Michele Knaus has just moved to the Northwest after running her Vegetarian Kosher Cafe on Vanderbilt Campus in Nashville, TN for many years. She studied as a chef in Santa Fe, NM and draws her cooking influences from that area in addition to the Cajun and Creole cuisines from where she grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana. You'll often find world fusion creeping into her menus as well. She highlights flavor and fresh foods in ways that are accessible to cooks at all levels of expertise.

Michele has taught culinary classes for six years now, and credits her parents who are both teachers with passing on the education gene. She is a Masters candidate at PSU in their Education graduate program with a focus on Leadership in Sustainability. Michele believes that Farm-to-Table programs and Farmer's Markets are important keys to a healthy and happy food lifestyle, and welcomes any chance to use use sustainable and local foods in her menus.