Tomorrow’s Kitchen has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I am one that developed my love of cooking by standing on a stool next to my mom helping her prepare dinner. As I've grown throughout the industry, I've found that there is no greater feeling than watching food come alive and seeing the looks on the faces of others as an ordinary cantaloupe becomes a vase housing flowers made of melon, grapes, strawberries, and pineapple. But its more than that. It's watching a group of children who declared that they didn't like beans, learn to love and appreciate the flavor of beans. To watch people eat a Parmesan made entirely of onions who claimed that they don't eat onions. No matter what people say they won't eat, there's a way to prepare everything so that everyone will eat it and it is my mission to find that way. I absolutely love cooking and all things culinary. I wish to be able to reach out to all people, but especially today's youth, inspiring them to develop a love of food and cooking. Tomorrow's Kitchen isn't just catering, it's teaching, it's inspiring, it's creating, and it's just cooking. What you like, what you love. You don't have to aspire to be a chef to learn to enjoy the textures, flavors, and aromas of the things we put in our mouths.
About Tomorrow's Kitchen
About
TonJala M. Burton-Mack, CCC (Chef-T)
Executive Chef /Owner of Tomorrow’s Kitchen.
“introducing school aged children to the exciting world of culinary and promoting the benefits of healthy eating.”
Through a culinary career expanding nearly 3 decades, I learned very early, that the world of tomorrow, lies in the hands of the children of today. Because a significant number of our children are now fixing their own meals and after school snacks, the desire to choose sweets over fruits and vegetables is incredibly overwhelming, so the need to give them the ability to make healthy food choices is imperative. My passion is to get them to make these choices, by teaching them that cooking can be fun, and showing them that fruits and vegetables can taste just as good as the cookies and candies.
After spending nearly 30 years working in culinary as a Sous Chef, Station Chef, and Executive Chef, and volunteering as the ACF Chef and Child Chairperson for 15 years, I know what truly drives culinary passions—and it’s not mastering the flavor of the week. It’s how well I can connect with the people I’m trying to help and communicate my passions and understanding back to them.
I have been featured in print and broadcast outlets throughout, the western U.S. including the Sacramento Bee, Reno Gazette-Journal, Nevada Appeal, Lodi Record, Joseph’s Table, and Kid’s On-Line. I hold the Chef of the Year title for the High Sierra Chefs Association for 1999-2000, and the Educator of the Year title for the California Capital Chefs Association 2009. In addition to being a Chef de Cuisine, I am also a Certified ServSafe proctor and instructor, a Certified Food Protection Manager, and hold award certificates in both Customer Service and Customer Retention.
