ARIEL E. ROSS | personal chef + wellness advocate
  • ABOUT ME

MY STORY

I am a mother, a chef, a wellness advocate and co-cookbook author of The Abundant Table. I'm a lover of all humans and our complexities. Good whole food, time in nature, nutrition, neuroplasticity, environmental awareness, music, the arts, community, travel, exercise, love, friends, mindfulness and forever finding life balance. These are some of the things that light me up. These days I work as a full time Private Chef in a family home. My goal is to bring more ease and grace into my life so that I may bring the same to my client and the folks around me. I do this with a wholistic concept through food and plant medicine, energy medicine, mindfulness and intention.With the pandemic easing up...I'm looking for more laughter and lightness to come into my life and the world around me. 

I believe that food is medicine, a celebration and an art form. I create well-balanced, full-bodied, nutritious, vibrant, globally minded and artistic food for my client. I have learned a lot through my rich life and work experience, personal studies and relationships. I have innate and developed gifts and an awareness of food and how it can impact our entire being. Today, more than ever,  I would like to give back and help others heal.  I would like to be of service to humanity through my work. 
 
I believe in the healing capacity of food and the concept that we all have our own unique body and heart intelligence and a deep intuition that can help us discern all of our moves in life (decisions). This shows up in our relationship moves, our work moves and and  food moves (decisions). I believe that if we just take a little time to slow down and listen, we can learn so much about our needs and ourselves.  

Food has informed my life. For me, creating and cooking has been a part of my life for as long as I’ve been standing. My love of food began at an early age, on a farm in Sonoma County, California. I feel lucky to have been raised in the country with chickens and eggs, a cow and goats, fresh garden produce, a fruit orchard, fresh air, grande redwoods and a beautiful creek nearby to play in. My sister and I learned how to live off of the land around us. Being close to nature allowed me to become sensitive and more in tune to my environment. My mother cooked our meals with inspiration from the garden and from the cookbooks of Julia Childs, Time Life Foods of the World, Mollie Katzen's,The Moosewood Cookbook and the Tassajara Bread Book, to name a few.
 
In my youth I lived in the Dominican Republic, traveled throughout Europe, Canada, Mexico and beyond. This time grounded my inspiration and ignited a love for regional and global food with a locally sourced focus. I never looked back. My culinary refinement took root by cooking with extraordinary chefs, experiencing myriad culinary classes and a cookbook-writing course at CIA at Greystone. This exploration helped further drive my purpose and passion with and towards bountiful and gorgeous food. 
 
I’ve been working in kitchens and homes for over 30 years, with both the food and wine. I rounded out my experience working with a small wine label and then finally in a role as a Direct Sales and Events Manager with Hartford Family Wines. During that time, I acquired my First Level Sommelier Certificate with the Master Court of Sommeliers. In the past, I owned a small catering and event business at Ariel Ross Foods. I’ve cooked as a private and personal chef for clients from all walks of life and echelons. 
 
A path through a recent health crisis involved a deep and humbling journey for me. It changed me and shifted my life completely.  I was moving too fast and taking on more than one human ( who likes to help others) can do. I had to let go of old structures and ideas that no longer served me in my physical work and beyond. The lyme illness altered my body, my brain, my heart and my mindset. This experience has asked me to pay attention to me and life in a way I had been ignoring and pushing though. And through this experience I discovered from a new perspective, depth and truth that whole unadulterated food, can be a powerful catalyst for change throughout our entire body. Organic, bright, whole and clean food can assist in giving the body a chance to start over, a chance for all systems to re-set and begin again.
 
Although I am no longer working for multiple clients as a personal chef. I'm happy to try to refer you to another local chef who might help you cook for you on your healing journey.  Contact : eat@arielross.com.