Meet Nancy Madok | cooking instructor & culinary tour guide

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nancy Madok and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nancy, why did you pursue a creative career?
The kitchen has always been my happy place. Growing up my family was always entertaining. I felt very comfortable in the kitchen. I loved the creativity & freedom I could express with food.

In high school my sister and I would throw elaborate parties for our friends.
We would pick different themes, and plan out the decor, music and cuisine. Although we never left the backyard those parties taught me the magic of a creative menu and how you could make people feel. I was smitten.

So it seemed natural to pursue a degree in culinary arts. Where I honed my skills and explored the different creative outlet in the industry. I have learned that food is the way in which we ultimately tied together all our cultures, traditions, honor the past, celebrate the present, and express the health for the future.

I now share my experiences and passion in my cooking classes and culinary tours. I adore helping people learn the skills to create meals that are easy as elegant to prepare that they can share with their family & friends. Because time together is precious we need to make it taste wonderful.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My cooking class business started very innocently. My children’s school needed silent auction items for a fundraiser specifically experiences, so I mentioned them to them that I used to teach cooking classes in the Bay Area and I was happy to donate a class to the auction. After the class was over, one of the ladies who attended asked me “When is the next class?” Next class? I had NOT planned on a next class! That was ten years ago. Since then, I’ve been teaching classes out of my kitchen and, by popular demand, have been organizing and leading cultural and culinary tours to Europe where I draw most of my inspiration.

My formal culinary education took place at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Since then, I’ve had many unique and different work experiences, from catering, working in elite restaurants, to managing hotel events, and the planning and execution of corporate events. Each experience took me down a different path, and each experience showed me a different aspect of the culinary art field. Traveling the world, I got to explore various ethnic cuisines and culinary influences, which deeply shape my approach to cooking and entertaining. I never thought I would be a teacher, but I love it! It has been so rewarding to connect and share my love of cooking, travel and entertaining with others.

Each of my cooking classes have a menu that is structured around the season. They include a starter, main plate, and dessert. The recipes have a big “do ahead “component so they work well into your busy life. We also do wine pairings with the menu, and talk about seasonal decor and table setting options, Since it’s not just about the food it’s the entire experience that creates the memories.

It has been an honor and privilege to teach and inspire so many people, to empower home cooks so that they can make a beautiful meal for their family and friends…..people who thought they couldn’t boil water! One of the best compliments I’ve ever had was a student who told me Thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t be complete without my stuffing recipe. I corrected her and said, “It’s no longer my recipe; when she made it, it became hers!” Hopefully, Covid will be behind us soon. I’m excited to get back traveling, and having in person classes in my kitchen. The old saying do what you love really a has applied to me and I encourage others to follow their heart and their passion, take any opportunity that present themselves to learn more about it. It can lead to a wonderfully creative career.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When friends come to San Diego, I like to get them out into the sunshine and enjoy the many fun things to do and see here. A favorite of mine is to walk through Torrey Pines State Reserve, hiking up the hill and glancing out to sea with those breathtaking views, then descending down the cliff trails to the beach for the return. Following up the adventure with lunch at the Torrey Pines Lodge – on the patio of course – is a special treat!
One can’t miss seeing “the grande dame”, the Hotel del Coronado, aka “the Del”. Crossing over the Coronado Bridge is a sight in and of itself and those spectacular views from La Jolla into Mexico – the Coronado Islands themselves – will take your breath away.  Strolling along one of the top 10 sandy beaches of our country is truly wonderful and looking for sand dollars is a great way to spend the afternoon, followed by going into town for bite of course!

On Saturday mornings, we would head down to Little Italy for the open market. There on full display are such great examples of local produce, meats, and breads. I’ll pick up some fun things to bring back to the house for dinner and maybe do a little retail therapy as well.
We wrap out the week with a little culture in Balboa Park. On stopping at one of their amazing museums, stroll the gardens and, if we’re lucky, maybe see a show. San Diego is the launch pad for Broadway shows, you know?!

San Diego really has an eclectic mix of neighborhoods, each with it own unique vibe.  From enjoying the world’s best fish tacos in funky Ocean Beach, to fine dining overlooking the ocean in LA Jolla, there awaits new, fun, and exciting experiences.  Let me know when you are in town!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
To John, G & P. Since I work out of our home kitchen I really bring my work home with me. They have endured countless hours of me recipe testing, teaching classes and using them as human guinea pigs. I would not be who I am without their love and support.

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