Chef Cultures - Testimonials

My daughter loves cooking with Chef Ron. We had the unique experience of remote Chefs in the Garden class during Covid and Chef Ron was nothing short of amazing in his ability to manage a group of students cooking over zoom! Our experience with Chef Cultures in person classes has been stellar. Chef Ron is a fun and creative teacher who encourages students to try new things. I appreciate the holistic approach he takes in which students learn more than just cooking skills; they come home and share about culture, nutrition and the source of ingredients. 

Parent, Meghan Moraine - 2025

Daughter, Ella - FR class of 2028

Working and learning with Chef Ron was truly transformative! At Forest Ridge, I gained invaluable culinary and time management skills that have positively impacted my life in so many ways. Chef Ron’s passion for global cuisine and his genuine interest in exploring cultures and histories through food were deeply inspiring.

His commitment to nutrition and sustainability was evident during our session at 21 Acres. We made artisan dressings like Balsamic Vinaigrette, Green Goddess, and Creamy Ranch, as well as pumpkin scones, all crafted with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. These experiences beautifully showcased the art of slow food, the joy of cooking with love, and the vital importance of sustainability and mindfulness in every meal.

Chef Ron’s dedication to his craft, thoughtful teaching style, and enthusiasm for cultural, nutritional, and environmental exploration make his classes an unforgettable experience. I wholeheartedly recommend his classes to anyone seeking to enhance their culinary skills, expand their cultural awareness, and discover the deeper joys of cooking.

Josephine Allan - 2025, Masters of Nutrition Graduate - Bastyr U. 2020

Chef Ron is a passionate and dedicated educator who has opened so many doors for me as a student and by all accounts has made reaching for my dreams a thrilling and enriching adventure. I can’t overstate the value I’ve found working with him, whether cooking in the kitchen, dreaming, planning, building, and maintaining garden spaces, or spreading the love of food through cooking and gardening classes. Every time we collaborate I learn something new, and our projects together have built me a reliable foundation to begin growing my food and agriculture career. Chef Ron has so much knowledge and passion to share, and I’m excited for Chef Culture’s LLC to bring his mission of farm to fork education to a wider community.

Maia Westfahl, 2025, FR Class of 2024

Chefs in the garden class at my school - in this class, we learned things like how to garden, properly hold knives, cook, and bake. These skills helped me because in the future, whenever I cook, I can apply the things that we learned. Also, we learned about bees and how they pollinate. This helped me raise awareness about the different types of bees, and how they should be handled based on the type of bees. This class was very fun while I learned different things every day.

Layla - 2025, FR Class of 2030

I had the opportunity to work with Ron as a student chef at Forest Ridge. Through cooking and working together on our honeybee initiative, I developed interests in sustainability and food systems that led me to the work I am doing today. I’m lucky to still call Ron a valued mentor who has supported me creatively and professionally for all these years!

Hana Uyeda - 2025, FR class of 2017

Chef Ron has been an incredible mentor who genuinely cares about his students' growth and success. I had the privilege of taking one of his cooking classes during my sophomore year at Forest Ridge, and that experience sparked my deep passion for cooking. Chef Ron’s classes are about much more than just learning recipes—they explore the culture behind each dish, the garden that nurtures each ingredient, and the science that makes each cooking process come to life.

Chef Ron is deeply passionate about where food comes from. He brought a hydroponics garden to Forest Ridge and has worked tirelessly to care for not only his own personal gardens but also the school’s community gardens. These gardens provided students with the opportunity to connect with the ingredients in a truly meaningful way, taking our understanding of food to a much deeper level.

Having Chef Ron as a mentor has been nothing short of inspiring. His dedication to his craft and ability to pass on that enthusiasm to his students is extraordinary. He is supportive, encouraging, and genuinely caring. I am incredibly grateful for the chance to learn from Chef Ron, both during my time at Forest Ridge and beyond.

Kaia Goyal -  2025, FR Class of 2022