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Chef Alexa

“Being a Chef”….bleh strongly dislike this question, feels so formal. I just love being able to share what I can do with people who truly enjoy it. I have such respect for the kitchen because it can be so rewarding to create something delicious. Not everyone is capable of really taking control in their kitchen. They feel lost and defeated. I understand the desire to have my skill set, so I genuinely love being able to share it somehow. Whether it’s teaching someone how to make something, or simply making them something to eat. The reward from this act supersedes most good feelings for me.

Chef Alexa

Professional Bread Baker & Chef

What is one thing you would tell your younger self if given the chance? “I would tell that girl that it is ok to not know what you’re good at, and to keep trying out different things. It’ll pay off in the end, so don’t be discouraged.”

Chef Alexa is known to may people as the “Bread Queen”, and it’s because all of her bread looks and taste like works of art.  This Chatt Tech alum is not only a bread aficionado though, she is well rounded in the kitchen and has a passion for the culinary world. Like many chefs before her this passion started at home, “My mom went to Le Cordon Bleu, when we lived in Paris, so I think it’s always been in me.”  Something else that was instilled in Alexa early was her love of all types of cuisine, “My parents worked for the State Dept. for the first 15 years of my life, so we traveled a lot. Later on I went to high school in Monroe, GA.”  She’s eventually put roots down in Ga and has made it her home with her fiancé Mitch Verlander, daughter, chickens, dogs, and cat. Most recently she left her position as baker at a breakfast establishment in Roswell, Ga called Gracious Plenty.  Alexa like many people right now is working from home, but she is selling her delicious bread while doing it.  

Being a chef in 2020 is like no other time in the industry, because there is no road map and each day looks different.  This doesn’t stop Chef Alexa though and she also has noticed the change in people’s attitudes towards the culinary industry lately, “At this point, I think people are GRATEFUL for my profession and my skill. This crisis has allowed a renewed appreciation of the service industry. Take it away, and you miss having it around.”  A skill that many people around her helped build, “It’s hard to narrow down since multiple chefs have influenced me on this journey, through different areas of my personal growth. I will say Chef Jasmin Willis was most influential, for trusting me and allowing me to fly.”  Being influenced like this is why Alexa is now a great teacher herself in and out of the kitchen and why she is fearless in her craft.  “A couple years ago I quit a job that I had worked at for several years. It took so much guts to quit that job. I’m glad I did because it allowed me to be where I am now.”  Thanks to this decision she now has the tools to adapt to the current culinary environment and also help others on their journeys.  

Another way she helps is by dismantling misconceptions about being a chef, “Oooooh one of my favorites is that everyone assumes you eat pretentious foods all the time. I think most chefs always appreciate the humble things they had growing up. I love ordering Chinese Food, and frozen pizza is still a food I would consume. I mean, we’re regular people who’ve taken a chance to try to eat new things but we never forget what we love.”   We might be regular people, but there is nothing regular about Chef Alexa’s passion and skills.  This comes across easily when you converse with her about food and see how she will go out of her way to help anyone who needs it. With no specific adventure lined up next, Alexa is taking this next journey in her life with an open mind and heart, “All doors are open at the moment.”  She has even mentioned that since her bread is such high demand that she might start a bread company soon, so stay on the lookout for that. Whatever she decides we know that people will flock and tastebuds will be gracious for her work.

Follow On The Following Platforms

IG – balexabalexa

IG – goodgrainsco

Facebook – Alexa Izzet

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