Chef Denise Portillo · Culinary Expert · Author · Educator

Culinary & hospitality projects.

The Psychology of the Plate is Chef Denise Portillo’s signature body of work. Her current projects extend decades of real kitchen, teaching and hospitality experience into practical tools for food, education and people.

“Food has always been the center.”

Signature body of work

The Psychology of the Plate

Food is never experienced in isolation. This work explores how eating intersects with mood, memory, culture, stress, environment, seasonality, behavior, sensory experience and everyday life. Built from more than two decades of culinary and hospitality experience and informed by graduate study in psychology, it brings practical food knowledge into conversation with the human experience of a meal.

A narrative book and cookbook are currently in development: a seasonal journey through food, body, mood, memory, culture and everyday life. No publication date or preorder is being announced.

Request speaking or culinary program information

Current work

Practical work, rooted in experience.

Denise’s projects extend her culinary expertise into hospitality operations, education, workforce development, accessibility, food + mood, and human behavior.

Each began with a practical need Denise encountered through years of working with food, people, kitchens, classrooms, businesses, and hospitality environments.

Hospitality innovation

Cura Kitchen

Hospitality operations built from real kitchen experience.

Cura Kitchen is a browser-based hospitality and food-service platform built around the real operational needs of kitchens, culinary teams, and hospitality organizations.

Created from more than two decades of hands-on culinary and hospitality experience, Cura Kitchen brings practical workflows, operational visibility, and kitchen-focused tools into one system.

Explore Cura Kitchen

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Culinary education

The Practical Table

Practical culinary and life-skills education.

The Practical Table brings together food, culinary education, gardens, hospitality, life skills, career exploration, and practical learning for students.

It reflects Denise’s belief that food education can teach far more than a recipe — including confidence, independence, teamwork, responsibility, and real-world skills.

Explore The Practical Table

Education technology

Edu Plate Tech

Technology for practical culinary and career-connected education.

Edu Plate Tech reflects Denise’s work at the intersection of culinary education, curriculum, technology, hospitality pathways, student learning, and real-world skill development.

It supports the broader education ecosystem Denise has built around food, hospitality, life skills, and workforce preparation.

Explore Edu Plate Tech

Food + mood

Suma Movement

Food + mood translated into everyday wellness.

Suma Movement extends Denise’s Psychology of the Plate philosophy into practical tools and experiences that connect food, mood, movement, routine, and everyday well-being.

Explore Suma Movement

Everyday accessibility

Suma Compass

Practical support for greater confidence and independence.

Suma Compass brings practical support, guidance, and everyday tools into one accessible experience designed to help older adults, people with disabilities, and others who benefit from clearer navigation of daily life.

Explore Suma Compass

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Hospitality workforce

Fork’d Up

Hospitality workforce tools built around the realities of the industry.

Fork’d Up connects hospitality workforce experience with practical tools designed around restaurant, kitchen, and food-service work.

Explore Fork’d Up

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People in hospitality

Hospitality Human Works

The human side of hospitality.

Hospitality Human Works reflects Denise’s work around workplace culture, behavior, leadership, communication, service, and the human experience inside hospitality organizations.

It connects Denise’s hospitality background with her psychology education and interest in how people work, lead, communicate, and create experiences for others.

Explore Hospitality Human Works