Chef Ryan Josef-Maier has a real passion for food. Brielle Wells, 2019 UO grad says of her experience with him, "I really like how he teaches us to cook and the specific skills he shows us. It's something I haven't had a lot of experience with before. I really like Ryan's enthusiasm. It's a really good vibe and everyone seems welcoming and is open to including as many people as possible [at Hearth & Table]."
The value of experience
Hearth & Table includes a free meal, but as a necessary component of what we offer, also an opportunity to experience cooking for yourself (and others!). We provide the recipes, ingredients, and support, but it's your hands that need the work to really get comfortable preparing food.
Chef Ryan knows about the value of experience. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco, Ryan realized early on that cooking in professional kitchens wasn't why he cared about the culinary arts - what he wanted was to cook with other people and empower them in the kitchen. Before moving to Eugene, Ryan was active in the food scene of Seattle, WA. In addition to work as a chef, he was a barista trainer and community kitchen leader, and eventually worked with FareStart as a Chef Trainer.
Since arriving in Eugene, Ryan has greatly enjoyed working with students through Hearth & Table, and has also offered cooking classes through the Buddha Eye Temple.
Keep up on social media
Follow Chef Ryan at @chefryancooks on Instagram and if you're on Facebook, @hearthandtableck. If you want to share pics of our food or your time with us, please use #hearthandtableck so we can love what you share!