Have you ever met a professional chef?
I am super excited to introduce you to our local (metro Detroit area) personal professional chef, Nicole Bunting. She owns It’s Just Food. I had the pleasure of attending a cooking class she was teaching. She is a fun and engaging teacher and we had a great time and an even better meal. Her hummus is like crack (so I asked her to share her recipe with you) and she also had us make butter chicken and a berry cookie crumble. Both absolutely delicious!! I also admire her taste in rock music and hope to catch a concert with her in the future.
Welcome Chef Nicole
Dr. Stacey, Thank you so much for inviting me to be a part of your blog! It is truly an honor!
Why did you decide to become a chef?
I’ve always loved food and cooking; my dad was a Detroit City Firefighter, so he was always bringing home new recipes from his fellow firefighters (they all took turns cooking for one another), and my earliest memories are of my time in the kitchen watching him make dinner for us. Later, I paid for my own college education by waiting tables and bartending in restaurants – part of training is spending the first few days in the kitchen with the chefs learning the menu and recipes and I was always fascinated by what they did! In 2011, I finally had the opportunity to go to Culinary School, and the training was such an incredible experience!
Check out these credentials!!
Where and how were you trained?
My initial culinary training was at Cook Street Culinary School in Denver, CO, but I also studied in Parma Italy, Paris France, and Cap d’ Agde France. I am a Level 2 Sommelier, (FYI a sommelier is a wine expert) a Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist, a Certified Personal Chef, and a member of the USPCA (Personal Chef’s Assn).
What problems do you solve?
As a Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist, I understand the basics of what our bodies need in nutrition to achieve our health goals. I love teaching people how to make healthy food taste good. But, with my training in Italy and France, I can do decadent too, LOL! When I lived in Denver, I cooked weekly for a Fitness Trainer and her husband; there were a few times, that she made me read off every ingredient in some of her meals because she couldn’t believe that healthy food could taste that good!
Who is your ideal client?
Busy couples – people that want to eat well, but don’t have time to cook for themselves. I come in and prepare 3-4 meals per week for them, and put them in the fridge for them to pop in the oven and reheat. It’s quick, convenient and flavorful.
She is super easy to work with
Describe the process to work with you.
It starts with a conversation – whether you want a weekly meal service, cooking classes, a cooking demo, or a dinner party, I can help! Everything I do is designed to my client’s needs and palates, so we talk about your needs, you fill out a quick questionnaire and then I go to work designing the menu. On the scheduled cook day, I do all of the grocery shopping, and then I arrive at your home with all of the groceries and equipment necessary to make great food for you. When service is complete, there is no trace of me having been in your kitchen…other than the wonderful aromas of yummy food.
How do people contact you?
Most people contact me by email through my website or by phone, but I can be found on social media via LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Thumbtack too!
What is your favorite cuisine to cook?
Hmmm, that’s a tough one…For Clients, anything but vegan, LOL. When cooking for myself, I love making pasta from scratch, or comfort food, like Braised Short Ribs!
She was willing to share her amazing hummus recipe
What is so special about this hummus recipe?
It’s crazy healthy! The cayenne and dried mustard are thermogenic (metabolism boosters) and the garlic and turmeric are anti-inflammatories, and the lemon is a diuretic, so it helps flush the system of toxins! the chickpeas are loaded with protein too! I love to take a couple tablespoons and put it on top of half a mashed avocado and eat it with raw veggies!
Is there a chef you admire the most? Who and why?
Meeting Gordon Ramsay is on my bucket list! His passion for this profession and for inspiring people, whether home cook or pro, to get in the kitchen and cook is near and dear to my heart! I’ve eaten at several of his restaurants in Europe and every meal was more than a plate of food, but a gastronomic experience to be remembered!
What is the next step for people who want to work with you?
Call, text, email and let me know how I can be of service! Let’s make it happen!
Download and print Chef Nicole’s Hummus Recipe HERE.
Thank you, Chef Nicole! I know everyone who tries this recipe will be eager to try more. If you are someone who is an advocate for natural health and want to be interviewed on this blog or you know of someone you want to have interviewed please let me know.
Dr. Stacey