Local chef dedicated to expanding people's culinary experiences responsibly
Sabee Culinary Services strives to source as much as possible from local farms and producers
As you stroll through the Appleton Farm Market some Saturday morning this summer, you may see Chef Vanessa leading folks on what she calls the guided market tour. For Vanessa M. Sabee, the tour is a way to share her passion for seasonal cooking using locally grown produce.
Sabee’s Market Tour will feature seasonal ingredient highlights, tasting samples from local vendors, and a printed guide with shopping tips, recipes, and product pairings. Participants can opt for the hour-long tour or add on a cooking class at the Coop.
“I really hope that people understand the importance of eating seasonally and locally,” says Sabee, the owner of Sabee Culinary Services. “Start small and use Sabee Culinary Services as a resource. I am here to provide teaching opportunities. I love to share the knowledge that I have. I'm here at the Coop six to seven days a week, and I'm never too busy to talk about food.”
The Coop (pronounced like “chicken coop”) is a community-shared kitchen located at 400 N Richmond Street. The space is designed for those interested in starting a catering business, food truck, or other similar food projects. Alyssa and Austin Durham, owners of Little Birdies Treats & Coffee, opened the Coop in April 2024.
The Appleton Farm Market runs on Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. from June 6 to October 1. Market Tours are available most Saturdays.
Sabee’s journey has been a winding one. At the age of 14, Sabee’s mother told her, “You need a job and I need a cook.”
That was the beginning. For several years, Sabee worked for her mother and then at a pizza restaurant in Kansas. After high school, Sabee went to college for journalism, but realized she was skilled in cooking and could make a living doing that. But she has never lost her passion for writing and adds to her journal every day.
In her 20s, Sabee decided to attend Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder, Colorado. She describes it as a six-month culinary boot camp.
“It was very intense and set me up for the life of a chef,” she says. “I have been fortunate enough to work at some of the more well-established and esteemed restaurants in the Boulder and Denver area. That's where I really fell in love with Farm to Table cooking.”
Sharing the experience
The market tour is only one of Sabee’s culinary ventures.
There is also the In-home Dining Experience for those who prefer to stay home but don’t feel like cooking. Sabee Culinary Services provides all the plates, napkins, silverware, drinkware, and cookware to prepare a four-course dinner. All Chef Vanessa requires is the use of your stove, oven, grill (weather permitting), sink, and trash. Upon booking the dinner, Sabee will do a consultation to determine dietary restrictions, allergies, and preferences. The menu will be developed based on that information, what's in season, and what Chef Vanessa “feels like cooking.”
“This is where I show off my fine dining skill set,” Sabee says. “It gives me the opportunity to create, and I typically surprise the guests with the menu.”
Sabee Culinary Services has also done several Formal Dinners at the Coop. The next one will be a Father’s Day Brunch. A special dinner among the apple trees is being planned for August in Sprangers Orchard in Kaukauna. Formal dinners are announced on the Sabee Culinary Services’ Facebook page.
“One of the things that I enjoy most with our formal dinners is bringing people together who have never met to enjoy a meal together,” Sabee says. “Because eating at a restaurant, you're at separate tables, you don't get that interaction. Whereas with the dinners that we do, people share that experience together.”
Culinary classes are one of Sabee’s greatest passions. She has already hosted classes on knife skills, vegetable cookery and gnocchi making. For Steak Night/Date Night, the couple will assist and learn how to cook steak, sides, and sauce so there’s more time to enjoy each other’s company instead of going out to eat. Sabee is open to class ideas and will accommodate group or private instruction.
“Every time I host a class, I encourage folks to start with one product in one meal for one week,” Sabee says. “Do that until you feel comfortable, and then incorporate two products into two meals for two weeks. Just build upon that knowledge and that foundation. Start by learning basic skills, how to use a knife, how to make a vinaigrette, how to roast a mushroom properly. Once they become easy, then it's time to learn more.”
Sabee Culinary Services also offers catered meals, with custom menus for up to 150 guests. Though Sabee does not have employees, she gets help from her fellow chefs in the area who are equally driven by a passion for creating fine dining experiences.
“Lucky for me I have a very great group of friends, and so we all help each other whenever we need extra hands,” she says. “We just want to help each other succeed.”
Focus on local sources
In addition, Sabee Culinary Services offers a weekly prepared meal menu. Each homestyle meal serves two people and is fully prepared. All the customer needs to do is warm it up and enjoy it. The weekly menu is available either by email or via the Facebook page.
“This is in order to provide delicious, nutritious meals for folks who don't want to cook, are too busy to cook, or think they can't cook,” Sabee explains. “I want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy the seasonal food that's available.”
A recent experience taping a TV segment for a cooking show hatched yet another idea for Sabee: cooking videos in which she will offer free recipes.
Sabee recently accepted a position as Culinary Advisor for EDIBLE N.E.W., a quarterly publication in Northeast Wisconsin all about food.
“I actually have a photo shoot for the fall feature,” she says. “I am very excited to share one of my favorite creations.”
Sabee Culinary Services strives to source as much as possible from local farms and producers. Among the collaborative vendors are SLO Farmers Co-op, Full Circle Community Farm, Olden Organics, Milo’s Poultry Farms, Lamers Dairy, and Jacobs Meat Market.
“The less food travels, the better it is for us,” Sabee says. “The more nutrient-dense it is, the less we have to eat of it. Also, the financial impact that it makes within our communities is one of the many reasons why I started this business.”
