Every cook has their food origin story – here’s mine.
I was raised on a former blueberry farm where, every summer, my family would haul out big nets to cover our berries for picking. It was the most exciting time of the year, and it only lasted a few weeks. While the berries were ripe, my cousins and I would eat handfuls right off the bush until our tummies hurt.
This short window of incredible blueberry juiciness taught me how much flavors vary throughout the year and the importance of celebrating what we have when we have it.
Even with an abundant home garden, I wasn’t a confident cook growing up. (Turning on a stove scared me until later than I’m willing to admit).
Instead, food helped me escape a toxic job I hated.
After college, I followed the typical career path of my major, doing what I was “supposed to do,” but I realized it was awful. A job in campus food service gave me an out and led me to the pleasant unexpected.
I walked into my first commercial kitchen without any experience, but the chef immediately welcomed me. He showed me how inclusive, fun, and creative cooking could (and should) be, shattering old-school kitchen culture and becoming a champion for healthy, local foods.
When I went to the Culinary Institute of America for its Menus of Change conference, it opened my eyes to how much power we have in our eating choices. I was inspired by all the other chefs and culinary leaders determined to make plant-based eating SO delicious that it was irresistible.
I began working as a food copywriter to help support the culinary innovators who shared my enthusiasm for the power of food. Leaving the corporate world to run my business and serve the creative works I believed in was scary. I had to leap, strengthen my self-trust, and embrace my passions.
Taking a chance on yourself is always worth it.
Since then, I’ve worked with various food content creators – from recipe bloggers to educators to meal delivery services. I’ve also lived in and explored many culinary-rich places, from the farmlands of Hudson Valley, NY, to the vibrant food scenes in Boston and San Francisco (driving across the country twice – with plenty of restaurant stops!).
My years living in California tapped into that childhood craving for the tastiest bite of produce possible. It was pure joy. I experienced the abundance of foods we can grow but also realized how little of it most of us experience. During a prep shift at Chez Panisse, I solidified my love for the beauty in the simplicity.
I believe our eating choices are impactful, and educating home cooks is a compassionate, empowering skill that improves the world.
I know I’m forever changed by the chefs I’ve met.
Your work can have that same impact on others.