My name is Amber.

I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a wild card.

I decided, after attending a handful of colleges, that school just wasn’t for me (or something like that).

Deep in thought, I fought to really pin-down what it REALLY was I wanted to do with my life.

Someone at some point asked me “what makes you happy? ya know, turns your crank?”. My immediate answer was “food. cooking. fooooood.”

So. I took action. I got a job at a well-known and well-respected restaurant in Carmel, CA. There I learned and developed some skills. Taking in the professional kitchen atmosphere and trying to narrow down exactly where I wanted to be and where I saw myself in the future.

Well, it turns out that, while THAT kitchen wasn’t the place for me, the experience served it’s purpose, thoroughly. I met two of my best friends and nailed down the couple of things that now drive me in the kitchen.

Trying new things and exploring is without a doubt at the top of the list.

Finding and connecting with local ingredients and the people who grow them comes in second, although barely, because it is equally important to me as the first one.

These things, among many are how and why I find myself where I am now. Cooking and buying food at and for Sierra Mar at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur, CA. With a bit of luck, and possibly a sprinkle of talent and an ample amount of passion, I landed what I am now considering my Dream Job.

I buy fresh, local ingredients at the Farmers’ Market, and then take them back to the kitchen and cook with them. Creating the exploring everything these amazing ingredients have to offer.