Meet Karine Der-Megerdichian of Tasting Thyme in Studio City

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karine Der-Megerdichian.

Karine, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I owe it all to my grandmother..from a very young age, family and friends would come to our house in Armenia just to feast on some of her wonderful, traditional dishes. And as they were sitting around and chit-chatting about anything and everything, rather than eavesdropping on the conversations, I was carefully observing and taking notes in a small notebook (which I still refer to today almost 40 years later) of how she was pouring all her love into her dishes. I was introduced to the variety of spices and amounts, the combinations of flavors, the cooking techniques, what to do to ensure the beef would come out tender, how to use wheat to slowly ferment pickles instead of using vinegar…Her love became my love and eventual passion.

Here in the United States, I was successful in various other careers but was constantly reminded of a void in my life, a calling. I was working but not doing what I really wanted to do. On a family vacation to Sestri Levante, Italy, I saw two nonas (elderly women) buy fresh green beans from the local farmer and sit down on a bench overlooking the Mediterranean and cut the beans in half to get it ready for that night’s dinner while discussing recipes. This awakened something in me and hit home as I remembered my nona and the love that I had for her and her cooking and decided that it was time to do what I really wanted to do. It’s not about the daily grind of getting ahead but enjoying every second and for me, this meant playing with food, entertaining and cooking for others while sharing my knowledge, just like my grandmother.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has been an interesting journey so far. I had always desired to have a career in food but the rigors and the relentless dedication needed were getting in the way. When I started out, I had younger children and wanted to be a part of their lives, taking them to soccer practice and enjoying every second of their youth. Because of this, I could never put myself in the position where I gave everything up for my career and had family take a back seat. It’s just not me. Now that my kids are older (my son is a sophomore at UCLA and my daughter is a sophomore in high school), I can devote more time to my craft.

I am a self-taught chef and have worked with celebrity chefs in various capacities, be it at Food and Wine in LA or with Susan Goin at Tavern restaurant. I teach technique classes at Williams Sonoma in Beverly Hills and also serve as a private chef. As I seek more opportunities as a caterer, many clients desire my services but are still a bit unsure as to who I am and what I am all about. They do not understand that I pour my heart and soul into every dish that I create and what they might consider a trivial matter, means a whole lot to me because it goes down to my core, my soul in trying to create perfection.

So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Tasting Thyme story. Tell us more about the business.
Tasting Thyme is a catering company and private chef service known for the highest quality of product prepared for the consumer. Nothing is packaged or frozen and all ingredients are fresh, wholesome and organic. The company is known for flavorful and unique dishes, be it appetizers, salads, mains or desserts. Clients are secured mainly by recommendations. Our dishes are extraordinary and we pride ourselves in trying new combinations and tastes for the palate. Based on particular ingredients suggested by the client, we prepare menus for the occasion. It is extremely common for someone to see or contact Karine and mention how they still remember the unique taste of a dish they had tried some time ago. They even remember a certain flavor or texture they experienced which left a distinct culinary imprint in their mind.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Food has come a long way in the past 20 years. From just being a necessity, it has now transformed into an experience. And with current technologies, there is always a push toward moving toward the experimental and utilizing non-traditional methods to create a totally new cuisine. To understand the evolution of food, one must know the fundamentals because it is the basics and the traditional which everything has emanated from. If one is to truly comprehend the nuances of modern gastronomic endeavors, they need to first know how things started and what the older generations were trying to accomplish with flavors and textures. Modernity is fine but to be truly appreciated, the origins must be learned and internalized in order to fully understand what it is being compared to. Therefore, I see changes but also the revisiting of the past.

Contact Info:

• Address: 12129 Emelita St.
  Valley Village, CA 91607
• Website: www.tastingthyme.com
• Phone: 818-281-9009
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: tastingthyme
• Facebook: Tasting Thyme
• Twitter: @tastingthyme

Image Credit:
GB Lighting Design