Jeff Bonar is a passionate foodie and loves to cook. This is his dream squad. He grew up working in his father’s neighborhood deli and soaked in the food cultures from the neighbors including Eastern European Jewish 1st generation immigrants from his grandparents generation, Russian Orthodox families from an active Church a few blocks away, and a Hispanic population that grew over the years. They carried kosher pickles by the barrel, several kinds of lox that would be hand sliced, butter they churned in an old wooden churn from the 1930s, and many kinds of pickled fish. Jeff would hide out in the walk-in refrigerator when he wanted a break. You can see the store in an Elvis movie called “Change of Habit”!
Jeff has been a Coop member for most of the 11 years he’s lived in New York. And he now resides in Ridgewood, Queens.
William Doran is a licensed architect, educator, and food writer based in Brooklyn, NY. He was born and raised in New Orleans, LA and has spent most of his life stoking a passion for cooking and bringing people together through food. In 2021, he started publishing recipes and food stories at adventurouscooks.com and began hosting virtual and in-person cooking classes the following year.
His passions for food and architecture brought him to New York City in 2022. He has been a member of the Co-op since 2022 and publishes a free quarterly newsletter at adventurouscooks.com/subscribe. You can also find him on social media as @adventurouscooks.
Chef Jeffrey has been cooking professionally in New York for 12 years in restaurants such as Pickle Shack, Narcissa, and as a sous chef at abcV. Now, he is a Brooklyn-based personal chef who enjoys bringing his passion and knowledge about vegetables to the Coop’s cooking squad.
Chef Jeffrey has been a member of the Coop for 10 years and enjoys learning about new cuisines as much as he enjoys eating them.
Susan Kovar is a marketer who believes in the power of meaningful connections, whether that’s between brands and their communities, stories and their audiences, or recipes and their cooks. She joined the Coop in 2010 and brings a depth of knowledge from her work in digital and content marketing as well as strategic partnerships to the Cooking Class Squad.
Susan loves to cook, sets cooking resolutions each year to improve her repertoire, and enjoys being a part of cookbook clubs. She’s excited to discover new cooking ideas from the Cooking Class guest chefs and cook in community with everyone who attends.
Michael Venzor brings a unique blend of creativity and collaboration to the Cooking Class Squad. With 20 years of experience in video production and a background as a video editing instructor, Michael has a keen eye for detail and storytelling. A proud 15-year coop member, he thrives in community-oriented projects.
Residing in Park Slope with his wife Lisa and their beloved cat Madison, Michael and Lisa share a passion for exploring new recipes and savoring diverse cuisines. While eager to contribute his talents, Michael is equally excited to learn and grow alongside his teammates in the cooking classes.
Ronna (“rah-na”) Welsh is the founder and chef of Purple Kale Kitchenworks. She is also author of The Nimble Cook.
Ronna’s recipes and writings have been featured in publications, such as The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Saveur, the Washington Post, The Art of Eating, Martha Stewart, and more. She is a veteran of the New York restaurant scene and has worked in restaurant kitchens, on farms, and in pastry shops in the Mediterranean. She has been a Park Slope Food Coop member for 24 years and has a hard time shopping anywhere else!