I began working in restaurants when I was 15 years old. I worked my way up from prep cook, to garde manger and assistant patisserie chef, to sous chef, and finally head chef. I attended LaVarenne Ecole de Cuisine in Paris in 1981-82. My coup at that school was stealing an audience from the chef from the Ritz. He was doing a demonstration in the upstairs classroom. I was downstairs baking chocolate chip cookies. At that time you couldn't buy Nestle's chocolate chips in Paris and all the Americans were so homesick that they couldn't resist the aroma. I had 30 people eating my cookies as he was lecturing on haute cuisine.
Upon my return from France, I set up and opened the Dartmouth College Faculty Club. After my retirement from the restaurant business, I now cook for my friends and provide them with Salt for all seasons.
-Barbara von Mettenheim Creator of Salt for all seasons