About Chef Sam

I am a Midwestern boy born and raised in the Twin Cities (St.Paul and Minneapolis) of Minnesota.  I am the youngest of nine children and my passion for cooking began when I was around nine years old and one of my older sisters gave me my first cookbook for my birthday.  When I was 14 Mom broke her leg and I began cooking the family dinners!  Though I have attended some cooking classes and seminars my culinary training continued to be mostly self taught by experimentation on family and friends. It’s amazing how many friends you will find you have when you volunteer to have a dinner party featuring Chilean Sea Bass with a bourbon glaze, White Cheddar mashed potatoes and Steamed Asparagus with sautéed criminis and shallots.  I started out cooking based on my Midwestern upbringing but after traveling all over the US and a bit in France I have developed a true passion for sauces of all kinds.  From complex wine reductions and bourbon glazes to simple gravies, béchamel and hollandaise sauces I have yet to meet a sauce I don’t like!

My wife now compares me to the star of the movie Ratatouille.  I don’t just enjoy cooking.  I truly love and get excited about putting different flavors together to make not only the perfect dish, but the most extraordinary complete meal I can think of!  Whether I am relying on my Midwestern influences and creating a hearty beef and potato meal or following my passion for sauces of all kinds I get pure joy from my cooking!

I have spent the past 12 years in the corporate world of purchasing and at the encouragement of my wonderful wife I finally broke out of the corporate mold to follow my true passion.  After investing in some training by the USPCA (Unites States Personal Chef Association) and the CBA (Culinary Business Academy)I have taken my cooking from being just a hobby I share with family and friends to making it my life as Chef Sam’s Saucy Suppers! I continue to update my skills and better serve you by attending more training classes and seminars and I am pursuing being a Certified Personal Chef.