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Join me on my journey as I continue to explore fermented and living foods. As well as my plant based cheese journey!

About Spirit & Abundance

“Hi, I’m Ali, a plant-based chef, cheesemaker and fermentation Educator based in Rochester, NY.

In 2018 I started my company teaching plant based lifestyle and cooking classes. The journey so far has moved beyond what I could have imagined. I am now a plant based cheesemaker, reimagining traditional fermentation and cheesemaking techniques everyday.

My philosophy around cooking has not changed. I am still forever in love with whole, living plant foods tied closely to the seasonal shifts in Western NY.

I grew up on a retired farm just outside of Rochester, shucking roadside sweetcorn by bonfires in early August. Fireflies dancing as the sun sunk low over the horizon. But it would take me a long time to return this space of peace I enjoyed as a child.

After graduating from culinary school and getting my bachelor’s degree, I was more disconnected than ever. After years of struggling with weight, self-image, and food I found myself hungry not only for satiating and healthy food but to reconnect with where my food came from. I went vegan in the summer of 2017 to align my life with my values and hopefully find some answers.

This began an adventure into rediscovering how to cook and cultivate flavor without using animal products. My journey has brought closer to the farmers and producers of where I grew up. I continue to learn techniques including fermentation to create flavors I couldn’t even begin to imagine. The physical wellbeing I continue to enjoy after my transition is just a bonus. Sharing what I learned through plant based cheeses, ferments and cooking classes has brought me so much joy.”

Ali is the founder of Spirit and Abundance, a small business based in Rochester NY. Ali is dedicated to sharing how to cook living, plant based food along with cultured and fermented creations

She is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America with a degree in Baking and Pastry, and The School of Hotel Administration from Cornell University. During her time at Cornell, she studied Zen Buddhism and that sparked her interest and passion in veganism, mindfulness, and meditation. Ali has been a hobby fermenter for almost 10 years and a plant based cheesemaker for 5. Her studies and life experiences continue to influence her style of eating, teaching, and cooking.