Kitchen Curative

Andrew Johnson

I have three decades of knowledge working in and around professional kitchens, higher education and healthcare. I am the Executive Chef and Co-founder of The Meal Prep - offering healthy meal delivery services to OC & LA. Recently I was employed as the Resident Chef for The Ecology Center - cooking farm to table for the 38 acre certified organic farm and managing/teaching urban agriculture with the City of Irvine's Great Park @ the Farm + Food Lab. My previous roles include: Director & Culinary Instructor at the International Culinary School, Executive Sous Chef of a multi-unit hospital/health system and Food & Beverage Director of an assisted living community and Regional Food & Beverage Director for a golf club.

From an education perspective: I am a certified food preserver from UC ANR. I have a masters degree in business administration - with a focus in sustainability, a bachelors degree in hospitality management and an associates degree in culinary arts. I also carry certificates as Servsafe manager/instructor/proctor, member of the American Culinary Federation and certified HACCP manager and aquaponics.

I am a compliant type 1 diabetic of 36 years - successfully managing my disease through healthy food choices and active lifestyle. As a champion for my own personal wellness needs, organically I have gravitated to professional roles where I can thrive at the intersection of food, education and wellness. I believe in growing our own food, choosing local food producers and the holistic concept of foods as medicine.