Five years ago, after a visit to Umbria, Italy with her husband, Jodi Abel became inspired by a private cooking class she took inside the home of self-taught Italian chef, Tita. For two days, she and her husband created dishes from authentic Italian recipes that had been passed down for generations in Tita’s family under the knowledgeable guidance of their charismatic host. A few days later, Abel was determined to recreate a similar cooking experience in her own stunning Mt. Soledad home. The little seed planted inside her head five years ago blossomed into Lajollacooks4u, a personalized cooking and dining experience that includes a range of cooking classes, demonstrations, farmers market visits and foodie tour options for guests to learn about fresh, seasonal California cuisine and discover all of the culinary intricacies San Diego has to offer. “It’s unique. There’s nobody doing what I do, the way I do it here in Southern California,” Abel said of her classes and tours. “It’s not like a hotel or a restaurant — it’s private. It’s all yours. My home becomes your home during your visit.” Abel specializes in California cuisine, which uses the freshest seasonal ingredients from any of the numerous small organic farms in San Diego. “It’s all about using what’s in season — farm to table. In San Diego County, we have [many] small organic farmers … so when we talk about farm-to-table, it’s happening right here in our backyard,” she said. “There’s a farmers market happening every day of the week in this county.” California cuisine at the Abel residence is served up with a twist of international flair. “Our base is Mediterranean,” she said. “I have four key ingredients that I tell my clients — olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice and garlic. With those four ingredients, you can make an entire meal. You can marinate chicken and grilled fish, you can make a salad dressing, you can sauté or roast vegetables. Then you add the other herbs — rosemary, thyme or tarragon — and it becomes a whole different meal.” Abel’s kitchen is fully equipped with all the amenities necessary — state-of-the-art cookware and appliances, professional aprons, an array of prepared ingredients and glasses of fine wine — for a full-blown cooking experience that will make any novice feel like a professional chef. Despite the professional equipment and spacious custom kitchen, the classes are still an intimate — even family — affair. “My husband is the master gardener and I have an 18-year-old daughter and a 26-year-old son who help me on weekends, depending on their schedules,” she said. “It’s fun. They’re my test kitchen. They’re tough on me, and they need to be. If it’s not good enough, I can’t take it to market. We want it to be better than a restaurant.” Abel offers a range of class options including the top-selling gourmet cooking and dining experience with a hands-on, five-course cooking class that is specially designed to cater to each group’s experience, preference and taste. For larger groups up to 25 people, Abel offers cooking demonstrations with audience participation — a great option for company bonding trips, holiday parties or outings. “It’s outside of the box,” she said. “Everybody goes to a restaurant, but to come into someone’s home to drink wine and eat food together? It’s amazing to watch what happens when they start teaching each other or get competitive, then they sit down and dine, and they’re served restaurant-style. It’s incredible.” For those who are seeking a broader experience in the San Diego food community, Abel takes groups on unique foodie tours to sample the finest quality products in local specialty shops and farmers markets around the city. She even has a farm-to-table cooking class option where guests can use the locally-grown produce from the farmers markets to create beautifully-crafted sumptuous dishes back at Abel’s home, which includes indoor and outdoor kitchens, a fresh herb and vegetable garden, and indoor and outdoor dining accommodations — all encompassed in a picturesque environment surrounded by mountainside and coastal vistas. “I love opening up my home and sharing,” she said, adding that her niche is in her own kitchen entertaining, cooking and enjoying the company of those she encounters. To further hone her skills as a chef with international culinary knowledge and skill, Abel is cooking her way around the world and chronicling her culinary journey in a cookbook. So far, she has cooked in Italy, Spain, France and South Africa and recently visited San Francisco to cook with celebrated Italian chef Mario Ascione, founder of Macaroni Sciue Sciue and the Purple Onion. Not only will Abel’s cookbook feature her delicious recipes, it will also incorporate the compelling stories of people she has encountered throughout her gastronomic adventure. From celebrities to military veterans to victims of cancer, Abel’s encounters have compelled her to document and fuse two of her favorite passions — food and people. “It’s should be about the people who come here, the stories, the companies, the bonding that takes place,” she said. For more information about Lajollacooks4u or to see a full list of class and tour options, visit www.lajollacooks4u.com or call Abel at (858) 752-4980.