About The Owner

Debbie at Valcour Plantation in 1983
The kitchen is the standout of the house so far. Warren designed it with Debbie in mind. "I wanted a big kitchen because Debbie is a good cook," he said. "Didn't want to stifle that." THE SCENT OF apple pies baking confirms what he says.
(from The Brazosport Facts dated March 16, 1983)
Debbie Today At Valcour Plantation
Debbie Warren has been cooking since the age of 12. During her career as an accountant, she discovered she would rather be in the kitchen instead of the office. She now cooks for her family, three children and her husband (and many guests!) and helps others learn to do the same. Debbie's cooking philosophy: Cooking should be fun, not boring; challenging, not hard; laid-back, not fussy. The combination of her husband's New England food preferences and global travels with her native Texan upbringing has helped Debbie develop a unique style of cooking. Debbie's first commercial success as a chef was conducting 'interactive' dinners for corporate clients where she paired-up the guests and had them prepare most of the food as she guided them. These dinners were a great success; employees got to know each other better and everyone enjoyed a delicious meal. Debbie's largest event as chef was the grand opening of a new corporate office in Houston that was attended by over 200 guests. Debbie designed the menu and coordinated the services of eight separate caterers who delivered their specialties on a precise schedule throughout the evening, from appetizers to desserts. Her most unique meal was a formal sit-down evening dinner outdoors for an important business meeting. This dinner was held miles from her kitchen under the canopy of two plantation live oak trees and featured courses created by Debbie to tempt the palettes of both the Texas and California guests. Debbie visited Paris recently and spent every available hour browsing the street markets and dining in a wide range of restaurants and cafes. She is now master chef for Valcour Plantation, hosting dozens of large Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, with up to 24 guests. A recent menu featured three main courses, seven side dishes, four kinds of homemade bread, and six different desserts. Debbie is currently writing a cookbook, that features complete dinner menus that work together, not just the individual recipes found in most cookbooks. The cookbook addresses the challenges of preparing several dishes simultaneously to culminate in a complete dinner, served hot and on time. Currently she has twenty-nine complete dinner menus perfected from the classes she leads at her Hands On Cooking school. Debbie also writes the weekly column in the Community Herald, "Cooking With Class".
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