Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelley Epstein.
Hi Kelley, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
It started when I was a kid, really. My love of being in the kitchen and gathering around food has always been there. I lived for the nights my mom hosted bridge and made a buffet full of the “fancy” dishes she saved for entertaining. The food always took center stage at any of our extended family gatherings and with both my parents working full time, my mom still figured out a way to get my brothers and me to sit down at the dinner table most nights. Food is literally attached to just about every childhood memory I have.
I worked in restaurants all through high school and college. Front of the house mostly but also made my way to the back, helping prep when they were short-staffed and ultimately I helped cater which I absolutely loved doing. When I finally graduated (it took me a minute) the thought of getting a “real” job made me cringe. So, I stuck to what I knew: Playing during the day and working in restaurants at night.
Eventually, I wanted to do something on my own so with no formal training, I started a private chef business in the fall of 2002. It took off right away and in some form or another, I’ve been slinging my food ever since. My business name and model have changed over the years but the heart of what I do has remained the same: Cook with purpose and cook with love. It’s really that simple.
Currently, I still work as a private chef though I’m a lot more choosy with the work I take on as I’m raising my own family, and cooking for them will always come first. I started a food blog, www.mountainmamacooks.com in 2010 where I share recipes and antidotes from life in a ski town. I’m active on my social media channels and just released my first cookbook, Après All Day, in August.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Ha! Is any success story a smooth road?
I think the biggest struggle for me was and still is this constant juggle of balancing my work life and home life. As any working parent, I wear many hats and it can get overwhelming if I over-commit. If I’m not careful and take on too many jobs at once things suffer at home.
I wish I could impart some sort of wisdom and tell you that I’ve got it all figured out but I don’t. I’m almost 20 years into cooking for others and still haven’t figured it out.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As I said, I wear many hats!
I work as a private chef cooking for local and vacationing families. I take a lot of pride in cooking from scratch, supporting local farmers and artisans, and working with clients to create the perfect meal.
I also write and manage a food blog, www.mountainmamacooks.com, where I share seasonal, straightforward recipes. I’m probably best known for the tips and tricks and foolproof recipes that I share for high-altitude baking and cooking. It’s an art to successfully bake at altitude and I’m constantly learning and tinkering recipes to share with my readers.
I think I’m the proudest of the cookbook I just published. It took almost 2 years to start to finish and the end product is beyond what I could have hoped for. Après All Day really embodies everything I love and do: Cozy recipes, the art of gathering with friends and family, and the love of the ski town lifestyle.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
As cliche as it might sound, I really believe that to do great work, you must love what you do.
There have been so many periods throughout my cooking journey when I was burned out, overworked, and threatened to give it all up. But I haven’t yet because deep down I really love what I do. Instead, I had to take a step back or take a break to reevaluate why things aren’t working. As I said earlier, my business has morphed along the way and that’s ok. In fact, it’s amazing.
I’ve figured out a way to continue to make money at something I love while making the rules and creating a model that can change as my life does. Also? It takes a village. I couldn’t do it without help and an amazing support system.
Contact Info:
- Email: kelley@mountainmamacooks.com
- Website: www.mountainmamacooks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mountainmamacooks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mountainmamacooks
Image Credits
Deborah DeKoff and Kellie Hatcher
