Hi there! I’m Eva Russo, a 42-year-old chef from Asheville, North Carolina, a town tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains where the seasons speak loudly and the produce sings if you listen closely enough. I wasn’t born in a restaurant kitchen, and truth be told, I didn’t always know how to properly boil pasta. My earliest meals were microwaved mac and cheese and frozen chicken nuggets. But somewhere along the way, cooking turned from survival into love.
My journey into the kitchen really began in my late twenties. I had just lost a desk job I didn’t love, and on a whim, I decided to host a dinner party. I spent days poring over recipes, calling my mom for advice, and watching every cooking video I could find. That night, over plates of lemon-garlic roast chicken and a very wonky-looking apple pie, something clicked. The food wasn’t perfect. But everyone smiled, laughed, and stayed late. That feeling stuck with me.
Since then, I’ve taught myself how to sear scallops without fear, bake sourdough that doesn’t resemble a brick, and even make sushi rolls that mostly stay together. I trained under a couple of incredible chefs here in Asheville who saw potential in my curiosity, not just my knife skills. They taught me to trust my senses, taste everything twice, and never apologize for a learning moment. That’s what we call those little cooking slip-ups that actually teach you more than perfection ever could.
Now, I run small cooking classes out of my home kitchen and post simple recipes online that I wish I’d had when I was starting out. My cooking style is relaxed and real. Think creamy tomato soup from scratch, fluffy buttermilk pancakes, or tacos with a twist. I want to make you feel like the kitchen isn’t a test. It’s a playground.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by recipes, burnt toast and called it a disaster, or looked at a head of cauliflower like it’s a puzzle, you’re in good company. I’m here to help you fall in love with cooking the same way I did, one delicious mistake at a time.
Let’s make something good together.
If you need any help, feel free to contact me through the Contact page. I’m here to assist you!
