OUR COOKS

Mardi Burden, co-owner of Cuisine Classique has been an
an avid cook since 1976 when she married Bob Burden.
She is a self-taught cook and has spent many happy
hours in kitchens all over Tucson. Mardi is presently
Pantry Chef at French Twist Cafe in Oro Valley.
“Sharing the Love” is truly her passion!

Marci Phillips is a native Tucsonan who combines her love of
cooking and gardening in all of her classes and is an enthusiastic
member of our teaching team. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Secondary Education and has taught pre-school through graduate
school. Marci and her husband Gregg are Realtors at Long Realty.

 Laurie Haskett, retired teacher and co-owner (along with
husband Bob) of The Congenial Quail Bed and Breakfast
in Tucson. Laurie shares her lifelong love of cooking and
her teaching skills to present elegant brunches.
These wonderful meals have kept guest returning to
The Congenial Quail year after year!

Amanda Thaller, Mandy comes to us from Keokuk, Iowa.
Keokuk's loss is truly our gain as Mandy shares her almost
unlimited skills in our children's classes every Saturday.

Denis Soderman, Denis is a graduate of the culinary program
of Johnson and Wales University, one of our country's
premier culinary schools. Denis is a chef but is presently using
his considerable skills as the cheese buyer for AJ's Fine Foods.
Be sure to stop and say hi! 

Chef Steven Braun, Chef Steven comes to us from New York
city where he worked his way up in the restaurant business
through years of experience in the kitchen. He has owned and
cooked in his own restaurants and is presently chef at the
Sheraton El Conquistador Resort in Oro Valley.

Chef Jon Hall
 Jon has 25 years experience in hotels, private clubs
and restaurants in Seattle. He also is proprietor
of Desert Rain Coffee Company, a micro roaster
of gourmet coffees and espresso. Visit Jon, and
try his wonderful coffee drinks at Northwest Hospital
on Tangerine Rd. in Oro Valley.
John has been a finalist five times at the
Chef’s Championship Hot Food competition
held yearly in New York City.
John’s approach to teaching is to have fun in class and
be able to learn from the class as well as teach it.

Mary Elizabeth Evans, The Tea Bag, is teaching classes
and selling products in her own home in Black Horse Ranch
north of Catalina, Az, her HOA is dying to hear about that!
Mary Elizabeth also is publisher of the Teabreak News a
home made sort of newsletter of no consequence.

 Mary Lou Colvin is another Tucson native. Mary Lou is
a Fourth Grade teacher in the Amphitheater district and
is wonderful with children.

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The degree of difficulty for all of our classes
is designated by the number of Chefs present
next to the description: