Denia Baltzar

Chef Denia Baltzer, of Dene and Cree heritage, brings the earthy, ancestral flavors of Northern Canada to life through her inspired culinary creations. Raised in a community where food is deeply intertwined with tradition and identity, Denia cooks with a deep respect for the land and the stories carried through traditional food, creating beautiful, approachable dishes. For her, food is not only nourishment—it’s medicine, culture, and connection to community. In the early 2000s, she and her young family settled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. There, she and her husband embraced hunting as a way to reconnect with the land and pass on their traditional knowledge to their children—teaching them that food starts with respect for where it comes from. Denia is the founder of Creative Cuisine Catering, launched 17 years ago in Rocky Mountain House. The company has become a beloved platform for sharing Indigenous flavors and stories with communities across Alberta. Her culinary journey also led her to host Back to Roots on APTN, a cooking show that highlights foraged and hunted ingredients, with dishes inspired by the food she grew up eating in northern Canada. She also appeared as a guest judge on Bravo’s Top Chef, where she introduced contestants to Indigenous ingredients and cooking methods, opening up conversations about culture, land, and identity through food Her work has been featured in Culinaire Magazine, Avenue Magazine, and she has been honored as a featured chef at the Oregon Truffle Festival. Denia is currently developing a workshop on traditional diets and diabetes care, continuing her mission to support wellness through culturally rooted food education.