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Melanie Underwood

Founder

"The most important skill I teach isn't cooking—it's trusting yourself."

Meet Melanie

For 30 years, Melanie Underwood has been teaching people to build curiosity and unshakeable confidence through hands-on experiences that feel supportive, fun, and empowering. Through cooking classes and sound meditations, people learn to trust their instincts in ways that transform every area of their lives.

Melanie grew up on a family farm in Loudoun County, Virginia, where she was given something most people never get: unconditional support combined with complete permission to mess up. Her grandparents and parents gave her room to grow, make mistakes, and discover what worked through trial and error—what she calls "falling forward." Around their family table at every meal - she learned that conversations and dialogue, where you could express your opinion without there being a right or wrong answer, builds the kind of trust and confidence that becomes unshakeable.

That foundation shaped everything.

Two years ago, a doctor told Melanie she had asthma. The diagnosis didn't resonate with her body or her instincts, but she agreed to try the medication. After two months of telling him she didn't believe she had asthma, Melanie fired her doctor and sought a second opinion, discovering she had a neuroendocrine lung tumor. She then respectfully emailed the original doctor about the importance of listening to patients more and talking less. Her intuition literally saved her life. This is what she helps people access - that same life-saving ability to trust yourself when it matters most.

How She Teaches Curiosity & Confidence

Melanie's approach is embodied nourishment - engaging all of your senses to truly nourish yourself. Whether through cooking classes or sound meditations, she creates the same foundation she grew up with: structure with room to fall forward. 
People leave feeling capable, confident, and knowing they can handle whatever comes next.

Background & Credentials

With over 50,000 students taught throughout her career, including 24 years as an instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City,  She's worked in renowned establishments like The Four Seasons Hotel and The Plaza Hotel, and is the author of Making Artisan Cheesecake (an Amazon Editor's Pick). Her work has been featured on Food Network, ABC, NBC, and CNN.

As a certified culinary educator and certified mindfulness instructor, she combines culinary expertise with mindfulness and sound meditation practices.

Beyond the Kitchen

Melanie is also the co-founder of TART AF—Always Fun. Always Fabulous.  A bold brand and focused on intuition, confidence, and getting what you want with grace. She's developed conversation pieces designed to bring back fun and meaningful dialogue. She also hosts retreats around embodied nourishment and building lasting confidence.

The Bottom Line

Melanie creates experiences where people nourish themselves and gather together to build community. She's not just showing you cooking techniques or leading sound meditations - she's teaching you to nourish yourself and trust your instincts while creating the connections we all crave.

Ready to stop second-guessing yourself? Join Melanie for a class where you'll leave feeling more confident than when you arrived.

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