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Regina Dvorak, Corporate Chef

They say big things come in small packages. That certainly is true of Regina Dvorak, Clarke’s Corporate Chef. Though small in stature, Regina brings a tremendous talent to Clarke. She loves using fresh ingredients in all her cooking, and whips up culinary delicacies with ease.

Regina's love of cooking and baking began in her childhood—with her Mother and Grandmother as her inspiration. She would stand on a stool next to them, helping with the measuring. Regina recalls it was her first introduction to math facts as they doubled recipes.

Regina’s true culinary love is Italian cuisine. She loves the simple and true flavors, especially the rustic of the south and the more complex of the north with cheeses and risottos. She loves to make homemade pasta, something she also got from her mom and grandma. Regina dreams of traveling to Italy one day and immersing herself in the food and its culture.

A graduate of Johnson and Wales University, Regina holds a Bachelor's Degree in Culinary Nutrition and an Associates Degree in Culinary Arts. Her love of food and cooking shines through in all her demonstrations. It’s always a treat when Regina is cooking in the Clarke kitchens. Regina shares her talents at both Clarke Milford and Clarke SoNo. She provides daily product and culinary support to our clients and is always willing to answer any questions you may have about our products, or to give you some inside cooking tips.

Sandra Lashway, Clarke Culinary Center Curriculum Development/Instructor

As a cooking teacher, Sandra always enjoyed sharing her love of cooking with her students. She believes that students who enroll in cooking classes—whether in high school or as adults—experience success that is unmatched in other areas of study, and that cooking can give just about anyone a true sense of accomplishment.

Sandra’s true love is baking. Cookies and pastries top the list of her favorite things to bake, and the smell of Sandra’s freshly baked goodies are often wafting through our Clarke Milford showroom.

As a Clarke consultant, Sandra thoroughly enjoys working with consumers who love to cook. We think it’s the teacher in her that makes her so enjoyable to watch and listen to. Cooking is her passion and her love—and to share the joy that comes from preparing a well-cooked meal and dessert is what gives her the most pleasure in life.

Sandra holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education for Home Economics from the State University of New York at Oneonta, and Graduate Studies from SUNY New Paltz, Syracuse University, Leslie College and Cambridge College.

Jackie Heller, Instructor

As one of our resident Chefs in South Norwalk, Jackie has been sharing her culinary talents at this beautiful Clarke showroom since 2000. Jackie is a self-taught gourmand, but has enjoyed taking classes at the DeGustibus Cooking Program at Macy’s in Herald Square, NY.

A graduate of Traphagen School of Fashion, with a degree in fashion illustration and graphic arts, Jackie has translated many of her visual talents to the art of cooking. She even won "Best in Show" for a beehive inspired cake awarded by the Canondale-Grange Agricultural Fair. Aside from creating artful pastry, Jackie also loves making bread, pizza and homemade pasta. Jackie shares her talents and knowledge with our Clarke clients, and her passion is infectious.

For the past ten years, Jackie and her husband have been active members of their local Gourmet Club in Fairfield, CT. Jackie enjoys collecting signed cookbooks. We suspect collecting recipes is equally enjoyable.