About Us

Miette means, "little crumb" in French. This name was chosen while giving cooking classes at the restaurant Tartine in the West Village. Since Tartine means "slice of bread" we thought it an appropriate name for the school! 

Paul Vandewoude-Head Chef and Owner has been a professional chef for 35 years. He was born and educated in Belgium and started his cooking career at the tender age of 13 by becoming an apprentice to an established chef in Belgium. He eventually received his degree in culinary arts from the Durbuy Cooking School in Durbuy, Belgium. After his military service (chef on a battleship that traveled throughout the Middle East: now that's cooking in small quarters!) he worked in several top restaurants in his native country. He came to New York to assist with the opening of a Belgian restaurant, and stayed on to become executive chef at the original Le Zinc Restaurant in Tribeca, then executive chef in the charming and popular restaurants Tartine and Titou in the West Village. He began giving cooking classes on Monday nights at Tartine and, after several years, opened his own cooking school.

James Stahl is a sommelier, connoisseur, and Dining Room Manager of The Old Inn on the Green. He began a love for food and wine as a bartender at The Old Chatham Sheep Herding Company Inn. He then studied at Windows on the World Wine School and The Sommelier Society of America in New York City followed by The Wine and Spirit Education Trust. James worked closely under Chefs Melissa Kelly, Old Chatham Sheep Herding Company Inn, Danny Smith, John Andrews, and Peter Platt, Old Inn on the Green. He has been on restaurant teams that have exhibited their skills before the James Beard Foundation, shared his opinion with Global Traveler Magazine, and continues his studies to achieve The Court of Master Sommelier Certification and Master of Wine.

Sui Lon Chan-Guest Chef and Caterer was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan after her parents immigrated from Hong Kong in the early 1960s. Sui Lon's interest in food was apparent at 5 years old when she helped her mom make rice, dumplings, and other Chinese specialties. While growing up in a home where her parents ate only Chinese food, it was the diverse cultures in her neighborhood that allowed Sui Lon’s curiosity in food and cultures to grow. Her neighbors were Portuguese, Puerto Rican, Spanish, Jewish, Italian, Persian, and Indian. At New York Restaurant School, Sui Lon studied Classic French Cuisine and graduated first in her class in 1992. Upon graduating, she went on to work in the restaurant industry, later starting her own catering business.

Rati Lohtia – Guest Chef and Indian Food Instructor grew up in India with a cooking teacher for a mother, and developed a fervent
passion for food at an early age. She has traveled the world, absorbing ideas and translating them into new and exciting dishes. Her repertoire includes original recipes that capture the tremendous offerings from all over India and blend them seamlessly with dishes popular in the West. From the deceivingly simple Samosas
to the seemingly elaborate but effortless Chicken Tikka Masala, her recipes are lip-smackingly delicious and guaranteed to work. Her goal as an instructor is to demystify Indian cooking, offer simple tricks that anyone can learn, and ensure that Indian food is enjoyable for all. She has spent over a decade parlaying her passion into teaching at the Institute of Culinary Education and at Miette. She recently conducted an Indian Street Food Workshop at the James Beard House, and was featured in the 2011 Cooking Channel TV campaign.

Shell Hamilton - Guest Chef
Shell’s upbringing on a tropical fruit farm in Hawaii has instilled a respect and awareness for fresh and nutritious foods as well as cultivated a desire to inspire others to live a healthy lifestyle through cooking. She attended the Natural Gourmet Institute of Heath and Culinary Arts here in New York City to gain professional training in gourmet, health-supportive & holistic food selection and preparation. When Shell is not teaching, she works as a personal chef to create wholesome, fresh, ingredient focused meals for her clients. She has experience working with a range of food sensitivities and allergies, and enjoys cooking for specific dietary needs, but overall just likes to make delicious, fresh food that leaves you satisfied and feeling great.