Chef Meredith Ouzounian is spoiled. Not in ways that make your eyes roll, but in ways that make you crack a smile. She grew up in (what many consider) the most enjoyable weather in sunny Southern California, with amazing access to fresh, healthy, and diverse foods. And with all of this, she was raised with her tight-knit Armenian family by her side.
Rich in these true luxuries of life, she owes so much of her cooking experience to her Armenian heritage. Growing up, everything was centered around food. The entire family would gather around the dinner table, chatting about life—and what was planned for the next meal.
At the center of it all was her grandmother, Alice, the namesake behind Meredith’s private catered experience business, Alice’s Pantry. Grandma Alice was the “queen of hospitality,” always pulling something magical out of her pantry. She just happened to have special treats on hand at all times. She was the true definition of a host with the most.
The Ouzounian family spent time outdoors at every chance possible, from backyard grilling and swimming in their grandparents' pool to grilling on vacation. Yearly camping trips ignited the firebug in her from a very young age. Building fires was a must-learn activity for all the children, as the live-fire was used for survival: cooking and warmth. Now, the flames and the smoke is a source of so many memories: the smells, sounds, and tastes of it all.
As far back as she remembers, she recalls all the fresh foods they’d grill together, especially Armenian lamb shish kabobs with onions, peppers, and zucchini, and flank steak. One of the fondest memories of the start of her entertainment dining career was hosting an entire outdoor scene with the grill for her father’s birthday. The fanciness of it all was a work of art at the time.
This comfort and magic of cooking, eating, and entertaining inspired Meredith to bring food experiences to her community. Moving from coast to coast, from California to Florida, showed her how rare it is to be surrounded by homegrown ingredients. Inspired by the fresh California farms she once worked on, she wanted to bring that flair and freshness to local Floridians.
The Big Green Egg brought a whole new level of magic to her live-fire experience. Meredith broke her Egg in with a surprising first dish: bagel dough. She wasn’t sure how the Egg would get seasoned over time, so she warmed up with a successful first bake of a chewy bagel topped with cured salmon and a schmear of cream cheese.
Now, baking bread on the Egg is her go-to. It sounds like a challenge, and it can be, mainly when you’re getting used to baking in a new location. When she first moved to Florida, she found herself questioning her struggles before realizing the science of baking had a lot to do with the environment. (She wasn’t quite used to Florida’s humidity.) However, now her famous focaccia has been perfected, and she shares the recipe with everyone—no secrets here.
Every once in a while, she runs into a new challenge. Most recently, she had a bit of an oopsie when her wagyu burgers went up in flames. But Meredith used it as a learning opportunity; add a cast iron skillet to the Egg to keep those fats and juices contained while still getting a slight char. And, yes, they still ate the burgers. There’s no way she was going to waste wagyu!
“The flame is an understandable fear. It’s unpredictable. It seems so obvious, but you just have to get over the fear by doing it more and more. Maybe do it by yourself to start. Eventually, you’ll develop an intuition for it—and as women, we’re really in touch with that side of ourselves.”
This summer, Meredith plans to challenge herself in a new way with an old tradition. She’ll pack up her Mini Big Green Egg and hit the road with her husband in her summer home: a traveling van. Together they’ll explore the country with their Egg as their source of their cooking, picking up local ingredients and cooking over the live-fire at each stop along the way. As the adventure begins, you can follow Meredith on Instagram at @meredithouzounian, @alicespantryco and book one of her private dining experiences on her website.
Meet the Women of Fire
Meredith is part of an extraordinary movement in the world of live-fire. Women all over the country are blazing their own trails in front of the flames — and we’re showcasing a few of the special ones. Meet the other inspirational grillers, pitmasters, and live-fire chefs of our Women of Fire series.
