b'Whats Cooking?TheCulinary Dreams of Food Entrepreneurs.Garden State Kitchen gives chefs a home in the Valley Arts DistrictBY DONNY LEVITI n the fall of 2020, Ilene Moreno was getting set to launch her Colorful Dinner De-livery business, a plant-based delivery service which would get more healthy dishes onto the tables of her Maplewood and South Orange neighbors. Already a success-ful cookbook author and food photographer, she still had questions involving best practices and food preparation rules in New Jersey. With that in mind, she put in a call to the Maplewood Health Department. And Moreno was given just the answer she needed.Located in the Valley Arts district of Orange, New Jersey, Garden State Kitchen has become a vital source for food-based entrepreneurs since it opened in November 2018. Not only is it a commercial kitchen that provides affordable rental space for fledgling and estab-lished businesses alike, the space serves as an incubator and fount of support services for just about any culinary inquiry imaginable. And in just over three short years since its opening, Garden State Kitchen (GSK for short) has become an indispensable resource for both local and regional food businesses. In addition to the business assistance provided by GSK, Ilene Morenos Colorful Dinner Delivery got its start by renting their kitchen facilities. Almost 18 months later, her business is thriving.Ask founder and owner Kris Ohleth why she put such an extraordinary effort into build-ing GSK and shell tell you about how the space has attracted an array of passionate food en-trepreneurs. I love how excited they areespecially the young business owners who we can Kris Ohleth, founder and owner of Garden State Kitchen. help mentor and guide and learn together. Ohleth refers to GSK as a kitchen incubator, Photo by Julia Maloof Verderosa. where businesses can rent space without long-term contracts, learn the logistical ropes, and overcome the obstacles and red tape of the food industry. And she brings decades of proj-34/ matters magazine / hearth + home 2022'