Meet the owner

“Nothing brings people closer than sharing and enjoying food together.”

The owner and chef of What’s Cooking, Nadya Sprei, was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. Her introduction to cooking started when at age 13, right when Russia was dealing with major food shortages country wide. 

Nadya was lucky her grandparents owned a summer house not far from Moscow where they grew herbs, vegetables and fruit on their property. Getting out into the woods to pick mushrooms and berries was so much fun and educational during her childhood. Cooking with what she could grow and gather herself taught her how to be creative and innovative, coming up with super nutritious meals from almost nothing!

Ever since then, no matter what life would bring her, the truly successful and joyous projects were all connected to… cooking! Into adulthood, Nadya somehow always became the designated chef at all family and friends gatherings, birthday parties and corporate events. After quite a few years of cooking for others, Nadya came to the realization that cooking truly completed her in many ways. 
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Now... why would Nadya not open a restaurant or become a personal chef to cook for people? To her, there is so much more to food than just preparing it for someone else. She values the magic of actually teaching and empowering others in the kitchen to become more confident and adventurous with food. 

In July of 2019, What’s Cooking became not only her business and career, but the best way to fulfill her desire to share her passions and knowledge about cooking with others. And when her daughter Talia was born, all the pieces of her dream business came together. 

Today, What’s Cooking is constantly filled with happiness, delicious, healthy foods, the aroma of baked goods and the never ending energy and creativity of Nadya and her magnificent team. To share the miracle of cooking with those around you is the best and the most rewarding thing to do everyday. Nadya strongly believes that cooking is up there as one of the most valuable every-day life experiences you can provide a child, right alongside reading and writing. 

Food is a universal language of love and togetherness. It is stronger than politics, it breaks all language barriers and if there is food…there is a connection and understanding amongst us all. When your job is your purest passion, fueled by love and giving - it’s bound to be successful.