Chef Kassandra Gutierrez

Chef At Home in Corpus Christi

I have over 20 years of experience in professional restaurant and personal chef experience. My career began with a formal education at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. During school and after graduation, I worked in various restaurants spanning a wide range of regional cuisines to include, Italian, French, Chinese and Vietnamese. After 10 years of industry experience I began my own business, The Malleable Palate, as a personal chef and caterer for clients with various dietary restrictions such as Gluten-Free, Kosher, Vegan/Vegetarian, Keto, Paleo, etc. After 5 years in business, I decided to take the business a step further with my first brick and mortar restaurant, Mima's Cuban Cafe, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Due to unforseen losses resulting from the COVID 19 pandemic, I was forced to make the very difficult decision of closing my doors after 3 years of operation. I have since been working in the New York City area as a Food & Beverage manager for hotels. Now, I have returned home to the Corpus Christi area of South Texas and hope to bring my fresh, thoughtful cuisine to the homes and families of the Bay Area and further.

For me, cooking is...

My entire life. I have dedicated nearly every waking moment to further enhancing my knowledge and constantly development my techniques.

I learned to cook at...

As a child, I learned from PBS cooking shows like Lidia Bastianich and Julia Child. I recieved classical training at the Culinary Institute of America

A cooking secret...

Preparing fresh, locally sourced, seasonal ingredients in ways that remind you of home while still presented with elegance and prepared to perfection.