Grady Atkins is a man who loves good food. From an apprenticeship at the Hyde Park Hotel in London to stints in fine restaurants in France, Hong Kong and Sicily, Grady has always taken a hands-on approach to eating well. As an instructor at the Art Institute in Santa Monica, Grady inspires students to work with fresh ingredients and take advantage of the farmer’s market as inspiration for their cooking. Whether he’s talking about the lost art of charcuterie or tasting a piece of fine chocolate, it’s clear that what makes Grady a great teacher is his down-to-earth approach to doing what he loves: cooking.

Beginning cooking alongside her mom as a child in Ireland, and most recently sharing a kitchen at La Cachette restaurant, Sinead Barry has always been drawn to simple, flavorful food cooked to perfection. In spite of her classical training in France and 15 years culinary experience in fine dining restaurants around the world, Sinead prizes straight-forward dishes made from bringing out the best of the freshest ingredients. Sinead is inspired by the bounty of California’s farmer’s markets and believes that cooking is really about simply trusting your taste buds and culinary instincts. Do this enough and you won’t need any recipes.

Jean Brady has been a Los Angeles culinary trailblazer since 1972 when she founded the Jean Brady Cooking School. Her classes have been featured in Bon Appetit, The Los Angeles Times and Parade Magazine. The Zagat survey in 1998 named her the number one cooking school in LA. And, now Chefmakers has nabbed her. For Jean, the greatest joy in the kitchen has been mixing the finest ingredients with a room full of students. With a light heart and practiced hand, Jean laughingly declares the kitchen a no stress zone. “Cooking is the only art where one can eat mistakes and begin again.”

For Drew Closs nothing is more fun than cooking with kids. As Chefmakers’ Program Director, he comes with over 15 year’s professional culinary experience at Walt Disney World where he helped establish three of Disney’s premier restaurants and created the “Grand Adventures in Cooking” children’s program. Inspired by children’s carefree honesty and boundless enthusiasm, Drew is working to create a series of innovative cooking programs developed specifically with kids
in mind.

A California native, Louise Charbonneau’s professional journey has taken her through some of the most well respected kitchens in the country including Stars Restaurant in San Francisco, Mustard’s Grill in the Napa Valley, Patina in Los Angeles and Spago of Beverly Hills. As the Executive Chef of Woodside in Brentwood, Louise gained notoriety and firmly established herself in the Los Angeles culinary scene creating meals that reflect the very best of California Cuisine. As a private chef and culinary instructor, Louise aims to bring this experience to the table through simple, straightforward flavors and by using the freshest ingredients available.

Joshua Henderson is a firm believer that a few ingredients at the height of flavor and freshness are all you need to make great food. After graduating from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Joshua worked his way to executive chef positions in well-known restaurants from Seattle to Beverly Hills. He recently discovered a passion for teaching skills-driven, basic classes and really enjoys being there when people have their culinary “a-ha” moments.

Dirk Hermann is a well-traveled Master Chef who has cooked in fine dining restaurants from Bangkok to Beverly Hills. With his traditional culinary training in Europe, Dirk brings together a classical approach to cooking with a fresh, California-cuisine sensibility. Like so many California chefs, Dirk prizes the bounty of fresh, organic ingredients available. He encourages imagination in the kitchen and teaches students how to infuse their own intuition and spirit into every recipe. With over 25 year’s culinary experience, Dirk brings an infectious ease and confidence to his students.

For Abbie Jaye, great food is healthy food made delicious. Known as A.J., she believes that cooking should be fun, easy AND healthful. What began with an Easy-Bake Oven at 7 years old, turned into a passion for cooking and culinary education for raw vegan foods at the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute. Now she brings her enthusiasm for organic ingredients to every recipe and encourages her students to be intuitive and improvisational in the kitchen. AJ promises you will leave her classes with a new appreciation for healthy eating.

If cooking is an art and baking is a science, Natasha MacAller is a pastry chef who flawlessly dances in both worlds. Her “less is more” approach to pastry has made her stand out among her peers and continues to catch the attention of the Los Angeles Times, Gourmet Magazine, Bon Appetit and Food & Wine. A former professional ballerina, Natasha brings the same diligence and precision to the kitchen as she did to dancing. Previously at Charlie Trotter’s, Spago and Campanile, Natasha currently divides her time between teaching, consulting and catering. She has designed the pastry programs for both UNION and L.A.’s popular EM Bistro and continues to teach at leading cooking schools including the CIA’s Greystone in Napa Valley.

Rohan Rambukpotha’s cooking is truly the sum of his experiences. From his Sir Lankan heritage, to his native England, to growing up in Queens, N.Y., Rohan brings an eclectic palate to the kitchen. Classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, he’s cooked at New York landmarks like The Plaza Hotel and the famous Jean Georges. Rohan loves to surprise people when he infuses flavors from his world travels to Egypt, Japan, Mexico and Singapore, with traditional French in recipes that are sophisticated and multi-cultural. An artist at heart, Rohan believes simply that “Love for food, makes good food.”

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and Philippa Sklaar has the roadmap. With a global flavor that reflects her South African heritage, Philippa approaches food and life with an infectious excitement. As a cooking instructor, cookbook author and caterer to celebrity clientele, this self-taught culinary temptress believes in cooking to seduce the senses and loves sharing her secrets to unleashing delight through delicious food and great company.

From a bowl of homemade macaroni and cheese to the finest caviar, Stacey Slichta believes that dining should be an event, not just a “fueling station.” Stacey brings this passion to teaching others the simplicity of great cooking. Her pursuit of a culinary education began early cooking alongside her father as a child and eventually led to her attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Stacey currently practices her art in numerous ways - as a culinary instructor, private chef to celebrities and is involved in children’s cooking programs on cable TV.

Lorraine Tajiri was born of a “foodie” father and an excellent cook of a mother – thus environment and genetics conspired together to create a great chef. Lorraine, graduate of the California Culinary Academy and California Sommelier Academy, has had her desserts featured at many fine restaurants including Noa Noa, Stringfellows, and the newly opening Beacon – where the LA Weekly has called her sweets “sensational”. With a passion for seasonal ingredients, and imaginative interpretations of the classics, she infuses vitality into the art of pastry.

The only thing Jet Tila loves more than Asian food is teaching others how to make it. Even with his extensive knowledge of Asian foods, a Le Cordon Bleu education and a stint at the well-respected California Sushi Academy, Jet never takes himself too seriously. He is known for his playful, enthusiastic approach to teaching, and encourages all of his students to use high quality products, trust their palettes and always have fun in the kitchen. Jet is the owner of the renowned Bangkok Market in Los Angeles and has been featured on Food TV’s “The Best of” and a regular guest on NPR’s “Good Food” with Evan Kleinman.