Chef Brenda Backal

Personal Chef In Los Angeles

My name is Brenda Backal and I’m the Chef and owner of Bback4more and BB’s Kitchen, and now La Vida Culinary, where we bring the restaurant quality experience you crave with personalized touches curated exclusively for you and your guests. From fine dining to pub fare, to gourmet desserts and delicious desserts tables.

We offer an array of cuisines that include cultural recipes passed down through generations or our new, modern twists. La Vida Culinary Company is here to take your next family or corporate event to new culinary heights.

I became a Chef by accident. I have always loved to cook for others so I began making churros and funnel cakes for my husband's friends for company picnics and birthdays. Soon, orders began pouring in for more and I realized nothing brought me more joy than people enjoying my food. From there I went on to study at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, graduating with my honors degree in Patisserie Baking. I then extended my knowledge of culinary skills by training with different chefs from around the world, training as a Sous Chef and eventually moving up to the Executive Chef at various restaurants with Top Chefs. My career has put me alongside some of the best Chefs in the business! as well as working with the Los Angeles Rams.  Today, I am a private chef, caterer, and pastry chef and I also teach cooking classes to bring my love of the culinary arts to as many people as I can. I also offer made-to-order shipments of my famous scones, cookies, tortillas, mole sauces, salsa, and more! Book a consultation to find out how I can help bring your next event to new culinary A native of Mexico,

Brenda’s been cooking since she was 8 years old, giving her ample time to perfect the craft. After years of working for others, she decided to branch out on her own with BBack 4 More and BB's Kitchen and now at La Vida Culinary Company. You could say it’s been a success given Brenda catered for the LA Rams, serving up breakfast for over 100 people six days a week.

However, you don’t have to be a football star to try this cuisine. You can sample her food specialties and more if you catch her rolling through the streets.

For me, cooking is...

Is like therapy, is a way to tell you how much I care about what you are eating and share my culture thru my dishes

I learned to cook at...

I learn to cook at home at the age of 8, cooking for family and friends, watching my mom bake, and helping here in the kitchen.

A cooking secret...

My secret is to cook with love and passion for what Im doing,

My menus

Create your own

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Sourdough Filet mignon Bites

Filet mignon Sliders

Miso lamb chops

Crab cakes

Chicken Wings

Spinach and artichoke Dip

Aguachile

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

House salad

Baked Artichoke hearts with Brie cheese, and Panko truffle

Burrata, eggplant, and heirloom tomato Salad

Grilled Ceasar Salad

Shrimp and crab cakes

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Chicken cordon blue

Lamb chops served with celery/potato mash

Chicken Marsala

Branzino

Smoked pork chops

Ribeye with potatoes and sauté veggies

Pan seared halibut or sea bass

Prime rib roast with fondant potatoes

Steak Au poivre and double baked potato

Chicken or Shrimp Curry

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Cheesecake with a strawberry sauce

Arroz con leche

Pecan pie

Flan

Apple Beignets

Mediterranean affair

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Grilled Scallops

Roasted bell pepper Hummus with toasted pita, olives and tomatoes

Mushroom Saffron Risotto

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Grilled Octopus Salad

Ceasar Salad

Caprese and melon salad with prosciutto

Tuna Tartare

Grilled lettuce Salad with beets

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Chicken Marsala

Smoked pork chops

Stuffed pork tenderloin

Duck Breast

Chicken or veal piccata

Grilled lamb chops

Miso Lamp chops with Celery/potato Mash and saut'e leeks

Steak Au poivre and double baked potato

Steak Diana

Chicken pallard

DESSERT

All inclusive

French Night

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Cheese fondue

Blue mussels in white wine

Artichoke hearts with Brie cheese and truffle panko

Sourdough Filet mignon Bites

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Apple pear salad With feta and balsamic reduction

Wedge salad

Beet and goat salad

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Braised Lamb shanks

Filet mignon, smashed potatoes and leeks

Chicken cordon blue

Lamb chops served with celery/potato mash

Beef Bourgogne With homemade fettuccine

Smoked pork chops

Steak Au poivre and double baked potato

Steak Diana

Beef Wellington

Chicken Francine

Veal saltimbocca

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Cheesecake with a strawberry sauce

Flour less Chocolate Cake

Apple Beignets

Amazing Italian feast night

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Mussels with a tomato wine sauce

Grilled Scallops

Mussels with linguini

Artichoke hearts with Brie cheese and truffle panko

Oxtail ravioli with a white wine sauce

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Grilled Octopus Salad

Ceasar Salad

Tuna Tataki Martini

Burrata, eggplant, and heirloom tomato Salad

Caprese and melon salad , prosciutto with basil pesto

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Salmon with spaghetti squash and Tomatillo Salsa

Lobster Ravioli with a tomato brisque sauce

Risotto with short ribs

Filet mignon, smashed potatoes and leeks

Lamp chops with Celery/potato Mash and saute leeks

Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken or shrimp

Smoked pork chops

Pan seared Duck Breast with mash and veggies

Gnocchi

Spinach and ricotta ravioli

Chicken or veal Marsala

Chicken or Veal Milanese

Chicken or veal piccata

Pan seared halibut or sea bass

Branzino

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Cheesecake with a strawberry sauce

Flour less Chocolate Cake

Tiramisu

Profiteroles

Not just taco tuesday!!

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Ceviche de Pescado

Pozole

Tacos al pastor

Bao Buns Mexican fusion

Tamales

Scallops and shrimp tostadas

Tacos de Pescado o Shrimp

Empanadas

Aguachile

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Ceviche de Palmettos (Vegan)

Sopa de tortilla

Cactus Salad

Taquitos de papa dorados

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Chicken or turkey tinga

Chicken with red or green mole

Chicken or Veal Milanese

Beef stew birria

Ropa vieja with plantains

Enchiladas suizas

Enchiladas de mole poblano

Camarones a la diabla

Puntas de filete coloradito

Chicharron en salsa verde

Chilaquiles verdes o rojos

Assorted guisados (stews)

Assorted tacos

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Tres Leches Cake

Chocoflan

Crepas de Cajetas

Churros con chocolate

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Chef Brenda's reviews

4.97

•

40 services

Chef Brenda was amazing! On short notice she provided a the perfect meal for us. She even helped put the baby to bed! We are looking forward to her next treat!

Brenda did an amazing job. Her food was delicious, she was engaging with our guests, and left my kitchen spotless. I will definitely hire her again!

Our group fell in love with Chef Brenda. She was fun and attentive, and the food she prepared for us was excellent. She did three meals for us while there in person (two family style and one plated) and prepared the food for a fourth (our lunch before leaving LA). Chef Brenda has an impressive culinary range, and the variety of types of dishes she prepared was perfect, We were so impressed by how she not only had appropriate fare for people with specific food allergies/needs, but that she remember who they were and almost seemlessly served them what everyone was enjoying but, e.g. dairy free, versions. We chose Chef Brenda because of the incredible reviews we read here, and I am more than pleased to add another one to that list. I look forward to engaging her in the future when we are in the area.

We all loved Brenda! She was so kind and respectful and she taught me so much throughout the night. She puts so much detail and love into the dishes and each dish was so delicious. Overall I had a great culinary experience and would hire her again :)

Brenda was amazing! Had the best Valentine's Day with her amazing cooking!

Chef Brenda is a very special person. She was on time, gave special attention to setting up the space to make it look beautiful, she was friendly and funny too. The menu that she created was thoughtful, creative and DELICIOUS. Not to mention, the full service clean up at the end of the meal. She created an environment for me and my partner to celebrate a special occasion and we're so grateful for her service. I would highly recommend her for your future events, birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.

Chef Brenda created an unforgettable anniversary evening for us. She thoughtfully crafted the menu to our preferences and executed to perfection. She's a true professional and a pleasure. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Brenda was soooo amazing from her arrival to when she left the home. She’s very sweet, genuine, and ensured her clients had the best ingredients for their meal. She was very professional when serving us and explained every meal. She arrived early, cleaned up, and even left us leftovers at the end with some ingredients. I would definitely recommend Brenda for your personal chef services here in California if you want an exceptional dine in home experience.

Chef Brenda was amazing from start to finish! Everything was perfectly timed and amazing!! So good!!

Chef Brenda was amazing. She arrived early and got immediately to work, and she cooked with experience, care, and love. She was filled with wisdom and love and cooked the same. The kitchen was filled with so many inviting aromas. The food was incredible, each and every course. After it was all over, Chef Brenda left the kitchen cleaner and better than she found it. 5 star experience that I would definitely recommend and do again.

Chef Brenda offered us a very professional service. She was very attentive to our needs and went above and beyond in meeting them. We had a fantastic experience!

Chef Brenda went above and beyond to ensure our meal was fresh and delicious! She even made a small plate for our 3 year old

Brenda as our chef for the evening was an incredible experience and she worked heroically through multiple challenges to the kitchen and environment that required her to adapt. Her menu creation and follow through with the taste, presentation, and atmosphere was a one of a kind experience. It was clear in every aspect of the meal that it was well thought out and done to perfection. The Bride and Groom, as well as each guest, continued to rave about the experience for the evening and following days. It was worth every penny spent and the group all took her card with the hope of booking future events with Brenda.