Meet Chef Dennis D. Sturtz
Chef Dennis started sharing a kitchen with his Mom and two Polish grandmothers when he was about five years old. His ethnic background has supplied him the canvas on which he has trained his palate.
After working in several different industries, including automotive foundry and factory work, he decided to let go of the money and security and follow his passion for cooking and sharing his culinary experience. It was a scary proposition. He already had a wife and child and leaving a $13/hr job for entry level positions in the food industry that paid less than $3 an hour didn’t seem a wise or responsible choice.
He followed his passion anyway. He graduated from college with a degree in Applied Food Science from Macomb Community College’s Culinary Department.
Chef Dennis has been a professional chef over 37 years. He has worked in many venues in the restaurant business. From fast food to 4 star gourmet, owner and chef. He is a part-time Chef Instructor at the Baker Culinary Institute of Michigan (CIM) in Port Huron, Michigan, and also runs a private food business consultation and catering business part-time. He also enjoys leading local cooking classes from time to time throughout the year.
One of the many things Chef Dennis will be doing over the next weeks will be to show us how to eat the foods you like and still be healthy and using local food products.
Chef Dennis is fond of reminding everyone to: “Savor the food you eat”
Meet Kat, his Sassy Sous Chef Sidekick
Kat first started working with Chef Dennis professionally in 1995 as his assistant for the "Gourmet for You or Two" cooking classes he taught at Macomb Community College.
Over the years, she's worked alongside him at home and in the professional kitchen, as well as helping manage and market at a small Best Western Hotel with restaurant and banquet room, a historic B&B with seasonal restaurant in Michigan's Thumb area, as well as local catering and classes.
She also offers business life and marketing products and services for solopreneurs at RockingYourPath.com.