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We’re honored to share that Chef Angels was recently featured in the television series Asian Pacific Voices, which highlights inspiring stories from across the AAPI community.

In this episode, our founder Chef Lena shared the story of how and why she started Chef Angels. Chef Christina, Chef Jess, and Chef Gianna reflected on their childhood influences that shaped their culinary journeys, their involvement with Chef Angels, and why giving back through this nonprofit is so meaningful to them.

You can catch our feature in the second half of the segment, beginning around 12:30 minutes in.

👉 Watch the video here

We’re so proud of our chefs for representing Chef Angels and grateful to Asian Pacific Voices for sharing our story!

 #ChefLena #ChefChristina #ChefJess  #ChefGianna

#AsianPacificVoices

 

This summer was packed with learning, cooking, and community fun!

• Chef Ellyse kicked things off with fresh spring rolls with the YAC youth.
• Chef Lety hosted a Fox Point Farms tour followed by a heritage taco class.
• Our Varsity Team boys enjoyed a healthy Asian class Rachel, RD in July, then returned in August for comfort food with Chef Violette.
• At Chef Works, Oasis Clubhouse youth toured the facility, tried on chef coats, and helped Chef Jess prepare snacks in the creative product development space.
• The following month, Chef Lay led a hands-on shrimp stir-fry class at the Oasis Clubhouse kitchen.

Beyond classes, Chef Jess and Chef Lena represented Chef Angels at the Promises2Kids annual resource fair for foster youth, sharing produce samples generously donated by Specialty Produce.

We also debuted our new mascot, Chef Ocho, in the first edition of our youth newsletter, Adulting Simplified. Looking ahead, future episodes are already underway—including a special segment filmed at Specialty Produce, where we interviewed owner Bob and his crew amongst their incredible produce stock.

Here’s to a summer of growth, teamwork, and plenty of good food!

 #ChefLena #ChefViolette #ChefJess  #ChefLay #ChefEllyse #ChefLety#RDRachel

#ChefWorks#WFfoundation #JCFofSD 

#chefangelssd#OasisClubhouse #YouthAssistanceCoalition #VarsityTeam  #Promises2Kids  

Our founder, Chef Lena, was invited to speak about all things Chef Angels on a podcast hosted by Presidential Award recipient Dr. James Cooley and cohost Paula Shaw.

The topics covered everything from how the organization was founded, how it grew over time, what impact we are having on the youth, the recipes we are teaching, and what we are working on for the future. Follow the link below to catch it on YouTube.

#PodcastLinkWatchItHere 

#ChefLena 

#JCCooleyFoundation

#chefangelssd

June was another very busy month at Chef Angels with classes all over San Diego County.

Chef Christina returned to Oasis to teach an Asian inspired lunch, and took advantage of her time there to drop off an indoor garden system. Can’t wait to see all the plants that grow in the Clubhouse. Later that month we did a field trip to Venissimo Del Mar. Cheesemonger (and chef) Dawn, taught our youth how to design a cheese plate. We then tasted all the interesting cheeses and had a cheese chat.

At YAC, Chef Jos brought in a couple of large pots and we treated the youth to a shrimp and crab seafood boil, talking a bit about the history and culture of the dish. Later in the month Chef Amy had the youth make sopes from scratch, we made the dough, then cooked and shaped the thick tortillas. We prepped all the toppings, and then all the youth got to make their own final creation. SOOOO good!

Chef Lena filled in for an injured chef and had the Varsity boys make a shirazi salad, the perfect recipe to practice fine dicing and knife skills.

Lastly, we returned to Olivewood with our Promises Parenting group for a very special session. Chef Violette took the youth (parents) into the kitchen where they learned how to make foccacia pizzas with seasonal veg. The Olivewood staff took all the young children into the gardens where they met chickens and worms, got to plant and water some tomato plants, picked and tasted blueberries, and finally had a blast running through the passionfruit tunnel again and again and again!

 #ChefChristina #ChefViolette #ChefJos  #ChefLena #ChefAmy #ChefDawn

#ChefWorks#WFfoundation #JCFofSD 

#chefangelssd#OasisClubhouse #YouthAssistanceCoalition #VarsityTeam  #Promises2Kids   #Olivewood #Venissimo 

 

We’re working on an exciting new project at Chef Angels. To complement our in-person Chef Angels classes, we are creating virtual content which will be shared with our Promises2Kids youth bi-monthly, accessible to them anytime, any place. We will cover topics such as how to’s (load your dishwasher, stock your pantry…), top 100 recipes everyone needs to know, buy or make (store bought versus homemade mayo),  nutrition tips by board member Rachel, financial literacy tips, interviews with our food producers… basically, it’s Adulting Simplified. 

At the helm of this project is private chef and Chef Angels instructor Jess DeOcampo. Her advisory council includes Chef Angels founder Lena Goldberg, instructors Jenn Felmley and Lay Alston, and joining them are youth advisors and Chef Angels students Marquita, Reese, and Lourdes.

This project wouldn’t be possible without the expert guidance of renowned videographer and chef, Mikel Anthony, of Epic Chef. A visionary when it comes to storytelling via food, Mikel brings his vast knowledge in content production to the kitchen so we can entice our youth to join us on this journey via various social media channels. As a former foster youth in San Diego, Mikel offers a unique perspective to the stories , content and recipes we are sharing.

First episode will be released exclusively to our Promises2Kids youth this summer, and will be available a month later to the general public via our website. Later this year, we will enroll the youth in all our other programs to receive exclusive early-access to this most useful information!

 #ChefJess #ChefMikel  #ChefLena #ChefJenn  #ChefLay

#ChefWorks#JCFofSD 

#chefangelssd #Promises2Kids#EpicChef 

 

Six classes in May! It was a busy month, kicking it off with a special tour of Continental Catering’s operations, followed by a Mediterranean themed cooking class led by their culinary leader Chef Daisy. The Promises2Kids youth and their mentors had a fab time and ate well!

We did two sessions at YAC; first, Chef Jenn taught a hearty from-scratch chicken soup, and added a side salad to the lesson. Chef Dior delighted the youth with rainbow hummus veggie rolls, allowing the youth to put as many of their favorite veggies in their own rolls.

The Oasis youth got a hands-on sushi class by Sushi Assassins’ Chef Aaron, the youth learned how to make California rolls and unagi nigiri. A comprehensive tour of the Catalina Offshore Products wholesale and retail seafood operations followed, led by co-owner Brittany, with a bluefin tuna breakdown by long time manager Mario. As a bonus, the youth got to taste the most prized parts of the tuna to their great delight! Later in the month Chef Michael did knife education with our brand new Mercer Culinary knives, and taught from-scratch greek flatbreads, along with all the tasty chicken, salad and dips that goes with it.

Last, but no means least, we welcomed Chef Marisela for her first class, teaching the Varsity boys ribeye tacos with all the fixings, what a treat! 

 #ChefDaisy #ChefJenn #ChefMarisela  #ChefDior #ChefAaron #ChefMichael

#ChefWorks#WFfoundation #JCFofSD 

#chefangelssd#OasisClubhouse #YouthAssistanceCoalition #VarsityTeam  #Promises2Kids   #ContinentalCatering #CatalinaOP 

 

Announcing our new collaboration with the Asian Culture & Media Alliance, a San Diego nonprofit whose mission is to uplift AANHPI voices through the power of media and storytelling.

First phase of our collab is to tell the Chef Angels story through our AANHPI identifying chef instructors for the ACMA series Asian Pacific Voices. Stay tuned for more projects in the near future…

 #ChefChristina #ChefJess #ChefScott  #ChefGianna #ChefLena 

#ACMA

April Fools month started off strong on the namesake day with a wonderful tour of Specialty Produce, followed by a lesson cooking in their Studio Kitchen. SP rep Janet delighted the Oasis youth with a tasting of seasonal samples, the likes they’ve never had before, sea beans (AKA samphire), snap peas, and clementines. We started in the fruit museum, then made our way down the corridor of knowledge, before disappearing into the giant warehouse to ogle all the amazing fruit and veg they stock there, including precious truffles! Next, Chef Jess invited the youth into the kitchen to sample potato leek soup and grilled farmers market veggies, before they started the cooking lesson of arancini with spicy arrabbiata sauce.

Later in the month Chef Sharon taught the Oasis youth how to make hearty grain bowls, with quinoa, loads of veggies, some tasty chicken for protein, all enrobed in a tasty sauce.

We returned to Olivewood Gardens with the Promises LatinX group, Chef Shelly of Del Mar’s Monarch Pub and uptown’s Bocas del Sol, teaching one of Bocas’ signature dishes, plantain crusted empanadas. We are still dreaming of how tasty they were!

Two more chefs were added to our roster this month. Chef Gianna, a current apprentice with our partners Kitchens For Good, taught the Varsity boys how to make her version of shrimp scampi. Delicious! Private Chef Michael taught the youth how to make a fresh spring pea risotto. He brought a bagful of peas in the pod to shell, so the youth could see where those peas in the freezer come from!

 #ChefSharon #ChefJess #ChefGianna  #ChefShelly #ChefMichael

#ChefWorks#WFfoundation #JCFofSD 

#chefangelssd#OasisClubhouse #YouthAssistanceCoalition #VarsityTeam  #Promises2Kids   #Olivewood #SpecialtyProduce 

 

March had Chef Christina bringing cabbage to the Oasis youth in honor of upcoming St. Patrick’s Day. Chef Scott brought his usual Asian game later that month making veggie loaded fried rice.

Chef Jos delighted the youth with salmon + shrimp + pasta. There was even a bonus salad lesson!

We added a new chef to our roster, Chef Amy, who’s been cooking at a local wine bistro. Amy taught the Varsity boys how to make tasty empanadas.

 #ChefJos #ChefChristina #ChefScott #ChefAmy 

#ChefWorks#WFfoundation #JCFofSD 

#chefangelssd#OasisClubhouse #YouthAssistanceCoalition #VarsityTeam   #KitchensForGood 

 

February was a slower month, but very impactful. We continued on with our mission of teaching the Oasis youth to love their vegetables. Chef Lety made plant-based chorizo tacos, and they all thought they were enjoying meat. Thus further opening up their minds to the possibility of enjoying veggies!

We welcomed 2 new chefs to our roster. Chef Dior, joined us from all the way in Temecula, bringing her joy of catering and private cheffing. She taught the Varsity boys how to make the TikTok trending Lasagna Soup recipe. Perfectly comforting for a February class. Chef Lay, a recent east coast transplant, brought her years of NYC cheffing experience as well as culinary school instructor to the table at YAC; inspiring the youth on not letting your dreams be dashed by disability. She coached her young students to make a fragrant Thai basil fried rice dish.

 #ChefLay #ChefDior #ChefLety

#ChefWorks#WFfoundation

#chefangelssd#OasisClubhouse #YouthAssistanceCoalition #VarsityTeam