Patty Morrell-Ruiz
Patty Morrell-Ruiz is a cookbook author, culinary instructor, private chef, food stylist, and recipe developer based in Miami. She is the founder of “The Mad Table”, a brand created to inspire crazy passion about eating and preparing delicious food.
Fueled by her Cuban heritage, she brings her audience a wide variety of modern, approachable recipes with a touch of Latin Fusion. “Chef Patty”, as she’s known professionally, hosts cooking classes and interactive dinners. She also runs a popular camp for children during the summer designed to spark their interest in the culinary arts and build kitchen self-confidence. As a former home economics teacher, she says, “Teaching is my thing.”
Creating healthy recipes, without compromising flavor, is also one of her specialties. Her recently published book, The Essential Cuban Cookbook, celebrates the flavors, food, and traditions of Cuba, and provides recipes that anyone can easily prepare.
Brand ambassador is also a role that Chef Patty has undertaken. Two years ago, she was approached by health plan provider AvMed Health to demonstrate healthy recipe preparation for their members via Facebook Live. The campaign has been a success, and its following continues to grow. AvMed’s members adore Chef Patty and they look forward to watching her broadcasts.
Community service is important to Chef Patty and she lends her services to organizations such as The Children’s Trust and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Recently, she participated in Chefs for Canines, an event for Big Dog Ranch Rescue, in which they also raised funds to help rescue dogs from Ukraine.
Inspired by her father, Chef Patty started cooking at an early age. He was an airline pilot and not home very much, but when he was, he loved to cook for his family and friends. So, her way of connecting with him was volunteering to be his “sous chef”.
Chef Patty graduated from the Miami Culinary Institute, where she is also an instructor, and is fluent in both English and Spanish. She and her husband, Al, reside in Miami, where they enjoy spending time with their family.
Chef Patty’s work has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, NBC 6, The Food Network, Telemundo, and other top media outlets and publications. She had the honor of being a guest chef at the James Beard House Foundation in New York City.
You can view her recipes and other inspired content on her website, themadtable.com, and her Instagram @themadtable.
