United States Chef

trisha brooke Profile

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About me

I was born and raised in Central Florida. My mother and grandmother were both good Southern cooks from Alabama , poor but creative , knowing everything from raising hens, pigs, rabbits, and cattle to butchering, canning, charcuterie, and baking with little to nothing.
I used to hunt squirrels with my dad and brother using my own little .410 rifle and was quite a good shot as a young girl. Wild squirrels and rabbits were quite plentiful and tasty then!
Our food was simple but ample and though we were poor we never went hungry, having a father who could cast a fishing net, and hunt alligators, a huge garden filled with all sorts of greens, beans, tomatoes, okra, and onions, We harvested commercial fields after the migrant pickers went through and were able to buy bushels of produce for next to nothing except our labor in the hot Florida sun.Fishing in the fresh water lakes and canals was a way of life and the fish were so abundant it was hard to go hungry if one had a cane pole and a hook.
I moved to Brooklyn , NY when I was 20 years-old. My first slice of pizza there was my epiphany! I loved it!. Food in New York was amazing! I made it my goal to taste as much and as many different kinds of foods as I could afford which was easy back in 1974! Incredible food could be had at tiny Mom & Pop shops all over Brooklyn and I never grew tired of talking to chefs and cooks who gladly told me anything I wanted to know.
Over the years I taught myself to cook using some wonderful old cookbooks. My oldest, and dearest are, in no particular order, The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas, The Way to Cook by Julia Child, The Best of Italian Cooking by Waverly Root, The Joy of Cooking by Rombauer & Becker, and The New Basics Cookbook by Rosso & Lukins.
I have in my personal collection over 200 cookbooks including many local ones.

In 1993 I opened Kitchen Essentials, a shop specializing in quality cookware, gadgets, tools, bakeware, and everything a cook could ever possibly need. I taught cooking classes there as well and loved, loved the time I spent with customers who enjoyed food and food preparation. I met some amazing chefs and convinced many of them to teach a class or two as well.

Sadly, due to personal reasons I closed the store in 2004. I still cook for friends and family and have begun building my very own wine cellar!

I look forward to reading and sharing recipes and cooking information as well as inspiring and being inspired here.

Bon appetit!

Trisha

trisha brooke Profile

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Former cooking teacher

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trisha brooke Profile

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Former cooking teacher

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