CREATOR OF FOOD LA LA

Hi!  I’m Lindsay.

Hey there! I’m Lindsay.

And I’m here to teach you how to cook.

It doesn’t matter if you can’t chop an onion, or if boeuf bourguignon is your casual Thursday go-to.  If you love to eat, you’ll feel right at home. Fancy lights us up, but fancy doesn’t have to be fussy. 

Why should you learn to cook?

• Save money and know exactly what’s in your food.

• Bring something besides pita and hummus to your next dinner party.

• Never flinch at the mention of a “Meyer lemon”— it's just a hybrid of lemon and orange (but the flavor difference is noticeable!).

• Impress your friends and have great ideas for date nights and parties.

• Cut unhealthy preservatives and chemicals from your diet and make more room for joyful-but-guilty little treats.

• Be healthier without even trying.

• And most important? You'll relish some of life’s greatest pleasures: eating, sharing meals, and nurturing friends and family.

But, defrosting a Trader Joe’s burrito (I have my moments) won’t do the trick.  

If you follow them carefully—and I’m sure you do—they should turn out beautiful and delicious every time.  But some recipes aren’t tested, or the cook assumes you know more than you do, or the whys aren’t fully explained.

I write them all with you in mind because . . . I’ve been you.  I didn’t know mise en place from a turnip. Now, I’m a private chef for corporate and personal events, I teach cooking classes, and enjoy dreaming up new recipes to delight the people I love. But three years ago I was in a black pantsuit selling life insurance.  Read my story here. 

Spend a little time with me, and I’ll teach you how to cook fun, beautiful, delicious food—and how to add the special touches.  Imagine yourself confident in the kitchen, eating well, and delighting friends and family.

Subscribe, and every Thursday I’ll send you a tested recipe, a cooking trick, a how-to video, or one of my favorite entertaining tips. I’m excited to have you in my kitchen!

Bon appétit,

After graduating from college, the bad economy had encouraged me to accept my first grownup job: selling life and disability insurance with a large corporation.  Instead of pursuing my childhood dream of learning to cook in France, I spent the next chapter of my life folding into the corporate world.  There were goals, bonuses, retreats, annual business plans, conferences, client meetings, promotions, and management training.  But after five years, I realized my boss’s job didn’t excite me. 

My A-HA! moment came when I wondered what my ten-year-old self would think about corporate happy hours and fancy pantsuits. I knew I would ask my grownup self, “Why haven’t you gone to France yet?” I couldn’t shake that little voice in my head, so I left my job and steady paycheck, packed a sixty-pound, bright magenta rolling suitcase, and flew to Paris, letting the Universe take care of the rest. 

During my first month in France, I studied under Susan Herrmann Loomis, a renowned authority on French cooking. While living in her 14th-century home in Louviers, I assisted her with tastings and dinner parties, and helped test recipes for her latest cookbook, In a French Kitchen. 

Outside the village, I harvested and sold produce at the farmers market with Baptiste, an organic farmer, who daily delivers vegetables and fruit to Michelin-starred restaurants.

While working on a foie gras farm, I learned about French country cooking and preparing pâté and foie gras; I foraged for mushrooms, harvested walnuts, and preserved and canned apricots for winter confit.

In the fall I headed to the organic, biodynamic French winery, La Gramière, for their vendange (wine harvest), where the vintners explained to me the art of wine making and the perfect moment to harvest grapes.

I studied the mystery of French confections at Gastronomicom, a cooking school on the Mediterranean, perfecting my technique with the classic macaron. And during the last month, I studied under master chefs in the fervent kitchen of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

I now live in San Francisco, where I teach people all over the world to cook through the FOOD LA LA COOKING CLUB, and host unique food and cocktail experiences for corporate events! Join our email list to receive some of my favorite recipes and entertaining tips!

10 Questions with Lindsay

Your all-time favorite thing?  Surprises (and a good magic trick).

Favorite animal?  Bunnies.  I think I was one in a previous life. 

Guilty pleasure food?  Pasta.  I can’t get enough. For the first six years of my life, all I would eat. My dad used to tell people I was part German, part English, part Irish, and part Pasta.

Preferred coffee?  I don’t really drink coffee.  If I’m excited about a project, I can work for hours without caffeine, or a break.  Occasionally though I'll drink it for the cozy ritual.

Most important travel item?  I always have wool socks in my carry on.

Food you can’t stand? Bananas.  I can’t even peel a banana. I can’t be on the same block with a banana.  I think it's a texture thing.

Embarrassing traits?  I never know the lyrics to any songs, but still belt them out like I’m on stage with TSwift.  

Best day of the week?  Thursday.  The anticipation of Friday is almost better than Friday itself.

Favorite dessert?  Salted caramel ice cream.  For breakfast.

Favorite cocktail?  Bees Knees! I love the simplicity and nod to one of the most important creatures to our environment!

FOOD LA LA PHOTOGRAPHER

For as long as I can remember I’ve been passionate about two things: art and education.  During college I studied one, and after college I tried out careers in both.  I am a Spanish teacher turned account manager turned photographer.

After about three years of photographing special life events (read: cuddling newborn babies and dancing at receptions) for wonderful people (now dear friends) all over the Bay Area, I began brainstorming ways to expand my portfolio.  I wanted to try something new.  Enter, Lindsay Kinder: bridesmaid at one of said special events, and uber talented San Francisco chef. Post wedding Lindsay spotted me on the street in San Francisco, we met, chatted, and started creating together. The rest is history.  

When I’m not behind the camera, you might find me attempting (key word: attempting) side crow in vinyasa flow, taking a day trip just about anywhere, or spending time with my family and friends. 

I love international travel, hablo español, and can eat sweets like nobody’s business (old fashioned glazed donuts. YUM.)

1...2...3...smile,

FOOD LA LA EVENT MANAGER

Jennifer is our beloved event manager and resident mixologist. She was born in the UK, is half Colombian, and a classically-trained bassist. Her laugh is absolutely as joyful as it looks. After hostessing a few of our events, Jennifer’s identical twin sister introduced us.

She speaks Spanish (which is tremendously helpful in our bakery!), recently scaled a fire escape to grab supplies for a last-minute order, and is quite the prankster.

From LA to San Francisco, Jennifer has mixed cocktails for celebrities like Goldie Hawn (Titos, dirty, shaken, extra cold!), Sir Richard Branson, Yoko Ono, Tyra Banks, Gal Gadot (a glass of rosé and a tequila), Annie Leibovitz, Steve Buscemi (left a very nice tip!) and Keanu Reeves. Though her favorite cocktail is a Brooklyn—an old fashioned and a Manhattan on a hot date.

If Jennifer isn’t chit chatting with clients, she’s tinkering with a vast bar collection, dreaming up FOOD LA LA’s next cocktail experience!

FOOD LA LA FOOD ALCHEMIST

Joanna is our adored food alchemist.  She concepts, develops and tests (and tests, and tests, and tests) our FOOD LA LA COOKING CLUB recipes and our custom corporate virtual experiences, and ensures that our team is always well fed.  Our current favorite lunch a la Joanna is a hot pink beet-based smoothie that, “has everything we need to function, in case we forget to eat again.”

As a classically trained cellist, Joanna had initially dedicated herself to express beauty and connection through sound.  But after graduating from college and learning her mom had been silently battling type 1 diabetes, Joanna’s quest for beauty and connection transitioned to food.

With each new cookbook discovery and every crazy experiment, she gains fresh perspective and new appreciation for what food truly is and how it can be used to take care of ourselves and others. 

When crafting a recipe, her first goal is to honor the cultural contributions of the dish; next to pay respect to the ingredients she uses; and finally, to leave people truly fulfilled.

Her cooking style is deeply influenced by her explorative nature. She loves to combine new flavors from her travels and experiment with different techniques to create food that has depth of flavor and textural variety in every bite!

She’s had the honor of working with brands like Plenty (hydroponic farming), Brave (overnight breakfast oats), and Forager Project (vegan brand), and was a recipe tester for America’s Test Kitchen. She even had the pleasure of leading a team and cooking in the locker room of the Golden State Warriors during the 2018-2019 season. (Go Dubs!)

And mais oui, Jennifer and Joanna are twins. 

WATCH JOANNA DEVELOP A RECIPE:

Now, we want to know about YOU!  What do you love doing in the kitchen?  What scares you?  Let us know so we can help you become that confident cook we know you are.