Hello! My name is Danielle Weaver. I am a classically trained chef with an emphasis on baking and pastry, as well as allergy and dietary alternatives. I’ve worked in Hospitality since I was 14, mostly at several 4 and 5 star resorts in both front and back of house. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Culinary Management, a Master's in Business Administration, I am a certified Sommelier and Cicerone.  I am also a Restaurant Consultant, helping create and execute large scale restaurant operations.  I enjoy that cooking is approachable to all, and that it can become a valuable life skill when taught and practiced regularly.

I teach classes that impart a skill or technique.  While my classes may not always produce a complete meal by the end of each session, they will produce a repeatable action that will create the same delicious result every time, allowing you to build an arsenal of skills that will have anyone mastering their kitchen environment quickly.  If you have always been bungled by the finicky 'perfectly poached egg' I can show you how to do it properly and successfully so you are one step closer to being the family go-to for amazing Eggs Benedict.  Speaking of Benedict, if it's the sauce that you just cannot get right, perhaps a class on mother sauces would be just what is needed to make a gorgeous hollandaise.  

In addition to skills and techniques, my classes are filled with food history, food science, and often times we employ food math for our recipes while practicing confidently relying on our intuition.  The best part is that each of us are able to improvise in real time when things in the kitchen find an opportunity to become a challenge, and I work with students on persevering through the challenge at hand to create a great dish, offering alternative options that can help them recover what might have ended up a disaster!

Additionally, I know first hand how hard it can be to navigate food when there is an allergy or a medical restriction at play.  I have spent the past 10 years of my life as a parent of children with food allergies, and as an adult with an autoimmune illness that forced me to educate myself on nutrition, alternative nutrition options, alternative flours and sugars, egg substitutes, etc.  As a Chef, there were a few months there where even I felt helpless.  I have since taken the time to Research and Develop hundreds of recipes that I can share with you to make tasty allergy/dietary friendly foods.

In my time on Outschool I have met hundreds of students so far through group, semi-private, and private classes.  While my goal is to impart a passion of cooking, I have also helped students prepare to enter Culinary High Schools as well as prepare them for entrance into Culinary Institutes across the globe.  I also enjoy fun events like making Hot Chocolate Bombs with a Girl Scout Troop,  showing a STEM Club how to make chemical reactions in food, and helping a student make sushi for a Birthday Celebration!