… are coming soon.  Please view under inspiration for cooking category article titled, ’Wondering what to eat for dinner’  to find out more.  I have made these short videos to inspire others to cook more for themselves, and learn a few basic skills that I think help this happen.  Demos include, Hearty winter greens, Salads and vinaigrettes, The perfect roast chicken, Warming up with ginger, and an introduction to fresh herbs.  I have lots of ideas, all of which have to do with foundational cooking skills for the home cook… anything you want to learn?  let me know.

What a question.  I know.

Are you confused?  Tired?  Busy?  Don’t feel like cooking?  I know, I hear you.  But I find that I really miss my own dang cooking when I don’t cook for myself.  I mean, I can always do it better than the to-go places. And I care about the quality of the ingredients that go into my food like no to-go place could.  What fat/oil did they fry and cook with?  Did they use organic ingredients?  Are the meets free range, or grass fed?  Obviously the answer is often no.

And I’m not bragging about loving my own cooking.  I love to cook.  I love to eat.  I love good produce, great fresh amazing ingredients.  I get a kick out of finding ways to eat them.  I find solace, comfort, joy and real homey-ness out of cooking for myself.  I’m willing to learn through trial and error.  The end result is just worth it, so I do it.

I don’t know. It wasn’t always so easy for me.  I had to learn.  In fact, instead of going to grad school in Public Health (which I actually tried to start with my M.S. at one point) I went to go work at my favorite Pacific Rim restaurant in downtown Honolulu.  It was the place to me.  Incredibly inspired and creative and I was in my element.  From working for free, just to get in- it was a very popular, hip, high end restaruant that had only opened 2 years previous when I got there- to working right next to the chef making all his sauces…   I became the sauce queen.  Got a case of champagne grapes set too close to the walk- in freezer and can’t use them fresh?  Ask Sandy.  (I made a gorgeous vinaigrette out of them in case you’re wondering). 

 But you know, you don’t have to go work at your favorite restaurant (although it’s not a bad idea!), you can learn one basic thing at a time until you feel confident making a good home cooked meal for yourself. 

I have this passion for introducing others to good food and how to do it for themselves, at home…. just like grandma used to do!  Come on, how many of us don’t miss our grandmothers and their home cooked greatness?  Ok, if you are under 30 years old maybe you don’t have  a grandmother who cooked real home cooking, but for the rest of us…

Sometimes I teach cooking classes at Whole Foods and sometimes I teach private groups.  Either way, the goal is to get people inspired to cook at home for themselves and their families.  Never be afraid to try to new things, and just learn one basic thing at a time like how to roast the perfect chicken.  Tons of recipes spin off of just one concept and skill.  You can do it!  I know you can.  If not, talk to me, I’m here.