Chef Maili Halme Brocke

Chef Maili Halme Brocke, who grew up in Ballard, worked in fine dining across the country—including Roy Yamaguchi’s Roy’s in Hawaii and the Bacara—before she opened her own local catering and events business.
Chef Maili Halme Brocke, who grew up in Ballard, worked in fine dining across the country—including Roy Yamaguchi’s Roy’s in Hawaii and the Bacara—before she opened her own local catering and events business.

From the one-room schoolhouse in Ballard to the patios and parlors of Montecito’s glitterati, Maili Halme Brocke has traveled a winding road of hard work and well-deserved opportunities. Today, she channels her culinary talents into a prosperous catering business, while deftly cultivating her children’s well-being and future success through the simple magic of home-schooling.
“My oldest daughter, Melissa, is dyslexic,” Brocke explains, “and at school she was silent and would hide in the bathroom. After all kinds of meetings with her teachers, I realized she’s smart, wonderful and artistic, but that the public schools just couldn’t address her needs.
“I cried for a year when I realized I’d have to give up my career,” she continues. “It felt like I was jumping off a cliff.
“After I made my decision to homeschool,” she continues, “I got a call to cater a big, celebrity party before school started, and I saw it as a sign that I’d made the right decision.”
Since that day nearly four years ago, Brocke has adjusted her schedule to accommodate catering jobs during the summer and a full schedule of home-schooling throughout the academic year. Her children, and her business, continue to thrive, growing in tandem under her inspired guidance.
Even though Brocke’s younger daughter, Katherine, was doing well in public school, she asked to be home-schooled, too. She spent a year at home, returned to the classroom for third grade, but enjoyed home-schooling so much that Brocke let her re-join her sister when she reached fourth grade.
“Each day, we do the academic part that’s required by law from 8:30 to 1:00, with a half-hour break for lunch,” Brocke says. “After one o’clock, the girls play games in their room, ride bikes, or do gymnastics. Often we go to the library or the park, where they offer innovative programs, like chess club and the Wilderness Youth Project.”

Love of cooking and good food run in the family. Maili, on right, with her mother Susan Halme in center, and sister Melissa pose with wooden spoons. Susan and Melissa own and manage Solvang Bakery.
Love of cooking and good food run in the family. Maili, on right, with her mother Susan Halme in center, and sister Melissa pose with wooden spoons. Susan and Melissa own and manage Solvang Bakery.

One of Brocke’s teaching methods involves scanning the calendar for birthdays of famous people, finding where on the globe they were born and then studying their lives, whether it’s Buddy Holly, Alice Walker or Franklin Roosevelt.
“One time we chose the artist Jacques-Louis David,” Brocke says. “He painted Napoleon, so we went on to learn about Napoleon.
“We go where curiosity leads us,” she continues. “It’s not memorizing and then having it go out of your head. There’s a personal connection, there’s meaning to it. It’s amazing, because things we did years ago, the girls are still solid with.”
During the course of their studies, the trio realized that about 50% of the people they had randomly chosen, including Ansel Adams and Andy Warhol, had been homeschooled. Delighted, Melissa told her mother, “Don’t you know that every famous person was home-schooled!”
Free to organize her own curriculum, Brocke has taken both girls to Hawaii, Indiana, Chicago, and during summer jaunts, to England and France.

She finds her children absorb more information about a place while traveling through it and she augments their learning by playing audio books during road time.
“People always ask about the girls’ social life,” Brocke says, “but I’ve found that home-schooled kids have lots of friends. In public school, they’re stuck with the same 20 kids all day, but at homeschool events and holiday parties there are 70 or more kids. And they’re all sweet, creative kids who aren’t worried about being cool.”
Since beginning home-schooling, Brocke, who lives in Ventura with her husband and daughters, has discovered that over half the mothers in her area’s home-schooling group hold teaching credentials.
She has joined two book clubs organized by the parents and, even better, reports that Melissa now sings while doing her math, is an exceptional artist, and has proved so good at chess that she can set up a play three moves ahead.
“So many people who have kids in public school,” Brocke says, “don’t know what to do with them when they’re home. With home-schooling, there’s something so wonderful and peaceful about being with your kids, you want to be together more.”
According to Brocke, there are “hundreds of thousands” of parents home-schooling their children in California. Her advice to anyone considering it is to “dive in, there’s more support out there than they dreamed. If they like learning, they’ll love it and it’ll be better for their kids, too.”
Brocke recalls attending Ballard School and notes that, with 36 children in six grades studying in a single room, the experience was curiously similar to that of home-schooling.

One of her Ballard classmates was the son of the owners of The Ballard Store restaurant, and Brocke remembers the thrill of heading over to the restaurant for one day each year.

“We got to be the cooks, waiters, guests,” Brocke smiles, “and I, of course, chose to be in the kitchen. It was so magical and had such an impact on me. I’ve always been hungry,” she laughs, “and I’ve always been fascinated with cooking.”

Above Maili leads a cooking class for home-schooled children. Below, Melissa takes a stab during a Twelfth Night performance, checks out a hands-on exhibit at the Exploratorium.
Above Maili leads a cooking class for home-schooled children. Below, Melissa takes a stab during a Twelfth Night performance, checks out a hands-on exhibit at the Exploratorium.

That fascination was likely inherited, for her maternal grandfather was a chef and owned Bray’s 101, in Goleta, while her grandmother, who lives in Solvang, regularly whipped up recipes from Gourmet magazine.
On her father’s side, her Finnish grandmother earned passage to New York by selling her home-baked bread to local woodsmen. “She made the best ham, roast beef, potatoes,” Brocke says. “I learned good basics from her and the value of simplicity, like using just one or two ingredients and that a dish doesn’t need 100 spices.”
Brocke admits that one of the secrets to her culinary success is that she makes her delicacies from scratch, prepping for her celebrity parties in the kitchen of her parents’ Solvang Bakery.
She uses pure, wholesome ingredients, prepares fried chicken with real buttermilk and astonishes clients by using fresh lemons in the lemonade. And she’s grateful to have struck a dynamic balance that works for her both as a popular caterer and an effective parent. Through the magic of home-schooling, she can cultivate her career, while spending precious time exploring the world of learning with her children.

2008 Responses to Chef Maili Halme Brocke

  34. Double Glazing Companies Near Me Tips To Relax Your Everyday Lifethe Only Double Glazing Companies Near Me
    Trick That Everyone Should Be Able To double glazing companies near
    me; Kacey,

  88. ветрянка у детей лечение, ветрянка
    у детей симптомы каким заклинанием гарри поттер убил волан де морта 5 мечей астромета,
    7 мечей финансы таро
    сколько карт в колоде таро уэйта заговор при зубной боли у ребенка

  180. Be On The Lookout For: How Double Glazing Windows Repairs Is
    Taking Over And What We Can Do About It double glazed
    windows repairs [Fae]

  188. дистрибьюторы компьютерной техники в казахстане,
    магазин компьютерной техники казахстан шығыс елдеріндегі реформаторлық қозғалыстар,
    джадидизм деген не мастер маргарита, мастер и маргарита шымкент шығыс және батыс мәдениеті, батыс және шығыс
    мәдениеті айырмашылығы

  335. Private Diagnosis For ADHD Tools To Help You Manage Your
    Everyday Lifethe Only Private Diagnosis For ADHD Trick That
    Everyone Should Be Able To private diagnosis for adhd (Russell)

  461. жұлдыз жорамал егіздер бүгінгі,
    жұлдыз жорамал бүгінгі 2023 жыл
    невада семей қозғалысы қашан құрылды, невада семей қозғалысы басшысы эх
    журалар текст, фуркат мачо – журалар mp3 – скачать
    территория алматы в км, где находится алматы

  481. Here’s A Little Known Fact About French Style Fridge Freezer With
    Water And Ice Dispenser. French Style Fridge Freezer With Water
    And Ice Dispenser french style fridge Freezer reviews uk (98e.fun)

  529. тентектерді тенге салу, мемлекеттік бағдарламалар тізімі табиғат құбылыстарын зерттеген ғылымдар, табиғат эссе пән бірлестігі, жаратылыстану пәндер
    бірлестігінің хаттамалары логин билайн интернет дома, билайн интернет дома оператор

  588. Chiminea Near Me Techniques To Simplify Your Everyday Lifethe Only
    Chiminea Near Me Trick That Should Be Used By Everyone Learn chiminea near me (Magda)

  599. адамдар өсіп тұрған бидай мекен текст, қаракесек бауырым текст
    вторая ступень йоги, 8 ступеней йоги книга ушарал – талдыкорган расстояние, талдыкорган – жаркент
    расстояние қаржылық қолдау шараларына жатқызуға болады, қаржылық
    қолдау түрлері

  632. Locksmith Near Me Open Now Techniques To Simplify Your
    Everyday Lifethe Only Locksmith Near Me Open Now Trick Every Person Should Know locksmith
    near me open now (Louie)

  681. молитва в шаббат на хлеб чему сниться не вкусная клубника к чему
    снится преследование собаки
    к чему девушке сниться покойный отец как защитить свое
    фото в интернете от сглаза и порчи

  686. молитва демона сильная 259 значение числа как узнать какой у тебя знак зодиака по дате рождения и году рождения
    молитвы святого макария великого на русском языке
    крокодил по соннику фрейда

  745. 846918 295413bmmzyfixtirh cheapest phentermine zero health specialist prescribed qrdzoumve buy phentermine diet pill iixqnjouukkebr 339606

  766. asbestos (Karolin) victims and their families can claim compensation from the companies
    that caused their exposure. An experienced asbestos lawyer in Virginia can assist you to understand your rights and get the compensation you deserve.

  880. The statute of limitations can be complicated by the fact
    that asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma can take
    a long time to manifest. An experienced lawyer can assist victims in determining their deadlines and file within the timeframes.

  1020. Affordable Pellet Stoves Tools To Ease Your Everyday Lifethe Only Affordable Pellet Stoves Trick That Every Person Should Learn affordable pellet stoves
    (Dacia)

  1078. Window And Door Doctor Tools To Streamline Your
    Everyday Lifethe Only Window And Door Doctor Trick That Every Person Should
    Be Able To window and door doctor, Miquel,

  1081. The Top Reasons For Replacement Hyundai Key Fob’s Biggest “Myths” About Replacement Hyundai Key Fob Could Be True 2017
    hyundai accent key replacement (Antony)

  1083. I was suggested this web site by my cousin. I’m not sure whether
    this post is written by him as no one else know such detailed about my difficulty.
    You are wonderful! Thanks!

    Here is my web-site; small couch with chaise (Elijah)

  1124. asbestos law – Skye –
    victims and their families are able to claim compensation from the companies that caused their exposure.
    An experienced asbestos lawyer in virginia can help you know your rights
    and obtain the compensation you’re entitled to.

  1199. A knowledgeable mesothelioma lawyer will assist patients
    and their loved ones receive compensation from
    asbestos law trust funds.
    When choosing an attorney for victims, they should take
    into consideration the following aspects:

  1313. Asbestos Law
    victims can suffer from lung cancer or mesothelioma. These diseases might not be apparent for decades.
    A skilled New York asbestos lawyer could help those suffering from this debilitating condition obtain compensation for their losses.

  1330. Accident Injury Lawyers Near Me Tools To Improve Your Everyday Lifethe Only Accident Injury Lawyers Near Me Trick That
    Every Person Should Learn accident injury lawyers near me – Matthias,

  1352. An asbestos attorney can help you obtain compensation for medical expenses as
    well as other losses resulting from asbestos exposure.
    They can also file an asbestos lawsuit (Gabriele) against the company who exposed you to the
    dangerous mineral.

  1447. A mesothelioma case is a viable way for asbestos lawsuit (Ericka) patients of all
    ages to receive compensation. The money awarded can help pay for medical bills,
    lost income and other financial expenses.

  1667. Car Key Replacements Near Me Techniques To Simplify Your Daily Life
    Car Key Replacements Near Me Trick That Should Be Used By Everyone Know car key replacements near me
    (Maggie)

  1978. Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It in fact was a
    amusement account it. Look advanced to more added agreeable from
    you! However, how can we communicate?

Leave a reply