Meet the Board: Kelsey Perusse

This is the latest post in our “Meet the Board” series. Each Monday, we’ll feature one of our 2017-18 board members, not stopping until we run out of board members (in late January).


Kelsey Perusse, MS, CN
Nominating Committee Co-Chair

Kelsey PerusseThis past year I completed my dietetic internship and am excited to finally work as a dietitian! I attended Bastyr University to earn my masters in nutrition and the Natural Gourmet School of Cookery to become a certified chef. I am passionate about teaching nutrition, and using whole foods to prepare delicious meals. For the past 3 years, I have worked a culinary instructor at Evergreen Health and in my final year at Bastyr University I lead a team of students to create a cookbook. I hope this will be my first of many! When I am not in the kitchen, I power walk, read, and spend time with my husband, two cats, and two dogs.

Favorite meal: Powerbowls. Lately, I was inspired by one from True Foods Kitchen with roasted mushrooms, roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa mixed with brown rice, avocado, and caramelized onions. Sometimes I make it with ginger marinated beef. Other times I keep it vegetarian with crispy chickpeas.

True Foods Kitchen-inspired Power Bowl

Favorite form of physical activity: I love to powerwalk. I either get up early and go by myself or I use it as a way to catch up with friends. Instead of sitting down for a coffee, my friends all know if they want to catch up it is going to involve walking the stairs at Richmond Beach or circling Greenlake.

Rock & Rock Half Marathon with board members Emily Haymond & Rebecca Levens

Favorite travel destination: Peru. Peruvian food is my favorite type of cuisine as a whole. Lima is full of incredible cuisine. Machu Picchu is breathtaking. It is country that is full of beautiful food, people, and sites.

Checking out the vistas at Macchu Picchu

Favorite food city: Seattle. The creativity of the chefs continually inspires me, Renee Erickson and Edouardo Jordan are two of my favorites. I travel a fair amount, but there is something about the food in the Pacific Northwest that always inspires me to want to try new things in the kitchen.

Favorite hobby (and something most people don’t know about me): Prior to earning a masters in nutrition I attended culinary school. I love to create new recipes and spend time in the kitchen. Once a month, I meet up with a handful of good friends for cooking club.

Truffle making class in Peru. End result was passion fruit truffles, and they were delicious.