ArIene Coco-Buscombe, CCP
Biography
After growing up in Louisiana, Arlene developed a cooking style derived from Creole, Mediterranean and Asian flavors. Arlene is also an accomplished food writer. She is a world traveler and regularly writes for Local publications.
Career Timeline
Feature food writer for Uptown Alligator, a local New Orleans PubLication [1982].
Officer of the Board of Directors of Les Chefs de Cuisine de la Louisiana, New Orleans chapter of the American Culinary Federation
[1982—83].
Designated Chef Consultant for French Events for Alliance Franciase, for the “Dallas World Salute” [1984—86].
Cookbook Testing assistant for Southwestern cooking authority Ann Lindsey Greer
[1984—86].
Designated chef to prepare meals for Ronald
Reagan during the Republican National Convention, Anatole Hotel [1984].
Member of the American Culinary Federation, Dallas [1984—88, 1996—1999].
Designated Chef to prepare cheese course from “Cooking with New American Chefs” by Ellen Brown at the Anatole Hotel [1985].
Chef Owner of “Dallas City Foods” a commercial Seafood smoking operation and consulting firm for RetaiL Grocers [1986].
Featured Chef of Bloomingdale’s Chef’s Series, teaching monthly classes on various subjects.
1986—88
Designated Assistant for Guest Chefs, Macy’s De Gustibus Cooking School Series [1986].
Featured as one of the Top 10 outstanding chefs of Dallas, Les Dames d’ Escoffier Raiser Grazer [1987].
First female chef to be featured in the April in Paris Benefit for abused children. 1987
Featured as one of the top female chefs in Texas in Les Dames d’ Escoffier Raiser Grazer
[1988—1989].
General Manager and Executive chef of Bloomingdale’s Restaurants, Dallas
[1987—1988].
Chef Consultant of Zambrana’s Gourmet Retail, Chicago [1990].
Vice president and founding member of Chicago Culinary Historians [1992—94].
Member & Board Member of Les Dames d' Escoffier Dallas, Chicago, (1987-1994) Chair of Les Dames Annual Rare Wine and Food Auction, Chicago [1993].
Food Columnist for local Duluth magazine Twin Ports People 1995—99.
Featured Chef in Taste of the Nation Duluth [1996—present].
Featured Chef on local CBS Affiliate’s news segment of Entree Northland monthly[1999—2003, 2005-present].
Chef/owner of Coco’s Catering Company, an upscale off-premise catering company. Duluth
[1995—2000].
Member of Pan Pacific Southeast Asian Women’s Association and featured speaker at conference in Malaysia [1997].
Published Making it Easy—Great Cajun Cooking, Wordware publishing, Duluth (marketed worldwide on Amazon.com) [1999].
Freelance contributor to Duluth News- Tribune Taste section, (Knight-Ridder wire service) [1999—2002].
Duluth Symphony Ball Decorations Chair, Duluth [1999, 2000].
Co-Owner of Coco’s to Geaux restaurant, deli, and catering [2000—2005].
Member of International Assoc. of Culinary Professionals [20002002—2006-present].
Active member Les Dames d’ Escoffier, Minneapolis Chapter (2003 - Present)
Steering Committee Member -Superior Grown- Local Farm Advocate
Convivium Leader - Lake Superior Slow Foods International Organization to promote Local foods and art (2003 - 2006)
Featured regular guest chef expert for local PBS Affilliate -Prepared recipes for cooking shows during membership drives.(1997-present)
Wrote "Superior Tastes" Column for Regional publication Lake Superior magazine- (2003-2005)
Arlene Coco Buscombe and Associates- (2007-present)
Synopsis Career TimeLine
Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and being surrounded by beautiful
vegetable gardens 3 seasons a year, Arlene learned at an early age to enjoy the bounty of the harvest.
She learned the food business by working in the best possible hotels and restaurants, even if it meant working for free. It was here that she studied the art of food presentation. By working in the local cooking schools for traveling cookbook authors, she learned organizational skills and the basics of Ethnic cooking. She has prepared meals for such notable leaders such as Ronald Reagan, Ross Perot and many other personalities.
Spanning 2 decades, Arlene’s culinary career took her to such cities as New Orleans, Dallas and Chicago. A new opportunity for her partner brought her to the beautiful midwestern north woods of the United States to finally do something she has always wanted to do—start her own business, Coco’s Catering Company.
Coco’s Catering started as a small, popular catering business specializing in ethnic foods. After much success, she expanded into a busy downtown restaurant, Coco’s To Geaux, complete with a prepared foods deli and catering. Now, Arlene has included food writing in her skill package.
When she is not cooking, Arlene (46) enjoys recreating at her vacation cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan hiking, skiing and spending time with her husband Martin.
Arlene has recently merged Coco's Catering Company with Legacy Restaurants and is retained as a catering consultant.
Contact Info
E-MAIL:cocos@charter.net
WEB www.arlenecoco.com
PHONE: 218.269.7979