Bonnie MoralesBonnie Morales

The first-generation American daughter of Belarusian immigrants, chef Bonnie Morales grew up in Chicago in a large family that brought with them the distinctive culture of food and drink of the former Soviet Union. She trained at the Culinary Institute of America, then honed her skills in several of New York and Chicago’s Michelin starred restaurants. In 2014, she and her husband Israel Morales opened their dream restaurant, Kachka, devoted to the food and drink of  the former Soviet republics. They’ve since opened Kachka Lavka, a deli and café, and launched Kachka Horseradish Vodka. Kachka also now ships their dumplings to households nationwide. Kachka has been lauded by myriad national publications. Bonnie Morales was named a Rising Star chef by StarChefs, named one of the Portland Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40,” nominated for Food & Wine's The People's Best New Chef, and was a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest. Her first cookbook, Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking, written with Deena Prichep, was released in 2017 to critical acclaim.