Tania, a former real estate agent and passionate culinary nutritionist, decided to shift her career to fully dedicate herself to the art of cooking. After spending a decade helping people adopt healthier eating habits, she joined Le Cordon Bleu to refine her skills and draw inspiration from French gastronomy. 

Could you tell us about your professional background before joining the culinary programme?
I am a culinary nutritionist. It’s in between a chef and a nutritionist. I helped people create a healthier environment in their fridge kitchen for their different health conditions, that as always been my passion creating healthier foods. I also taught in clinics for different health conditions like men with prostate cancer and diabetics. I volunteered for the last 10 years in my local soup kitchen from server to commis and to sous chef. I was also in real estate in Florida for the past 15 years.

What motivated you to change careers and pursue a path in cooking?
I wanted to create dishes that were good for the body, easily digestible, filled with nutrients, minerals, vitamins, ecofriendly influenced by the gastronomie Française and with le savoir-faire du Cordon Bleu. I always wanted to learn from the best, I got the opportunity and gave it a shot.

Was there a skill or technique that you found particularly challenging to master?
Making the perfect jus.

What was your favourite moment during the programme?
Each morning walking up the steps to the school with the excitement of the day and especially the demos. How the amazing chefs would share and transfer their knowledge and experience like they were teaching magic.

What are your short- and long-term plans now that you’ve earned your Diplôme de Cuisine?
Regrouping practicing and especially recreating the recipes in a non dairy and gluten free way.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career change into the culinary field?
Practice as much as possible everyday and make it your priority.

How has your experience of career transition enriched your culinary learning compared to other students?
It gave me more compassion towards other students and chefs also more able to work as a team.

How did you find adapting to life in France and discovering its gastronomy?
Been able to practice with the amazing products of the French markets and elevating my palet was amazing and really made the experience wonderful.

How would you describe your culinary journey in one sentence?
I feel like magic was put into my hands.