Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Cottingham. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Melissa Cottingham has had a passion for culinary arts since she was knee-high to a grasshopper. Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, she began cooking at twelve alongside her mother Beverly Cottingham. Melissa took her talents to Los Angeles, CA, where she worked in TV, film, and commercials, before deciding to pursue culinary arts. She currently is a Private Chef & Owner of a restaurant pop-up, Melnificent Wingz, a mixture of traditional and gourmet style chicken wings in Los Angeles, CA.
In late 2011, a devastating diagnosis would change Melissa’s life forever. Her beloved mother was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. Though Melissa managed to stay by her mother’s side every day — working two jobs to pay the bills — in January 2012, her mother passed away, spurring the darkest moments in Melissa’s life. Trying to cope with grief without any close family around to lean on, Melissa drew strength from the memory of her loving mother and got back on her feet with a renewed purpose to live and succeed.
However, after finding her mother’s cookbooks and hand-written recipes, Melissa knew that she had to get back to her first love, so she took a closer look at pursuing her passion for cooking. Dedicated to learning everything about her craft, in spring of 2015, while still working in production, she enrolled in night culinary classes at The New School of Cooking. While there, Cottingham was selected to lead her classmates for the graduation lunch; she assisted various chefs with their demos, and her photo is still used in promotional materials for the annual Women’s Chef & Restaurateur event hosted by the school.
Enthusiastic about cultural cuisines, she believes that the best way to learn about a culture is to join them in their kitchen. Melissa has been featured on the Complex Magazine show “Good Looking Out,” with Hosts: Ray J and Natasha Martinez. She has graced the palates of Kym Whitley, Tracee Ellis Ross, Marsai Martin, Larenz Tate, Anthony Anderson, Shaunie O’Neal, Jenifer Lewis, Shangela, KevOnStage, and many more.
When she’s not at a culinary event or on the hunt for new & exciting cultural spices, Melissa enjoys spending time with family and friends. She currently volunteers her time to mentor youth at the Extraordinary Families Foster Care & Adoption Foundation as well as feeding the homeless through her Beyond the Walls church ministry. With a smile and personality that can’t help but charm you, Melissa’s courageous story of triumph, strength, and love is the drive behind her passion for cooking. Her greatest pleasure will always be bringing people back to the dinner table and fill their bellies with hugs from the inside out.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I feel like life itself is not a smooth road, but we need the bumps and bruises in order to learn about ourselves, heal and evolve. I would say my biggest struggles along the way was actually taking that leap of faith and working for myself. I felt like because I sometimes didn’t have all the answers that I should wait until it was “the perfect time.” There is never the “perfect time” in life, you have to just do it and do it scared. Your blessing is on the other side of fear. So, I learned in every way I good, got advice, and found a mentor!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a private chef and owner of a restaurant pop-up. When I started my culinary journey full-time everyone knew me for my gourmet and traditional style chicken wings, but I have pulled the blanket completely off and showcasing all of my culinary skills. As a chef, we absolutely hate to be asked what we specialize in, as a chef we have a variety of skills and good at a lot of things. I would say the main thing that sets me apart from other chefs is I am authentically me and pack my dishes with love! Whether I’m cooking for a celebrity or your everyday civilian, you are going to receive the best of me 1 million percent. I’m this bubbly southern chef, focused, laughing, and dancing in the kitchen with a good playlist.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
There are so many useful and free resources that I have taken advantage of to help shape my skillset. I love culinary historian books and documentaries. I am a nerd for that and absorb as much as I can when available. I also love to spend a day in the library and just go through cookbook after cookbook from all cultures. And of course, YouTube is like a free culinary school.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/melnificentfoodie
