And I make Healthy Cooking Delicious

I am a professional chef in South Orange County, specializing in gluten-free, niche diets, and allergens. My goal is to teach others how to become better home cooks while also serving my community through events and personal chef services. I prioritize cooking healthy, whole foods.

I was professionally trained at the Culinary Institute of America where I learned techniques and skills to build a foundation for my career. With over seven years of experience in professional kitchens and restaurants, I decided to create my personal chef company, Kelly’s Clean Kitchen, to work more closely with individuals to curate the best meals for them.

My journey of getting into cooking was a rollercoaster. In my sophomore year as a D1 college volleyball player at Winthrop University, I suffered a traumatic brain injury during a match. What seemed minor at first turned more serious when my brain was not healing. A year after the injury, I was medically disqualified from college athletics, losing the one thing I was passionate about.

The injury drove me into an eating disorder as a way to cope with the loss of my identity as an athlete. I spiraled into orthorexia, a lesser-known eating disorder characterized by an extreme fear of anything unhealthy. I lost over 50 pounds and, at my lowest, weighed 113 pounds despite being a 6’1″ woman.

During my recovery from orthorexia, I began cooking for myself, largely due to my fear of eating regular food. However, as I started cooking for myself, I developed a new passion and reignited my love for food. Gradually, my obsession with health transformed into a dedication to nourish and heal my body with healthy food.

I made a full recovery by discovering joy in cooking and food. With this newfound passion, I began working in restaurants and later attended the Culinary Institute of America, where I graduated at the top of my class in December 2019.

It is now my mission to help others on their cooking journeys, learn how to cook in an easy and fun way, and find a passion in food!

Whether it’s learning the basics of cooking, mastering complex sauces, or preparing gluten-free dishes that are delicious, my goal is to teach you how to do it in your own kitchen!