Our Instructors

Chef Lisa Brisch left a rewarding career in Information Technology management when she realized that the passion she’s developed for cooking after college kept growing. Following her dream she became a graduate of the Art Institute of Phoenix’s Culinary Program and then a Certified Personal Chef. Chef Brisch launched her Dinner Thyme Personal Chef Service in 2000 and has since won a loyal clientele in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania and now Phoenix. Her forte is cooking with a focus on high quality ingredients, good fats (olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, etc), whole grains, fresh proteins, and seasonal vegetables.” As does any good business owner, however, Chef Brisch knows that her success as a personal chef is based on “cooking for people based on how they like to eat, not how you like to cook.”

Hometown: Santa Monica, CA

Linda owns Linda’s Dinner Designs catering.
The best advice anyone ever gave her about cooking: “Taste everything!”
What is your favorite cooking tip: “Rub your hands on stainless steel to remove food odors.”
Linda’s favorite meal: Rack of Lamb.
Linda’s favorite web site: www.saveur.com

Linda’s most memorable cooking experience: “While catering a party I was using a large amount of brandy for a flambé that created a pan fire that reached the ceiling. I kept shaking the pan until the alcohol cooked out.”

Amy Barnes has been a Chef in Scottsdale for over 30 years. She opened the Hyatt Scottsdale at Gainey Ranch in 1986 and worked her way up from prep cook to a Chef at the award-winning Golden Swan, studying under Anton Brunbauer.

During that time she attended and graduated from the Culinary Arts program at Scottsdale Community College.

Amy competed in the AZ Culinary Arts VICA Chef Championship where she took the Gold, then won the State and National competitions. She has made appearances on local television, magazines, and newspapers and competed in Food TV brief appearance on Guys Grocery Games. She has worked at a number of very popular restaurants including: Paniolo, RoxSand , Hyatt Regency in Austin Texas, with her favorite being The Impeccable Pig in Old Town Scottsdale.

Amy has taught recreational cooking classes at Sweet Basil Gourmetware and Cooking School for over 20 years. Owner Martie Sullivan gives Amy full freedom for Chef Creativity in the development of her classes. When Amy is not teaching, she is cooking or reading about cooking. Amy loves meeting new people and makes every cooking class a party.

We are thrilled to announce that Jan D’Atri has joined Sweet Basil’s teaching staff! We have always been excited to have Jan (and occasionally her delightful “Momma”!) teach a class when they had the time.

Jan has been so busy for many years as a restaurant owner, cookbook author and on television, radio, in newspapers, and literally countless civic tasks.

And now a Sweet Basil Chef Instructor.