The Journey

After finding her late mother, Beverly, cookbooks and hand-written recipes, Mel knew that she had to get back to her first love, so she took a closer look at pursuing her passion for cooking. Dedicated to learning everything about her craft, in spring of 2015, while still working in production, she enrolled in night culinary classes at The New School of Cooking. While there, Mel was selected to lead her classmates for the graduation lunch; she assisted various chefs with their demos, and her photo is still used in promotional materials for the annual Women’s Chef & Restaurateur event hosted by the school.

Enthusiastic about cultural cuisines, she believes that the best way to learn about a culture is to join them in their kitchen. Mel has been featured on the Complex Magazine show “Good Looking Out,” with Hosts: Ray J and Natasha Martinez. She has graced the palates of Kym Whitley, Tracee Ellis Ross, Marsai Martin, Larenz Tate, Anthony Anderson, Jenifer Lewis, Shangela, KevOnStage and many more. When she’s not at a culinary event or testing cultural spices, Mel enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering her time to mentor youth at the Extraordinary Families Foster Care & Adoption Foundation, and finding the best chicken wing place worldwide. With a smile and personality that can’t help but charm you, Mel’s courageous story of triumph, strength, and love is the drive behind her passion for cooking. Her greatest pleasure will always be bringing people together over comfort food. She is passionate about One Hope Winery because she is a valuable part of a large network that is helping change lives all while supplying award winning wine to your doorstep.