Kalen was classically trained in New York City where she graduated top of her class at the French Culinary Institute. After obtaining a coveted internship for the #1 zagat rated Restaurant Daniel, she was asked to stay on to be part of the team. She stayed on for one year before she went to France and Italy working on private yachts. Her exciting career in yachting took her to many wonderful ports
including, Croatia, England, Spain, Palma de Mallorca, many Caribbean islands, the Eastern Seaboard of the US and the Bahammas. Kalen took those opportunities to enhance her understanding of culinary history and began to build her reportoire of world cuisine.