Melissa's Kitchen, Inc.

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Melissa's Kitchen, Inc. Private chef, cooking instruction, & catering

Happy Friday!One question I get asked all the time is, “What type of food do you specialize in?” I always struggle to an...
10/09/2026

Happy Friday!

One question I get asked all the time is, “What type of food do you specialize in?” I always struggle to answer!

I love cooking fresh, flavorful, vegetable-forward meals, but sometimes I worry that sounds boring and not “cheffy” enough. :)

This week was a lot! I taught 7 classes in 6 days (never again! 😂) AND took a virtual class for my culinary medicine certification. I AM EXHAUSTED!

Driving home last night, something clicked. I chose all these menus, and together they reflect what I love to cook and teach: approachable, seasonal, vegetable-forward food with whole grains and simple ingredients—without sacrificing flavor or the pleasure of eating!

Here’s what was cooking this week and where I found inspiration:

🥗 Saturday | Wellness House Nutrition Fair Wellness House�Four demos featuring roasted butternut squash (from The Farm) and arugula salad with pomegranate vinaigrette, cranberries, pepitas, and Parmesan. Adapted from my culinary school days at College of DuPage.

🍔 Tuesday | Culinary Medicine Coursework�I was the student! For my CCMP program through American College of Culinary Medicine, I prepared chipotle black bean burgers (adapted from Elyse Kopecky), pepper slaw, and olive oil potato salad with green beans and tomatoes from Pearces' Farm Stand.

🍞 Wednesday | Downers Grove Park District Devon Parks�Sourdough bread! There’s always room for a crusty artisan loaf. ❤️ If you’ve taken my classes, you know I love King Arthur Baking Company!

🍎 Thursday | Wellness House�Two classes featuring red lentil soup (adapted from NYT Cooking), walnut and bean dip with mint (adapted from Laura Morris, CPT | Jennifer Ventrelle MS RDN), whole grain sourdough from Whole Foods Market, and baked apples with dates and walnuts.

So maybe I have my answer! I love teaching people to make healthy, delicious food that’s practical for everyday life, emphasizing seasonal produce, plant-forward cooking, and a few “cheffy” kitchen skills thrown in for fun. 😊

I’ve been busy in the kitchen this week working my way through the ingredients in my freezer. It’s time to use up some o...
10/02/2026

I’ve been busy in the kitchen this week working my way through the ingredients in my freezer. It’s time to use up some of those flours and grains, which means I’ve been making lots of bread!🥖

If you’ve taken one of my sourdough classes, you know my go-to book is The Perfect Loaf by Maurizio Leo. 📖 I love his recipes because they’re well written, easy to follow, and adaptable. This week, I made honey spelt, five-grain, and jalapeño cheddar sourdough—the perfect way to use some of the jalapeños from my garden. 🌶️🌿

I still love teaching breadmaking and have a couple of upcoming classes with openings at Prairie Food Co-op and the Downers Grove Park District. 👩‍🍳 These two classes would actually be great to take back-to-back: the Prairie Food Co-op class covers the fundamentals of sourdough breadmaking, while the Park District class builds on those skills with whole grains and inclusions.

Tomorrow, I’ll also be doing cooking demonstrations at the Wellness House Nutrition Fair in Hinsdale! 🍎🥕 Registration is required—check out the Wellness House, Hinsdale website for more information.

🍂 UPCOMING FALL CLASSES 🍂
🔗 Sign-ups in my bio

🥖 Sourdough Bread: Beginner Demo Class
📍 Prairie Food Co-op | Lombard
📅 October 21, 2026 | 6–8 pm

🌾 Sourdough Bread: Beyond the Basics (Demo)
📍 Downers Grove Park District Lincoln Center | Downers Grove
📅 November 11, 2026 | 6:30–8:30 pm

Hope to see you in the kitchen this fall! 🍁🥖

I’m on a bit of a bread-making binge as I clean out the freezer and use up some of my bread-making ingredients! 🍞I pulle...
10/01/2026

I’m on a bit of a bread-making binge as I clean out the freezer and use up some of my bread-making ingredients! 🍞

I pulled out one of my favorite bread books, The Perfect Loaf, and have been busy restocking my freezer with sourdough bread. Over the last few days, I’ve made:

🍯 Honey Spelt�🌾 Five-Grain Sourdough�🌿 Rosemary & Olive Oil

Yum!

It’s been a while since I’ve made this much whole-grain bread, and that Honey Spelt gave me a good reminder: whole grains ferment FAST! ⏱️ You definitely need to keep an eye on your dough and let the dough (not the clock) tell you when it’s ready.

One of the things I love about sourdough is that there’s always something to learn (or relearn!).

Swipe to see what’s been coming out of my oven. ➡️

Want to learn to make sourdough bread? My next open class is at Prairie Food Coop on 10/21. Sign up link in my bio and on Eventbrite.

Dusted off my pastry skills for Cooking Club with this beautiful Fig & Frangipane Tart! Recipe by Milli Taylor.Our theme...
09/30/2026

Dusted off my pastry skills for Cooking Club with this beautiful Fig & Frangipane Tart! Recipe by Milli Taylor.

Our theme was “Fall in Tuscany” 🇮🇹🍁, and this tart was the perfect finish to a delicious meal.

I used extra tart dough to make pastry “cookies”. Instead of the traditional cinnamon & sugar topping, I mixed sugar with Kafe Hawaij from New York Shuk—a warm, aromatic spice blend that was absolutely delicious. 🤎

Highly recommend giving it a try, especially for fall baking! 🍂

A little prep for my Quick Pickling class next week at Prairie Food Co-op in Lombard! 🥕🥒🫙This hands-on class is a great ...
09/04/2026

A little prep for my Quick Pickling class next week at Prairie Food Co-op in Lombard! 🥕🥒🫙

This hands-on class is a great way to learn the basics of quick pickling. We’ll cover food safety, explore different vinegars and flavor combinations, and give you the confidence to preserve seasonal vegetables at home.

You’ll leave with a quart of your own pickled vegetables and a booklet of recipes!

Special bonus…we’ll have cookbook raffle including the book Pickles, Illustrated from Chronicle Books 📚

Signup link in my bio and on Eventbrite

📅 Wednesday, September 9
⏰ 6–7:30 p.m.
📍 Prairie Food Co-op, Lombard

🍂 Fall cooking classes are here! 🍂It’s not officially fall yet, but with the sun setting earlier and September arriving,...
09/01/2026

🍂 Fall cooking classes are here! 🍂

It’s not officially fall yet, but with the sun setting earlier and September arriving, you can definitely feel the season starting to shift!
I have several classes coming up over the next few months, including hands-on pickling, focaccia art and sourdough.🍞🥕

A quick note about sourdough: the two classes at Marcel’s are the only public hands-on sourdough classes I currently have planned for the fall. My other sourdough classes will be demonstration-style because of kitchen space and equipment limitations.

🫙 Sept. 9 – Seasonal Pickling | Prairie Food Coop, Lombard
🍞 Sept. 16 – Summer Garden Focaccia Art | Downers Grove | Only 3 spots left!
🍞 Oct. 7 – Sourdough Beginner | Downers Grove | Only 1 spot left!
🍞 Oct. 21 – Sourdough Beginner | Prairie Food Coop, Lombard
🍞 Oct. 27 – Sourdough Beginner HANDS-ON | Marcel’s, Glen Ellyn | Only 1 spot left!
🍞 Nov. 11 – Sourdough Beyond the Basics | Downers Grove
🍞 Nov. 16 – Sourdough Beginner HANDS-ON | Marcel’s, Glen Ellyn | Only 4 spots left!

👉 Check the link in my bio for class details and registration! Links to sign up for all classes are in the September email.

Want to hear about upcoming classes before I post them on social media? 📬 Message me and I’ll add you to my email list! I’ll send class information, new class announcements and registration details right to your inbox.

Thank you for supporting Melissa’s Kitchen! ❤️

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Downers Grove, IL
60515

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