The expert’s guide to seasonal eating

Meet the millennial queen of the farmers market

Lauren Rose O’Leary was raised on Lebanese and Italian food, studied vegetarian and seasonal eating in India, has worked with artisan wineries throughout Northern Italy…and these days, she’s a professional cheesemonger and sommelier at her local cheese shop. Now there’s someone with a beautiful culinary story. Lucky for us, she spends her extra time creating some of the most beautiful communal dining tables around. From farmers market brunches to middle eastern feasts, her events are famous for their quick turns into parties (just take a look at her reviews).

Tell us about yourself and your culinary story.

I have been in the kitchen my entire life. I grew up in what you could call a food obsessed home. My mom’s family being Lebanese and my dad’s family being Irish/Italian, the kitchen was always a place we spent our time cooking, eating, and talking. As I grew older I found myself working in the wine industry which brought me even closer to food. Now I spend my days working as a private chef, sommelier and cheesemonger in Northern California. I specialize in seasonal Mediterranean fare with my own millennial twist. Having worked in the wine industry for the last five years as an Italian wine importer, sommelier and educator, I have learned that wine is subjective. I believe every meal should be celebrated and wine should be approachable. I create dishes and wine pairings my way, which isn’t always by the book.

Who is your food role model?

Yotam Ottolenghi kills it. He has made Middle Eastern food approachable and traditional recipes accessible to home cooks all over the world while highlighting the importance of a plant-based diet. I wouldn’t mind sharing a glass of wine with him and Michael Pollan.

Why did you decide to become a host on EatWith?

Hosting people at my home is something that comes very natural to me. I grew up in a big, loud food-crazed home where we always had guests over for dinner. I have been working as a private chef for the last 2 years and thought it could be a fun way for me to meet more people in my food community. Living in Sacramento, I am blessed with beautiful farmers markets everyday which has definitely helped the evolution of my recipes.

What are you looking forward to cooking next?

I am really getting into different parts of the lamb. Right now I am working on a braised lamb belly recipe that I hope to have finalized for my next Modern Middle Eastern dinner. I have also been playing around with some different animal milk yogurts infused with local flowers. (Read about Lauren’s latest recipes and wine recommendations on her blog).

Check out Lauren’s upcoming menus on EatWith or book her for your next party or event! For more stories from the table, check out Tastemakerson our blog.