I was a lampwork glass bead artist, jewelry designer and web developer who loved to cook, dine out and read cookbooks in bed. Now, I work with my husband in our marketing business and I garden, but I still love to cook, dine out and read cookbooks in bed (or anywhere else). I also love coming up with new recipes, trying new things and feeding people. I enjoy foraging for morel mushrooms and wild ramps in the spring, picking strawberries, raspberries and blueberries at u-pick farms, canning, baking, taking cooking classes, watching YouTube cooking videos, and trying new kitchen gadgets. I can’t live without my Santoku knife, 11 cup KitchenAid food processor, Vitamix blender, KitchenAid stand mixer, heavy bottom skillet, stock pot, double boiler, kitchen food scale, digital thermometer, microplane, bamboo steamer and stacking cooling racks. My pantry is full of herbs, spices and multiple ethnic condiments and sauces. I have a weakness for ethnic foods, especially Vietnamese Pho and fresh spring rolls, Chinese dim sum, German sauerbraten with red cabbage and spaetzle, Greek pastitsio, moussaka and dolmas, Lebanese baked Kibbeh, Irish colcannon and parsley sauce, Sicilian meatballs and saffron risotto, Indian curries, samosas and pilaus, Japanese sushi, El Salvadoran pupusas, tamales and mole, Mexican chile rellanos, menudo and enchiladas, Polish pierogis, and the list goes on…

I collect cookbooks, especially autographed (that I want to cook from), depression glass, vintage/antique china, tableware and linens, beautiful solitary salt or pepper shakers, vintage/antique mirrors in unique shapes, English teacups and saucers and little bunny figurines. I’m a huge fan of the arts, all of them. In addition to cookbooks, I love to read good books and watch good movies (both matters of opinion, I know). Star Wars, Star Trek, Dr. Who and Korean Dramas (kdramas) are all things I will stop and get sucked into at anytime. Hallmark commercials make me cry and Seth Meyers makes me laugh. I miss Craig Ferguson’s late night show. I love cooking shows like “The Great British Bake-off,” “Mind of a Chef,” and “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.” I also love Martha Stewart, Christina Tosi, David Chang, Mark Bittman, Nigella Lawson, Paul Hollywood, Sara Moulton, Christopher Kimball and Milk Street. I miss Anthony Bourdain and all his shows and Alton Brown’s “Good Eats.”

The French Laundry (in California) and The Russian Tea Room (in NYC) are two restaurants I would like to dine in before I die. My last meal would be my mother’s chile rellenos and my dad’s menudo. I had a bad experience with goat cheese a few years back and cannot abide even the smell of it anymore, which totally bums me out. I do not like the texture of sweet potatoes, grainy, and do not care for fresh mango, unless it is in a fruit salsa, but I like it frozen or in a drink. My hubby and son are hunters, but I only eat wild game if it isn’t “gamey.” The gamey smell/taste is reminiscent of goat cheese, so no dice. My spice tolerance is medium, too hot and I can’t enjoy my food, just want to relieve the pain in my esophagus.

I own a ridiculous number of cookbooks and many pieces of bake/cook ware. I’m a sucker for appetizer, cookie, dessert, afternoon tea, regional USA and ethnic cookbooks, especially those with lots of great photographs to go with great recipes. I like to take pictures of my food, whether at home or in a restaurant, and post them on my Yelp, blog or facebook. Good food makes me gush. I worked as a waitress in my youth and always leave a good tip for good service. And if you are still reading my profile after all that, thank you! I’ll have to save the rest of my biography for the big screen, ha!