My Glossy Debut!

The Flavours Magazine, Spring 2007 issue is out, & there I am, in fully glossiness :) I have an electronic copy posted on my website, if you'd like to take a gander.

First off, I was really happy with how the article came out, both the article itself and the photos. I am not, however, a chef............and have never referred to myself as one. I guess I can be called a professional cook, since I now make my living cooking for money. I just wanted to clear that up, in case there were any raised eyebrows over the article.

Things have been busier than ever, to the point where I have had to cut, at least temporarily, my corporate lunch delivery service and weekend cooking classes/birthday parties. I have come to accept that you really can't work 7 days a week forever. I am trying to strike a balance between corporate catering, cooking classes & the Farmer's Market. I've come to learn that I cannot do more than two, or maybe the odd 3, classes per week - I start rolling quickly into the burnout zone otherwise.

It's been an interesting year (March 11th marked my 1 year anniversary with the Market, which I guess technically is when I officially began my business) to say the least. Part of me, when I have a moment to take it all in, is still in shock over the response to my services. The rest of me is just too busy trying to keep all the balls in the air to think of anything else.

My sad news is that my grandmother passed away last Saturday at the age of 93. She is the one whom I credit with teaching/inspiring me how to cook. She & I spent many days together cooking up a storm. She would let me pick recipes I wanted to try, gather up all the ingredients, then we would cook for hours on end. Of course, she taught me (& gave the recipes) many of her dishes that I loved. This was all around the ages of 6 to 9. I remember one time I asked her to help me prepare Petit Fours - the photos in a cookbook were so intriguing to me. I could tell she was a little daunted by the recipe & the photos, but we carried on anyway, & there were wonderful :)

I don't think she ever really understood (she had memory issues in the end) that I gave up my career as an engineer to pursue my passion for cooking, which she def. played an important role in cultivating. I am grateful to her for so many things, but most especially, of course, for those memories of us cooking together, in her tiny little kitchen, complete with avocado green appliances. I will cherish those forever.