Chef, Teacher, Author and Presenter. This enthusiastic, entertaining, award-winning African-Australian chef and cooking school owner says that with some know-how, anyone can plate up spectacular spreads similar to what you'd expect in five-star restaurants. Mel is brilliant at making everyday dishes dazzling. She promises that after one of her recipes, you will live happily ever after. She ardently believes that even bland mince and chicken breasts can be absolutely sexy. She is often seen on Celebrity Chef Stages. She's blonde, she's African-Australian, she's bubbly, and she's a talented chef, and she runs one of Brisbane's most successful cooking schools. Chef Mel's happy smile is one of the reasons she's become a regular on lifestyle and cooking segments on Australian, American and South African radio and television shows over the years. Chef Mel (Vanilla Zulu Founder) believes in using the freshest local ingredients and having a repertoire of reliable recipes to rehash and refresh using different sides and accompaniments. Just as you would repeatedly wear the same little black dress and dress it up with new earrings, a new handbag and new shoes...it's all about culinary bling and accessories! If you shop cleverly, you can cook cleverly, too. It doesn't have to be expensive, but you too can achieve a round of applause if you know some valuable 'cheffy' tricks. Armed with a sassy sense of humour, Mel is willing to share everything she knows about her passion...which is cooking! Her students LOVE how she makes cooking fun through clever analogies; they even say she "speaks Mel," a language that explains her culinary procedures quickly and clearly. Zimbabwean-born chef Melanie Alafaci (nee Townsend) founded the Vanilla Zulu cooking school in Teneriffe, Brisbane, where she gives foodies and newbies a fun and relaxed atmosphere to "go wild" with food. Vanilla Zulu is Melanie's second cooking school and the culmination of an eclectic career spanning nearly two decades, flavoured by a life rich in experience. Chef Mel is now enjoying creating her cooking show on YouTube and writing a series of cookbooks in the Quickies Cookbook range. She's the real deal and loves creating happy foodies around the globe.