About Alder & Salt Kitchen

I craft elevated, thoughtful meals that transform the everyday ritual of eating into something worth slowing down for.

Every dish is thoughtfully composed with locally sourced ingredients, nuanced seasoning, and meticulous technique, culminating in menus that honor flavor, the rich food history of the PNW, and your unique food needs.

I'm a 2009 graduate of the Oregon Culinary Institute. I spent two years as a cake baker at Papa Haydn before working the line at fine-dining kitchens around Portland, then opened, and eventually closed, a small puff pastry venture called Love Puff. From there, the kitchen work took a different shape: years of volunteer cooking for shelters and nonprofits, competing in pie competitions, and running bake sales, alongside a career spent supporting Portland's homeless services and public health work.

That combination of formal culinary training and years spent cooking in service of community is what shapes every menu I put together.