“Food is our common ground, a universal experience” - James Beard 

 

Hello! My name is Regan and I am a fourth-generation Montanan, born and raised in Whitefish. I am passionate about all things food and cooking, especially using locally-sourced, organic, seasonal ingredients whenever possible. The relationship between farmer and chef has inspired my cooking over the years and I continue to study and focus on it with the food that I make. 

 

I believe in creating joy by cooking high-quality food and sharing that food with others. I also believe that where we choose to source our food from matters, that each ingredient which contributes to a meal carries a unique energy fingerprint. The person at the end of the food journey will receive all the gifts that each ingredient gathers on the way, from the farm it was raised on to the kitchen it was cooked in, and every step in between.   

 

After nearly two decades working in the fast-paced tech industry, I was ready for a change. I took the jump from full-time software salesperson and passionate home cook to trained professional chef via a culinary arts degree from the International Culinary Center in New York City. I tailored my training through a program called  The Farm-Powered Kitchen, a true farm-to-table culinary program that emphasized the relationship between chef and farmer. Following culinary school, I put my skills to work in the professional kitchens of New York City and the Hamptons. 

 

I worked extremely long, taxing hours in my previous career, but I also loved delicious, high-quality food. Taper’s business model came from my firsthand experience of caring deeply about food quality and sourcing but being too busy to cook quality meals for myself every night of the week. My goal with Taper is to take the burden of shopping, meal planning, prepping and cooking from my clients by providing a trusted, ready-to-eat meal option up to three nights a week.

 

Having a good work/life balance is one of the single most important things we can do to bring joy into our lives, so my hope is that by removing even a small portion of what you have on your plate each week, you will have more time for the things that are  most important to you. 

 

I am thrilled to see how our culture is shifting toward shopping organically and locally. It is my ultimate hope that, as people see and taste the difference in meals made from nutrient-dense, high-flavor local ingredients, it will continue to inspire them to invest in their own food journeys. Unfortunately in Montana, not even a professional chef can make a delicious menu from  100% organic, local, and seasonal ingredients! However, it is always my intention to do so whenever I can.  We are lucky to have a plethora of incredible farms in the Flathead Valley and across the state of Montana and I am proud of being a part of the movement to support local growers. I believe that food should taste good, contribute to your nutrition and—most importantly—make you smile.

 

When I’m not cooking, baking or recipe-testing, you will find me doing yard work or gardening, skiing, hiking, golfing, spending time on Whitefish Lake, throwing dinner parties, and, most importantly, spending time with my family and my two dogs. 

 

“I'm in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection. But with Montana, it is love. And it's difficult to analyze love when you're in it.”

- John Steinbeck, Travels With Charlie.