About me
I am a working artist - - digital and studio (pastel, collage, hand-bound limited-edition books and various paper ephemera), published author, and am employed as an information researcher. My hobbies include avid reading, cooking and baking, needlework, stamp collecting, and functioning as a resource and information consultant within my community. During the 1980's, I taught art and creative writing in five local school districts. I have two grown children.
Cooking Influences
My biggest influence in cooking was my mother, who began teaching me when I was four. I grew up with six brothers in a home that shared cooking heritage, so all of my brothers also cook and enjoy it.
My second biggest influence was from being poor and promising myself that when I grew up I would have anything I wanted to eat, as would my family - - and I made sure of that, not forcing my kids to eat foods that made them gag. When left to their own devices, kids eat a balanced diet over a two week period, so I made lots of choices available to them, as well as making sure to always have their comfort foods on hand - - cereal and bread for my teenaged son and milk for my young daughter. Running out of either was a crises to be remedied immediately.
My third was when I became ill and had to reinvent my diet and way of eating when I developed a litany of food allergies. I used my skills to develop the recipes I craved, usingsafe ingredient to mimic the tastes and textures I wanted. SInce then I have gone on to develop a variety of recipes and substitutes to ensure that I am pretty much make and have anything I crave. When asked, I also contribute to others looking for recipes to meet allergen needs - - recently my substitute to use in gluten, dairy, and soy free recipes calling for cream of mushroom soup was published in "Living Without" magazine.
United States Chef
Follow her
