I recently turned my cooking avocation into my vocation …and I’m not looking back!
I’ve always had a passion for cooking that was instilled in me by my mother and grandmother who were devotees of the Grande Dames of French cooking – Julia Child and Simone Beck (Simca). My father taught me the joys of barbeque and the importance of fresh ingredients from his seemingly ever-expanding vegetable garden. He often told the story of his father who would call out to my grandmother asking if the water was boiling before taking the ears of corn off the stalk and racing them to the pot. There’s fresh…and then there’s fresh!!
I also spent 10 years living in Berkeley, California – home of Alice Waters and the Chez Panisse Café. There I became a convert to the virtues of California cuisine that emphasized the integration of disparate cooking styles and cuisines and the use of freshly prepared local ingredients.
After cooking for many dinner parties and having friends suggest that I should open a restaurant, I finally came to the realization that while I was content with my corporate/consulting career, it no longer inspired me.
So I followed my heart and enrolled in the professional culinary program at L’Academie de Cuisine, the premier culinary school in the Washington, DC area and recognized as one of the finest culinary schools in the United States. I graduated at the top of my class and have worked in a range of restaurants including the highly regarded Blue Duck Tavern in downtown DC.
Today, I strive to incorporate a diverse palette of flavors, techniques and fresh ingredients into every dish I make. And I am inspired by the words of Alice Waters…” remember that the final goal is to nourish and nurture those who gather at your table.”
