"Some people like to paint pictures, or do gardening, or build a boat in the basement. Other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen, because cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or music."
Julia Child
Julia Child
"When we no longer have good cooking in the world, we will have no literature, nor high and sharp intelligence, nor friendly gatherings, no social harmony."
Marie-Antoine Carême
From a young age, my mother allowed me to be a part of her cooking experience. While she would never admit that she is an amazing cook, she is. She has a way of bringing flavors together that inevitably brings people together. She is the ultimate hostess and the one you always want to throw the holiday party. She gets the freshest meat, the prettiest vegetables, and always adds a fun drink. While I learned a lot from my mother, I also worked under a 5 star chef from Seattle during the summer months off from college. We were cooking for 600 people at every meal and he always told me to prepare, cook and serve "the best you can as efficient as you can." And while I do not have 600 to prepare for, that philosophy remains not only in the kitchen but in most of my life. I am busy with a young son and working part time for C.H.A.T. (www.chatrichmond.org) but always want to do an excellent job when it comes to food. It is one of my joys to create something in the kitchen.
