We are proud to partner with local chefs, caterers, bakers, and some wonderful cooks to bring you a wide variety of inspiring classes!
Michael Hastings has been the food editor at the Winston-Salem Journal since 2000. His 30 years of journalism experience includes stints as a copy editor and assistant features editor. Each week, Michael writes a weekly column, feature, and other stories for the Journal’s Wednesday food section. He also writes wine reviews and other food stories for other sections of the paper, maintains a blog on the paper’s website, makes regular media and personal appearances, and is active on Twitter and Facebook. Before entering the newspaper business, Michael made his living as a chef in several Winston-Salem restaurants. He has a B.A. in English from Wake Forest University. He is married with two children, who are both staunch supporters and tough critics of his cooking.
I grew up on a farm in North Carolina and learned to cook from my mother and grandmothers. Much of our food came from the garden and the cows, pigs, and chickens my granddad raised (all free-range, no hormones or antibiotics as far as I remember). Our food was very local and farm-to-table when it wasn’t chic. The 4-H Club was very active in my rural farming community and I was even the Mecklenburg County Corn Meal Muffin Champ and proud winner of my first hand mixer!
Even after a failed restaurant, a brief career in banking and a move to New York City my culinary interest persisted. I eventually enrolled in the Professional Program at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School (now the Institute of Culinary Education) and launched A Matter of Taste, a full-service catering company which I successfully operated in the Big Apple for almost 20 years. I also became certified as a Health Coach at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. When my husband and I returned to NC I began teaching cooking classes at Southern Home & Kitchen, which has been a pleasure. I love good food and have discovered that I enjoy sharing my experience and cooking tips with others. It’s fun and I hope you’ll join me for a class sometime.
Josh McGee hails from the small community of Rocky Hill in Knoxville, TN. His culinary education began just 4 blocks down the street from his family home in his Granny Myra’s kitchen. It was here that Josh learned the art of good food, working alongside his Granny learning family recipes, chocolate pies, pecan brittle and chicken and biscuits. He saw first-handthe joy that her food brought to all who tasted.
Josh went on to study history at UT-Knoxville while working in local restaurants. While in the restaurant industry he became fascinated with the fast-pacedenvironment, the clientele, and more importantly...the food! After graduation, he relocated to Charleston, SC where he continued to hone his skills as a chef as well as learn the proper way to makegrits! Josh has crafted food in kitchens across the South and continues to combine his love of history with his passion for food. He is currently the chief saucemakerand co-owner of Y’allSauce Company based in Winston Salem, NC where he lives with his wife Emily and their three children.
Josh is passionate about Southern cuisine and itsunique ability to cross all lines and bring people together and can’t wait to share his knowledge of Southern fare with the Southern Home & Kitchen family.
I’m a self-taught home cook who grew up cooking with my mother and father at a young age. In my youth, my family grew our own vegetables in large gardens in New England and I learned to cook with many different types of produce. My father also had an heirloom apple orchard and was a beekeeper. It was the perfect environment for a young person to learn about food and cooking.
During my time at Cornell University studying archaeology I also became an outdoor wilderness guide and I learned to cook meals outside on stoves and campfires. As a Scout leader for many years, I further honed those outdoor cooking skills especially in cast iron. My background as an archaeologist took me to many places around the world and across the US experiencing many types of foods and dishes from many different cultures.
At Southern Home & Kitchen I teach many different types of classes with cast iron skillets from appetizers to entrees to desserts. I also educate people about how to take care, clean and season cast iron skillets. I have also taught many ethnic menus including Spanish paella, Italian, Greek, Lebanese, Mexican, Jamaican, Turkish, Argentinian, and others. Cooking with seafood is also a specialty of mine!
I also spent many years as Executive Director of Keep Winston-Salem Beautiful working to clean up and beautify our community. I believe in sustainability and helping the citizens take pride in their community. I also strongly believe in doing all that we can to support our pollinators like bees so that we have the food we need to cook.
Come to Southern Home & Kitchen to enjoy my food!
Jennifer Prue
Jennifer Prue is a self-taught, fully plant-based cooking instructor from Upstate New York, currently planted in Winston-Salem. Her love for cooking came to fruition after going through some hard times and she found healing in the kitchen. Her love for setting a table and gathering is inherited. She comes from a funny, crazy, beautiful, Irish family that loved to gather around a table to eat, drink, love and laugh at life. She has a love for flavor, the art of cooking, the creative side of food and loves creating beauty with plant-based dishes. She enjoys teaching friends, family and others how to revamp classic dishes and most importantly, learn how to veganize any dish you love and have it still be delicious and satisfying.
Jennifer is passionate about the planet’s health, animal welfare and believes a plant-based lifestyle can help heal our beautiful planet.
Aside from spending time in the kitchen where she is continuously evolving her cooking skills, she loves to be barefoot outside and in the gardens. She volunteers at Wachovia’s organic food garden.
Jennifer is excited to pay forward plant-based recipes and share with the guest of SoHo. If you are plant-based or plant-based curious, Jennifer’s classes are for you!
Nissa Vogel
Nissa Vogel has taught elementary school for 16 years and has taught cooking classes for over 13 years. She loves working with children and helping them find joy in cooking!
Rona Klein
I was a Home Economics teacher before running off to culinary school at Johnson & Wales in Providence, RI. I worked in restaurants, hotels and for the Marriot corporation as an executive chef. I taught adult cooking classes in Central New York and did cooking demonstrations at the New York State Fair for many years in their culinary kitchen. After a stint as a caregiver to my late husband, I changed careers and have been the Memory Care Manager at Salemtowne for the last 8 years.
Nguyet Nguyen
Chef Nguyet Nguyen has a passion for desserts and pastries, as it brings her joy and fuels her creative spirit. She is a classically trained pastry chef with over 15 years of experience. Chef Nguyet refined her skills and palate by traveling, competing, and working for renowned culinary establishments. She aims to inspire dessert lovers, from the novice baker to dessert aficionados, to explore and create delectable treats.