Heyyy. I’m Michelle!
(and this is Cup of Zest)
Let’s go over some party rules
(aka: how to host a successful gathering without the “what was I thinking?” feeling)
Dos
Gather more, stress less
Make 1-2 dishes
Hit up the grocery store for a few more high-quality items to delight your peeps
Enjoy your own parties + gatherings!
Tidy up your house (w/out going overboard with the Magic Eraser)
Donts
Invite more people than you can handle
Try to make everything from scratch
See above
Attempt to be Pinterest-Perfect-Patty
Get overwhelmed trying to make your house spotless
Meet Your Host
Hey hey! Michelle here.
The first chicken I ever attempted to roast was completely uncooked on the inside and my family ended up getting burgers that night.
Lucky for me, I had the encouragement of my family to keep trying in the kitchen and I ended up getting really good.
All that to say...
If you’re here looking for someone who gets the ups and downs of learning to cook and host, congrats! You’ve made it.
Just like how my family encouraged me to keep going, I want to be your party-hostess-with-the-mostess cheerleader.
Since that first (raw) roast, I’ve:
- Rose through the ranks of the Hungry-Girl Food Network Show to become Head of Recipe Development
- Got certified at the New School of Cooking in Culver City
- Worked behind the scenes on numerous Food Network Shows like The Baking Championship Series and Guy's Grocery Games
- Became an assistant food stylist on high-profile photoshoots (think Target, Whole Foods, etc.)
But the most fun thing I’ve done in all that time was start this website, Cup of Zest back in 2014.
Cup of Zest is a place where I love to encourage people to take an easy approach to entertaining. It’s where I take the skills I learned in the culinary industry to help you invite friends over more and stress less when cooking for them.
Whether you’re hosting a casual night or in need of a crowd-pleasing dish to take somewhere else, I’ve got you.
And I’m so glad you’re here.
If you only ever learn one thing from me, let it be this:
Your house doesn’t have to be clean as a whistle, and you don’t need to make every dish from scratch, to have a fun and successful party. You just need a couple simple-yet-delish dishes and a cup of zest to help you gather more and stress less.