A senior girl in my class said "No, stop" while nervously laughing. I asked if she'd thought about how laughter might send a different message than saying no. After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've learned that language - not just words, but tone and energy - shapes everything.  I send stories like these twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox. Language is powerful - not just the words themselves, but how we use them, our tone, and how often they

Earlier this week, I broke my own kitchen rule: never leave the kitchen when something is on the stove. Within minutes, my smoke detector was blaring. After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've taught kitchen safety countless times - and I still made this mistake.  I send stories like these twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox. Kitchen fires happen fast, and knowing what to do - and what NOT to do - can make all the difference. Here's what every p

"Eggs make me puke," my five-year-old niece said, looking up at me from her plate. After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've watched dinner become a battleground in too many homes.  I send stories like these twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox. When dinner becomes a battle, you've lost control of your table - but not in the way you think. Here's how to take it back without force or fights. I shared a reel recently about one small shift that can

"I don't like kimchi," the 10-year-old boy said with complete conviction. Then he paused. "Wait. What even IS kimchi?" After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've watched this pattern repeat itself countless times.  I send stories like these twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox. Kids' first answer to unfamiliar food is often no - not because they don't like it, but because they don't know it. One question changes everything. "I don't like kimchi."

"If you haven't asked how you can help, don't sit down." One of my adult students said this to her family, and it changed everything. After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've learned that the most important lessons happen when we work together.  I send stories like these twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox. Cooking is a team sport, and the dinner table is where we practice being in community - sharing the work, not just the meal. If you haven’t

The world feels fractured. People are examining traditions with new eyes, questioning what we've always done. After 30 years teaching cooking to 50,000+ students, I've learned that the most important skill is holding complexity without collapsing into either/or thinking. I send stories like these twice a month. Subscribe to get them in your inbox . Thanksgiving has complicated roots - and also, we're going to gather and feel grateful. We can hold both truths at once, and that

I haven’t been moving slowly this summer. My cooking classes are in full swing, schedules are packed, and my days blur together in beautiful chaos. But I’ve been thinking about something — about the guilt that creeps in when we’re not “productive.” About the parents stealing moments of quiet between carpools and snacks, wondering if they’re doing enough. Here’s what I want you to know: It’s not lazy to slow down. Actually, let me be honest. I think I wrote this for myself. Le