I love to cook and I love to make up meals on the spot. With the abundance of farmers' markets, local vendors and producers of all kinds at our finger tips this is a daily joy and challenge for me. What to do with that extraordinary squash I picked up at the Hillsdale Farmers Market this morning? Barley risotto, soup, gratin, green curry, baked pasta. . . ? The options are infinite!
I grew up in a creative family with a
make-do-with-what-you-have mentality and we often lived far from the nearest
grocery store. My mother always
had a large and varied vegetable garden, and loaded shelves of home-canned
goods. So I grew up cooking with what was in the kitchen, garden, and pantry
most of the time. I loved baking and cooking special occasion meals from
recipes but that was not the daily fare.
After years of cooking for my own family (and now with a toddler underfoot) and friends, I have refined delicious, healthy, and often quick meals based on the abundance of wonderful produce and products in our area and am eager to share these skills and menus with you.
I have studied food and culture in Italy and Mexico and grew up in Germany. I have worked in restaurants, however, my primary experience comes from feeding groups of people on the fly in many settings with whatever was available. These experiences have broadened my notion of what constitutes dinner and I often turn to my repertoire of dinner ideas beyond the classic meat, potatoes, and veggie. My cooking is most rooted in Italian cuisine but influenced by German, Italian, Mexican, and Thai traditions as well.
I am on the board of directors of Slow Food USA and previously was the leader of Slow Food Portland from 2003 to 2008. I am an avid gardener, cook and food activist. I live in Southeast Portland (Oregon) with my husband and three-year old son.