Chef of the Week: Alison Negrin

Chef Alison Negrin holds two culinary degrees from California Culinary Academy and Bauman College for Holistic Nutrition. Her resume includes stints at prestigious restaurants including Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California and Bridges Restaurant near San Francisco. Alison has been recognized with several awards for both her talent and mindfulness in the kitchen. In 2014, she was given the Women Who Inspire Award for Community Service from Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, and in 2012, she was given the Health Care Without Harm Food and Climate Change Award for Sustainable Purchasing. She now develops recipes and menus as a consultant for various companies and teaches at Diablo Valley College of Culinary Arts.

What do you enjoy most about being a part of the ChefsBest panel?

I love sitting around the table with my colleagues as we all share a common bond. We talk food, we think food, and we all make a living with our skills and passion for food preparation. The ChefsBest interviewing process screens chefs for their ability to articulate and talk about flavor so the conversations are detailed. We compare what we are experiencing which validates what we are tasting as a group. I find this process fascinating.

What are three of your grocery store staples?

I always have broccoli, romaine, and Newman’s Caesar dressing in my fridge (and good Parmesan).

In addition to participating on the ChefsBest panel, how else are you involved in the culinary community?

I teach culinary arts at a local community college. I have a consulting business and offer my services to restaurants and institutions for menu development, specializing in healthy, sustainable, and ethnically diverse recipes. I also teach classes in fermentation and have a weekly recipe blog at www.chefalisonnegrin.com.

To learn more about Alison Negrin, and all of our other Certified Master Tasters click here.