Chef Mckenzie Amaral

I grew up in Northern California, started making wine when I was 12 and continued for 10 years after that, producing under my own label - Kenzie Gold. While I love making wine I discovered that my passion for creating and mixing flavors dosen’t just stop in the bottle. I wrote and published my first cookbook Dormet in 2018. Dormet was my first entrepreneurial venture and allowed me to create and test over 40 recipes and got me my first TV Segment on an ABC affiliate. After graduating with a degree in Public Relations, I continued cooking but this time as a Manager for Hillstone Restaurant Group in Santa Monica, California. I learned how to truss 30 chickens in 5 minutes, cut 20 pounds of kale in 1 inch rectangles in 20 minutes and make the perfect martini. At nights I would go home and test and write new recipes for my second cookbook, Table for One, which focuses on single-serve recipes and allowed me to create and test over 70+ recipes. In 2022, I was accepted to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris to what I think as my “Masters in Cuisine”. During my time in France I worked a harvest in the Southern Rhône, cooked under some of the best chefs in the world and learned about the integrity of French products. I graduated from Le Cordon Bleu with a Cuisine Diploma in September 2023. In October I moved to London to continue my culinary journey in one of the most interesting and diverse culinary capitals in the world. I held a stagé at The River Cafe and passed my WSET Level 2 in December and am currently studying for Level 3. I have continued to develop menus, private dinner concepts and more.