About Amalia

Home / About Amalia

Amalia Moreno-Damgaard "helps people develop a better understanding and appreciation of Latin cultures through Latin and Spanish gourmet cusine with a cultural flair." 

Amalia's love affair with cooking started where so many others do: in her grandmother's kitchen.  Hers was in Guatemala City.  "I still remember the flavors I grew to love as a girl," Amalia says.  "I remember the banana leaves, Guatemalan chile peppers, the cinnamon, loroco, chipilín, ---all those native spices and flowers."  But as an adult, she chose another path.  She went to college and graduate school in the U.S. and became an international banker.  Amalia even married a Dane.  Still, though, her roots called to her, particularly the cuisine.

Guatemalan cooking is as ancient as one of the world's great civilizations, the Mayan culture.  It's as distinct from the Aztecs of Mexico and the Incas of Peru as the Italian from the French.  Amalia knows well how different.  In 2001, she left banking behind and got another education, this time from Le Cordon Bleu.  Now, she's fusing classic Old World traditions and her New World roots, with healthy cooking classes, professional chef services and soon, a cookbook of her own.  She offers her services from her headquarters at the Midtown Global Market, as well as classes at the legendary Cooks of Crocus Hill, Kitchen Window, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, as well as kitchens all over the Twin Cities.

Since the inception of her business, Amalia has worked on events with most of the local Fortune 500 companies and has designed themes and menus for galas and marquee events for annual fundraisers for large non-profits.  Amalia also does consulting and custom recipe development for major corporations in the United States.  In addition, she has supported many community-driven organizations such as the American Heart Association, The Make a Wish Foundation, The Memorial Blood Centers, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The Guatemalan Student Support Group, Common Hope, the Minnesota International Center, and the Guatemalan Society of Minnesota, through charitable donations of her time and skills.

Amalia's work has gained recognition in the Twin Cities and has been prominently featured in Eden Prairie, Edina and Southwest Metro Magazines and other publications along with multiple TV appearances, including Univision, Fox9, KSTP5, and Kare11.  She is on the Leadership board of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Alumni Association and is a graduate of the Executive Masters in International Business (and culture) Program from St. Louis University, With 30 years in the international financial and food industries, Amalia strives to enrich her business endeavors through a combination of a strong business and academic background, a passion for fresh and healthy eating, multiculturalism and language skills, and extensive travel experience and food and culture education.  Amalia is also a founder and President of Women Entrepreneurs of Minnesota (WeMN.org).

"Fish to taste right, must swim three times in water, in butter, and in wine" (Polish Proverb)