Chef Vira (Pronounced “Vida”) Melendez-Redman has over 30 years of experience in the Food Service industry. In addition to earning her Culinary Degree from the Inland Northwest Academy, Vira has worked in several affluent restaurants around the Spokane area including…

Not only are her culinary achievements impressive, but Vira also had an instrumental role in the development of Transition Spokane’s New Leaf Bakery Café. New Leaf Bakery Café provides job training for women in the temporary housing program. Her contribution as Chef Instructor for the program has made a monumental difference in these women’s preparedness for work in the food service industry.

“My passion is teaching. I love teaching folks basic cooking styles and techniques. Because I’m Mexican, I love to share the Farm Style of Mexican cooking - very rustic, very simple foods. I feed family and friends always and anytime. I enjoy basic American cooking, the simpler the better. I believe that in our home kitchens we can have simplicity loaded with amazing flavor.”

Vira’s classes are humorous, engaging, and extremely applicable to the home cook. Her Mexican – farm style inspired recipes are enjoyable to cook and share with family and friends. Chef Vira has previously won several cooking contests for the Northwest Dairy Council in addition to winning the Penn Cove Mussel Contest.

Vira teaches: Chilli Relleños, Flautas, Chilaquiles classes

Jamie has been creating and specializing in Vegetarian and Plant Based recipes for over 30 years and has taught in the Inland Northwest for the last decade.

“I’m the oldest of five children, we all inherited the cooking gene and a common palate, yet our cooking styles couldn’t be more diverse. I love to draw from flavor profiles around the world when creating my recipes.”

My mentors are my paternal Grandma Aurelia, who showed me how immensely rewarding cooking for others could be, my maternal Grandma Diane, who was the quintessential Martha Stewart, and my amazing mom, Cindi. My mom taught me the four P’s, patience, perseverance, passion, and a positive attitude are the best ingredients when learning to cook from scratch. She not only showed me how to combine ingredients for the best flavor, but also how to combine foods to achieve optimal nutrition.

I’m often asked what my favorite food is and honestly, it doesn’t matter what I’m eating, as long as the person I’m sharing the meal with enjoys it as much as I do. I love sharing my passion with anyone who’s seeking a healthier lifestyle or who loves cooking as much as I do!

If I were to summarize my cooking in a nutshell, I would say, I create vegetarian and plant-based recipes that use natural ingredients, minimize processed foods, and add more vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes to one’s daily diet.

I believe eating healthy doesn’t have to be bland and boring, and it should also be “everyday affordable”, meaning it shouldn’t take too much of your time or your budget.

In addition to her primary role at The Kitchen Engine, Jamie has worked as a contributor for Edible Inland Northwest Magazine and founded Dinner with a Doctor – classroom style presentations and live demonstrations focused on utilizing food for a healthy lifestyle. Jamie has been with The Kitchen Engine for over 11 years in multiple roles including Chef and Event Coordinator.

Kristi is an avid cook with a passion for whole, seasonal, local, and organic foods. She is an advocate for local farms and a long-time activist in the Slow Food Movement.

“A fascination with the connections between food, culture, and community has fueled my lifelong passion for cooking. A long-time activist in the Slow Food movement and an advocate for local farms, my focus is on whole, seasonal, local, and organic foods.

My initial culinary education was strongly influenced by my grandmother’s home-cooking—the simple hearty fare of German ancestry combined with depression-era survival and years of feeding hungry farmhands. Growing up in the Midwest in a family of farmers, I quickly learned that the whole, seasonal foods coming out of my family’s garden were far superior in quality and taste to anything at the grocery—especially vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes.

After moving to the Pacific Northwest as a young adult, my cooking education was inspired by the new array of foods available to me in this coastal region. My culinary journey continues as I travel and explore other cultures and their food traditions—bringing back new recipes, techniques, and flavors to add to my understanding of food and cooking.

"I believe in the kitchen table. We connect through food and add value to people’s lives by feeding each other and eating together. We eat for sustenance as well as pleasure. I am passionate about helping others to confidently create opportunities for connection through food.”

Kristi teaches: Sweet & Savory Scones, Artisan Pizza, Sweet & Savory Pies, Galettes

Spokane native, Nick Ivers began cooking while attending Carroll College in Helena, Montana. He spent his college years discovering the true passion that was, “simmering beneath the surface.” Nick found himself drawn to the fast-paced world of restaurants – where he took on roles as a dishwasher, barista, and prep cook while paying for his education. These early experiences ignited a deep fascination with the culinary arts, laying the groundwork for what would become a lifelong dedication.

A love for Thai food, cherished on special occasions during his childhood, sparked Nick’s culinary interest. Naturally, he found himself drawn to working in a Thai kitchen where he was able to develop his skills and palette within the cuisine. Today, Chef Nick shares his passion and expertise with others through his Thai cooking classes at The Kitchen Engine.

For Nick, “Food is a beautiful convergence of tradition, science, and creativity—a livable and sharable art experienced with all our senses.”

Back in Spokane, Nick worked at some of the city’s most iconic restaurants—Ruins on Monroe, Wooden City, Vieux Carre, and Zona Blanca—before founding his own allergy-friendly catering company, Compassion Catering LLC.

Known for his approachable teaching style and enthusiasm for food, he inspires home cooks and aspiring chefs alike to explore new ingredients, master essential techniques, and embrace the joy of cooking.

"The table is a meeting place, a gathering ground, the source of sustenance and nourishment, festivity, safety, and satisfaction. A person cooking is a person giving: Even the simplest food is a gift." — Laurie Colwin

Although Jeff’s day job is technical training and IT, he holds a strong passion for cooking and feeding people. Growing up in a kitchen, watching his mother and grandmother prepare meals for others, he picked up a few things including his knack for baking.

Jeff’s go-to sourdough recipe stems from his mother’s simple baked white bread. After years of experimentation with her recipe, he settled on his own version that includes a triticale grain that creates a different texture and flavor.

“I've been baking for over 20 years and been privileged to use some amazing kitchens and tools. The Kitchen Engine has both! But I especially love the salt selection.”

In addition to baking, Jeff enjoys cheese and wine (enjoy is an understatement...) he is also an avid disc golfer and has raised 5 children and many geese, ducks, and chickens.

Jeff teaches: Sourdough Basics, Bread Baking Techniques, Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Al Batson is a professional Barbecue Competitor and loves meeting new people he can share his passion with.

My first time delving into the barbecue world was in my early 20s. I found that barbecue cooking was a process that helped me escape the stresses and pressures of life. However, the more I practiced, the more I fell in love with the art of wood-fired cooking and craved to learn the science behind it.

Barbecue quickly morphed from hobby to obsession to career, ultimately landing me a job with Traeger Grills. I toured the country for 4 years, learning, teaching, competing, and doing anything barbecue-related.

The job allowed me to meet and learn from some of the biggest names in barbecue, dine at some of the most famous barbecue joints, and experience everything the American barbecue community has to offer. I was gifted the opportunity to learn various bbq styles and cultures from regions across the country. I learned everything from the mustard-and-vinegar sauces of the Carolinas to the dry rubs of Memphis, the tomato and molasses-based sauces of Kansas City to the no-nonsense beef that makes Texas barbecue so legendary. Taking in everything I learned, I’ve developed my style of barbecue by combining all my favorite elements from around the country and have created a melting pot style of BBQ with a local PNW flair!

After getting off the road, I opened a barbecue truck for a brief period and found that my true passion is teaching, competing, and exploring new methods and styles of barbecue. I come from a local farming family and try to source local ingredients whenever possible and love to develop sauces that pair well with local libations. I think it’s important to utilize local flavors whenever possible to pay homage to the world’s most primitive form of cooking.

Anthony Bourdain said, “Barbecue may not be the path to World Peace, but it’s a start."

Curtis grew up loving his mother’s Chile relleno casserole baked in the lime green Pyrex dish and his father’s fresh caught salmon smoked on the Weber Kettle.

His parents quickly realized they needed to foster their son’s interest in cooking. Before he knew it, young Curtis found himself treated to birthday dinner at Louis D’s at the Davenport Hotel, subscribing to Bon Appetit, and delivering magazine cover replicas of chocolate cakes and cookies to his friends.

While in high school, Curtis split his time between frying chimichangas at Senor Froggy’s, sauteing oysters at Jeanne’s’ Cuisine in Spokane, and bussing tables in the summer at Tortuga’s Caribbean Restaurant in Austin, Texas while visiting his dad.

Culinary school at Spokane Community College resulted in his first culinary degree as well as a fiancée. Curtis and Michele got married, packed their knives, and headed to New York to attend the Culinary Institute of America.

Chef positions in Connecticut, Lake Tahoe and Tennessee preceded their eventual return to Spokane with son Campbell and daughter Corbin. Michele began work in the gluten free industry while Curtis began his 15-year career at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. This is where he served as Chef de Cuisine of Beverly’s and Tito’s Italian Grill, as well as the Resort Executive Pastry Chef.

As product of two culinary schools, it is no surprise that Curtis found himself teaching people to cook and bake. He has spent the last 18 years as a chef instructor at his alma mater, SCC, specializing in artisan breads and pastries.

Curtis confides, “I used to be fascinated by truffles, caviar, foie gras, and abalone. Now I obsess about flour, water, salt, and yeast.”

“And maybe the occasional chimichanga.”