Ellen Schwartz, Cooking with Chef Ellen

Ellen Schwartz, Cooking with Chef Ellen

Ellen Schwartz has been cooking since she was 9. Her father and grandfather owned grocery stores so she has been around food and foodies her entire life. Cooking is Chef Ellen's passion and she am constantly striving to improve.

Ellen has been a culinary instructor with Leisure Learning for over 15 years. She has also taught classes in professional kitchens at Central Market and Rice Epicurean. She is a private chef and also caters for special events.

Chef Ellen's favorite pastimes include testing recipes for chefs and providing feedback to help recipes come to publicationShe has appeared on Fox 26 TV in Houston as a guest chef several times, and has been interviewed by Cleverley Stone on CNN News 650am radio program to discuss organizing a kitchen to make it chef friendly.

Prior to her full-time cooking career, Chef Ellen was a bridal consultant for Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, an elementary and middle school reading specialist, and a middle school counselor.

2018 Chef of the Year
Kevin Naderi, Roost

Chefs Advisory Board

Beginning in the late 1990's Chef Monica Pope joined in Gracie's efforts to establish a group of concerned chefs who were willing to get involved in a hands on way to teach kids to cook. Twenty-four answered the call and in 2006, we established our Chefs Advisory Board, a working committee with Monica as its Chair. Through the years, more and more chefs have joined our founding members, and today we have over 100 members in Houston and across the country. Monica Pope continues to lead the team as Chair Emeritus.

These busy professionals donate their time month after month, year after year, bringing their unique insight and perspective of food to the children, turning on their taste buds and opening their minds to new foods. It's a Recipe for Success! Would you like to join us? Get in touch and get started today!

The Foundation's Chefs Advisory Board served as inspiration for the White House campaign for Chefs Move to School! Six members of our Chefs Advisory Board joined members of our Board of Directors at the White House in June 2010 for the kick-off of Chefs Move to Schools! where Recipe for Success was featured as a national model and resource. See pictures here. And read about the trip here and here.