that she realized that she was meant to cook for a living. After working office jobs in the non-profit sector since graduating from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Chef Ito entered the world-renowned culinary school at Kendall College in Chicago, IL.
Her Kendall College education gave her a solid foundation of cooking skills to add to her passion, and prepared her well to cook for families and cater small events. She prefers whole foods, all-natural and organic ingredients without hydrogenated oils or high-fructose corn syrup. She creates all kinds of vegetarian experiments with tofu and whole grains (which her husband thoroughly enjoys!), but is just as happy to cook up an old-fashioned dinner of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Quite possibly the best meatloaf and mashed potatoes you have ever had. (Sorry, mom.)
In addition to her adventures in the kitchen, Chef Ito is an avid runner and completed the 2006 Chicago Marathon in 3 hours, 51 minutes. She believes that healthy food is essential for nourishing your body and providing the energy you need, whether you are walking to your car, running after your kids, or attempting a marathon. She proves daily that healthy food doesn't have to taste like "health food." It was her love of food that brought Stephanie to the culinary arts, and she does not sacrifice flavor for nutrition - she strikes a balance of the two to create foods that satisfy, delight, and nourish.
Chef Ito holds a Personal Chef & Catering Certificate from Kendall College, is certified in Food Service Sanitation by the State of Illinois Department of Public Health, is certified as a Dining Room Associate by the Federation of Dining Room Professionals, and is fully insured.