I grew up in the kitchen. Licking the beaters while my mom made my favorite Red Velvet Cake, watching carefully every step my Grandma Crosby carefully took to ensure the perfect pot roast, or snapping green beans in preparation for canning with my Grandma Perne.
I loved being in the kitchen. It was a way to express my creativity . I also grew up in single parent home. Cooking was a way to ensure that I would eat something other than Spaghettio's for dinner on those nights when my mom had to work late. Convenience foods were not a part of our vocabulary, probably due to our bank account, but I didn't miss them. I was an avid cookbook reader at a young age and I quickly learned that delicious foods didn't have to require a lot of money. I didn't realize it at the time, but learning to cook from scratch was a blessing.
I'm not a classically trained culinary artist. I'm a damned good cook who believes in cooking with the freshest ingredients, locally grown when possible, and creating fabulous dishes from the bottom up. Every step of cooking should be product of love. For a simple sauce, even the basic roux of flour and butter, should be made with great care, using fresh ingredients and cooked to perfection. If your basics aren't good, your final product won't be much better.
I am blessed to be nearing my one year anniversary as a Personal Chef. It's been a little scary due to the economy, but I haven't doubted for one second that I made the right decision. I won't be getting rich anytime soon, but I'm doing what I love and getting to share that love with others. Life doesn't get much better than that!
