Culinary educator, personal chef, and entrepreneur Scott Pollack didn't spend his childhood in the kitchen, stirring sauces and licking spoons. Instead, he sustained himself for most of his youth on a steady diet of sugar-free cereal and Mama Celeste frozen pizza. And yet, food and cooking changed Scott's life.

Finding himself marooned in a small, restaurant-less Midwestern town after spending his college years eating his way through New York City, Scott learned to cook out of necessity. Indulging an obsessive need to understand the "how's" and "why's" of cooking techniques, Scott studied every source of cooking knowledge available - from cookbooks to chemistry textbooks, pizza chefs to TV chefs. Through years of trials, errors, and dinner parties, Scott honed his skills and his love of preparing multi-course meals with and for friends. Through regular gatherings with close friends, prepping, cooking, and enjoying a meal together, the essence of Hot Pot Culinary Events was born.

Since launching Hot Pot in 2008, Scott has personally taught thousands of people to break free from the shackles of cookbooks and to enjoy the company of others in the pursuit of deliciousness.

Emily Peterson, Executive Chef Instructor

Chef and culinary educator Emily Peterson attended the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and is thrilled to bring her fearless approach to cooking, eating and drinking to Hot Pot. She is the founder and editor of The Gourmand & the Peasant, an online resource for recipes and cooking tutorials. Her true love is to inspire home cooks to go confidently into the kitchen and prepare both simple and complex dishes, from meatloaf to maitake mushrooms. While passionate about sustainability and the local food movement, she also recognizes the value of a good imported bottle of olive oil and is always seeking new inspirations from around the globe. From France to Italy, Asia to Cajun Country, an eclectic portfolio of flavors keeps her palate buzzing. Emily lives on an historic farm in New Jersey with her husband, 9-year-old cat named Baby Kitten, a flock of hens each named after a famous chef and her new puppy named Rooster.

Ashton Keefe, Chef Instructor

Ashton Colleen Keefe is a chef and boutique caterer with an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University. After being classically trained at The French Culinary Institute in Pastry Arts she began catering, writing and food styling. She has been featured in publications such as "Everyday with Rachael Ray" and "O Magazine."