I have worked as a personal chef aboard various private yachts (and their estates on land) over the past 10 years to supplement my career as a fine artist at www.whitneylanderson.com . My mission is to create dishes that are both gourmet and nourishing, made from the freshest ingredients, pleasing both to the eye and the palate. Also, equally important, I strive to satisfy the specific dietary needs of the boss, family and guests.

Throughout the years, my clients would say to me: “Where did you learn to cook like this—culinary school?” I had to correct their assumptions by saying, “Actually, no, I have never had formal training for this—it was all life experience.” Subsequently, they find a much more endearing and dynamic life story that I have retold many times. Here is the long version, broken down into its different dimensions that have molded me into the chef I am today:  unconventional.

PRIVATE YACHT CHEF WORK 

In 2012 when I was just 24 years old, I dove in to the yachting industry as a 2nd stewardess aboard 130’ M/Y Gene Machine. A little later the boss’s parents hired me to work on their boat “Lucky Seven” where I got my first experience working alongside a culinary-trained chef. I became kind of like her assistant: I went grocery shopping with her and shadowed her cooking skills and overall acumen of being a chef and how she managed her time prepping 3 meals a day. After 1.5years as a second stewardess and shadowing the culinary chef, I wanted to cross over into that role, so for the next few years I became a part/time chef/stew on an 87’ Feretti yacht on Palm Beach Island. In between my main yacht job that I took freelance gigs on various other yachts over the years and learned to adjust my meal plans based on each new boat I was on. That is how I became so versatile as a chef—working on dozens of different private family yachts! In 2016 I started taking solo chef jobs on large yachts (over 180ft with 8-10 crew) subbing in for the main chef who went on 3 to 6 weeks of vacation. By the end of my assignment the crew wanted me to replace their culinary-trained chefs because they enjoyed my cooking a lot more! They often gave me feedback, expressing that their chefs cook too heavy, whereas my meals feel lighter without compromising taste. I think that is the hallmark of what most clients ideally want in their chefs today: a conscious effort to create an overall healthy meal plan composed of fresh organic and minimal ingredients against an over-processed food world that leaves people intaking unnecessary amounts of salt, sugar and/or fats. 

FISHING BACKGROUND 

I grew up commercial fishing with my family in Alaska during the summers. As the daughter of a 4th generation salmon boat captain, I ate fish for breakfast, lunch and dinner--sometimes all three in the same day. We were based out of a tiny fishing village on the Aleutian Peninsula, far from a grocery store when we ran out of ingredients to make meals, so I quickly learned early on the art of improvisation and how to cleverly create meals out of “nothing in the fridge.”  Even in the off season where we lived in Seattle, my family never went out to restaurants: my mom and dad made everything from scratch at home. I felt like a rebel/cheat whenever I was eating over at my friends’ houses where they stowed frozen ready-to-eat food. I was also molded by my grandmothers who were excellent cooks as well. Because I grew up in a hectic family where I had to pivot a lot, I am good at improvising and accommodating last minute changes.  

ATHLETIC BACKGROUND 

I was #3 in the nation for high school girl’s 5000 meters back in 2005 and attended Duke University on a full-ride athletic scholarship, graduating in 2009 with a B.A. in Fine Arts. Aware of the health benefits of certain foods over others, I tend to be more conservative with the amount of  fat and sugar called for in most recipes, so I will modify the recipes to accommodate that. Being an athlete most of my life, I have learned how to perform under pressure—especially when there are dietary accommodations I need to make or a lot of guests I am cooking for. If I ever work for a professional athlete, I will know what wave length they are on as far as their dietary needs.

PROFESSIONAL FINE ARTIST BACKGROUND 

I am a contemporary pop-cultural artist specializing in realism infused with my own whimsical concepts. I have been an artist since I was 5 and, by my early 30s, have surpassed the 10,000 hour mark of mastering my craft.www.whitneylanderson.com is my digital house of my full portfolio including my entire collection of children’s books which I wrote and illustrated. Whenever I am cooking and combining flavors or garnishing a plate, it feels like painting on canvas. My art compliments my chef work and, like how people appreciate the fine details of an art piece, they also appreciate the details and “hand” behind my dishes.   

TRAVEL BACKGROUND 

From the ages of 9-15 my mom brought me and my sisters traveling abroad, experiencing many different ethnic foods in their mother country which was extra special. From Europe to Africa to Southeast Asia—I got to experience over 45 countries and their incredible cuisines for which I can still taste in my memories that inspire my dishes! 

STRENGTHS: 

Specifically: Mediterranean, Asian (Japanese and Thai), New American, Pacific Northwest, Latin American fusion. In general, I am very versatile and gourmet in the sectors of salads, anything vegetarian and vegetarian substitutes, seafood, sushi, desserts.  

3 favorite dishes among several of my yacht clients:  

-Baked black cod in fresh ginger-soy marinade served with basmati rice and grilled bok choy 

-Roasted spaghetti squash shaped “boats” with homemade bolagnese and shaved parmesan (my special recipe!)  

-Mousaka 

WILDLY PURE,

Whitney