About Mealistry
A culinary journey from professional kitchens to your home table, built on technique, integrity, and the belief that extraordinary meals are within everyone’s reach.
Meet the Founder
Kevin Malder
Culinary Educator & Founder of Mealistry
I’m a chef, educator, and lifelong student of culinary technique. After spending over a decade in professional kitchens—from New York to San Francisco to Milan—I discovered that my true passion wasn’t earning stars on a wall. It was demystifying the art of cooking for people who wanted to create extraordinary meals at home.
Mealistry was born from frustration with gatekeeping in the culinary world. Too many recipes bury technique in jargon. Too many chefs treat cooking as an exclusive club. I built this space to prove that mastering meals isn’t about expensive ingredients or secret techniques—it’s about understanding fundamentals, respecting your ingredients, and cooking with intention.
âś“ CIA Culinary Institute Graduate (Accelerated Program)
âś“ Executive Chef, Michelin 2-Star Restaurant (6 years)
âś“ Apprenticed with Master Chefs in Italy (3 years)
âś“ Specialty: Technique-Focused Cooking & Ingredient Mastery
My Culinary Philosophy
These principles guide everything I teach at Mealistry
Technique Over Trends
Viral recipes fade. Fundamental technique is forever. When you understand the why behind each step, you become a better cook—not just a recipe follower.
Respect Your Ingredients
Quality ingredients matter. A perfectly ripened tomato deserves simplicity, not complexity. When you source well and understand what you’re working with, technique becomes secondary.
Cook With Intention
Rushing defeats the purpose. Great meals are built on presence and care. When you slow down and pay attention, cooking becomes meditation, and food becomes love.
From Kitchen to You
My culinary journey started in my grandmother’s kitchen in upstate New York, where I learned that the best meals aren’t complicated—they’re intentional. She taught me to respect ingredients, to understand why flavors work together, and to cook with presence rather than haste.
That foundation carried me through culinary school, through years in haute cuisine kitchens, through apprenticeships in Italy where I studied with chefs who’d been perfecting their craft for decades. But somewhere along the way, I realized I was chasing perfection in a world that didn’t need perfect—it needed accessible excellence.
So I stepped back from the kitchen brigade. I gave myself permission to share what I’d learned, to demystify the techniques that felt like magic to home cooks but were simply fundamentals applied with care. And I built Mealistry—a space where technique isn’t gatekept, where quality ingredients are celebrated, and where you’re trusted to become the expert in your own kitchen.
Every recipe here is tested in my kitchen. Every technique is explained. Every word is written with the belief that you deserve to cook extraordinary meals.
What Mealistry Stands For
01
Transparency
Every recipe is tested multiple times. Every technique is explained—not hidden behind mystique. Every recommendation is honest. If something failed in development, I’ll tell you why. That’s how you learn.
02
Accessibility
Exceptional cooking isn’t reserved for the wealthy or experienced. No gatekeeping, no pretension. Clear instructions, ingredient substitutions, and techniques that demystify professional cooking. Anyone can learn. Everyone deserves to cook well.
03
Excellence
Simple doesn’t mean mediocre. We celebrate quality ingredients, proper technique, and the care that goes into every dish. Excellence comes from mastering fundamentals, not from complexity. Every recipe here sets a standard.
04
Community
Good food brings people together. This is as much about building community as it is about recipes. Share your successes, ask questions, connect with others learning to cook better. That’s what Mealistry is really about.
Let’s Cook Together
Have questions? Want to share your cooking journey? I’d love to hear from you. Connect on social media or drop me a message—I read every one.