About Me & FAQ’s

Why I cook ?

I shop, prepare, and serve dinner to my loved ones everyday for the moment that happens when we are all sitting together. The moment that chaos is tamed.

A few things:

• I was raised in a multi-generational family restaurant business.
• I have two sons. One is grown and lives on his own (A handsome devil who cooks and eats adventurously). The other is in elementary school and has severe food allergies. Keeping him safe is always on my mind.
• I am crazy passionate about traveling the world. Did a great deal before my youngest was born. Will do more again…soon…I hope.
• I try to have an Eco-friendly and sustainable home, but find it challenging to maintain.
• I ask my young son every morning if he would like some coffee so his growth will be stunted and he never grows up. He belly laughs at this every time and tells me I can not stop that. He is going to grow big and strong.
• I love going out and learning from chefs. That one beautiful plate that teaches you a new way of thinking about food.
• I am always mindful of my food budget.
• I think chefs are hot, but butchers are even hotter.
• I am an unapologetic carnivore that makes a lot of vegan/vegetarian meals. We should all be eating less meat.
• Vegans will never convince me that eating thrice processed soy products formed in a nugget is better for me than eating an organic, hormone free piece of meat.
• If you are or ever have been a member of the Italian men’s Olympic crew team, I have thought about dating you.
• A perfect evening for me is sitting around a dinner table with my loved ones, especially my sons, eating mind-blowing food, drinking bottles of good wine while talking and laughing into the night.
• Nothing gives me more pleasure then seeing my two sons together. With their age difference, it doesn’t happen as much as we all would like.
• If you have sat in front of the TV for hours, watching a reality show marathon, drinking diet coke and eating McDonald’s fries, I won’t judge you.
• If you eat that melted plastic looking stuff over tortilla chips a.k.a. nachos at the ball park or movies, I will judge you.
• I love to wear red lipstick.

FAQ’s

When and why did you start this blog?

I started in July 2009 as a way to share and express my point of view about food to my family and friends. I could of never foreseen at the time where it would all lead to. I have learned so much about writing and photography and made great friends within the foodie community. I am now a  consultant in social media, specializing in the food industry, as well as doing recipe development and writing. Being a single mom, I feel so lucky and grateful that I can work at home, so that I can also be there as my son grows.

Who takes your pictures?

I do. You can see how they have improved since the my first post. Until recently, worked exclusively with an older camera with only 5 mega-pixels. I would never waste any food for sake of a picture. We eat whatever I take pictures of. I am still learning everyday.  I try to use only natural light.

 Can I use your photos or recipes on my blog or website?

Hey, if you would like to use my pictures, just email me and ask, letting me know how you want to use it. Email: [email protected] . My pictures are not allowed to be use without permission. My rule about recipes is pretty simple…always be generous to the people that influenced your food.  I always mention my influences or if the recipes I use are close to someone else’s. I give them credit for the influence that they had on my cooking. If I copied the recipe directly, I always add the link to their recipe. I ask that you do the same with my recipes.

Do you accept products for review?

 If you want to send me a product for review on my blog, no thanks. If I recommend a product on my blog, I have purchased it myself and loved it.  I also do social media/recipe development for food companies. If you represent a product that you want me to use in a social media campaign or develop recipes for, then I will accept products for consideration.

 

Pull up a chair, Elizabeth