I was in middle school when I got my hands on my mother’s set of Family Circle cookbooks and I would sit and pore over all the volumes - despite the fact that the books were from 1972 and many of the recipes were a little…outdated. I begged my father to go to the store to get the ingredients for what I considered a fancy meal. I think it was a simple roast, but this was small town Massachusetts in the 80’s and my family’s dinners usually came from boxes and cans.
My passion for food and cooking began with this set of books written for middle-class housewives in the 70’s and it has taken me through a number of restaurant kitchens in the Valley as a cook, a larger number of restaurants across the world as a diner, and countless dinner parties that I have thrown for friends and family just because I wanted to try a new dish or cuisine.
We are so fortunate to live here, in Western Mass, with such an abundance of family farms and local food artisans. I try to use as many local, seasonal products in my cooking as possible - not only because of the beautiful quality but also because I believe so strongly in local community building and connection.
