Member Since:
Dec. 2004
Cooking Level:
Intermediate
Cooking Interests:
Baking, Grilling & BBQ, Stir Frying, Slow Cooking, Asian, Indian, Italian, Southern, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Healthy, Vegetarian, Dessert, Quick & Easy, Gourmet
Hobbies:
Knitting, Needlepoint, Hiking/Camping, Camping, Boating, Walking, Fishing, Photography, Reading Books, Music, Wine Tasting
I'm 25, from Arkansas, very happily married. I currently work as a medical biller, but I plan on going to culinary school and becoming a test kitchen chef or possibly a pastry chef. I think both career paths would be perfect balances of food science and creativity for me. I'm always looking for new recipes to try. My main hobby is my cookbook. My Mom (a fantastic cook) and I plan on writing and publishing a cookbook of our own. I started my personal cookbook when I was about 11 and it has grown into a massive 3-ring binder since then. I'm trying to catalog everything into my recipe box on this site.
My favorite things to cook
Italian, Asian, comfort food, desserts, casseroles, bread, as much organic/healthy as possible. I love trying new recipes and I hate eating the same things over and over. I try to keep dinner interesting...
My favorite family cooking traditions
Trying to replicate anything my Mom makes. Mom cooks a lot of Mediterranean food and should probably run a restaurant. She also makes fantastic seafood dishes - she's lucky enough to have access to fresh seafood since she lives in New Orleans. She's definitely where I get alot of my cooking influences. The challenge is trying to lighten her recipes up but still make them taste like hers.
My cooking triumphs
Making a New Orleans bread pudding recipe, that I found on the internet, for my New Orleans family members on Thanksgiving. They said it was the best bread pudding they'd ever had (and they know their bread pudding)! I said, "If I can impress you guys, then I know I've done a great job."
My cooking tragedies
Spanikopita or just about anything having to do with phyllo dough is of the devil. I've never been so mad at a recipe...My husband had to help me finish making them because I was crying and just wanted to throw it all away. The corners ended up burning, too.
I also made sushi for my husband's birthday one year. It took 5 hours. The rice took longer than anything. I feel really bad about never wanting to make it again since he bought me a sushi cookbook, but it's just so painstaking. I'd rather just go buy it...
What's this?