Never too many hands in the kitchen
This month has involved a wonderful return to our weekly meal deliveries. We are thrilled to have returned to the kitchen and after just one week back on the job, Tim already feels ready to diversify the entree offerings. We are so grateful for the progress we have seen already and for the support from all of you!
We are also appreciative to have extra hands in the kitchen, helping us with the meal preparation and by providing an additional entree each week. Our friend and cook Jess Ledezma has worked with us occasionally since 2020, and we are excited to have her working more consistently with us now on meal deliveries.
Since so much of our work emphasizes the importance of community, and because we care deeply about providing for our neighbors, it only makes sense to give you all a formal introduction to Jess. She is an invaluable part of our team, and we are honored to have her cooking with us. So friends & neighbors, meet Jess!
Jess’ Background & Our Connection
Jess grew up in the Traverse City area and always loved cooking. In High School, she attended the TBA career tech center and was enrolled in their culinary program. She worked in restaurants around town, most notably Bistro Amical. It was at Amical that she began to consider becoming a professional chef, and this was also where she met Tim.
Eventually, Tim left Amical, and Jess did as well, spending some time in Charleston, South Carolina, working at various restaurants in the area. When she returned to her hometown of Traverse City in 2020, we asked for her assistance on a few events. Gradually, she began helping with meal deliveries as well. Soon, she was helping to create or modify recipes for our events and meal deliveries. This winter after Tim’s surgery, she offered holiday meals when we couldn’t. Many of you ordered tamales and salmon cakes from her to add to your holiday tables.
Jess’ Favorite Meals & Kitchen Tips
About ten years ago, Jess discovered that she was Celiac, which means she is unable to process gluten. Because of this, she cooks gluten-free at home, which has allowed her the opportunity to learn some tricks along the way. She recommends using ¼ cup less of any gluten-free flour or bread crumbs when substituting into a typical recipe. Gluten-free products tend to be drier than their wheat counterparts. When baking, she warns that the batter may look wetter than a typical recipe, but that the added moisture keeps the final product from being too crumbly and dry.
Jess’ favorite meals to cook are soups, because of how versatile they are. “You can have them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner; hot or cold, sweet or spicy, creamy or brothy, and everything in between,” she says. We agree; we love a good soup!
Jess says, “My favorite thing about food is the culture behind it and the traditions that everybody has associated with different foods. There is no one specific that I favor over the other, but my personal cooking go-to’s are various Latino, and (I enjoy) splicing different ethnic styles.”
Northern Michigan & Beyond
Leelanau County’s growing food scene. Even though she hasn’t gotten the chance to check out some of the new restaurants, she thinks that Leelanau’s food culture is getting some things right. “Overall, I think one thing that is very consistent and done well is sticking to seasonality.” She also applauds the emphasis on promoting the agricultural scene throughout the region.
There are some ways that the region could improve upon food offerings, and she especially notes the lack of diversity of cultures represented in the local cuisine. With the exception of tex-mex and Asian fusion, there aren’t many options outside of typical American fare, and she believes “there’s so much more to explore that…the surrounding areas would benefit from.”
We agree, Jess, and we are excited to see all that you bring to the local food scene. Not just in what you offer to our clientele, but to the whole region. Glad to have you on our team!
Jess Ledezma currently cooks at Red Spire Brunch House full time. She assists us at Mel & Fell as needed, and this summer will be working with Smoke and Porter at some of their events. You can follow along with her work on her Instagram at /northerngf_chefjess.
