Smelling

You know you come from a line of exceptional cooks when your grandma could make a frozen pizza taste like it was made in Italy. Maybe it was just the love she sprinkled when putting that frozen cheese pizza in the oven, but my siblings and I will tell you that it was most delicous when she made it. Forget DiGiorno pizza…we just need grandma’s cheap, frozen pizza. Besides her strange magic over our pie, my grandma was a great cook. She always made Thanksgiving meal to a T. Cross your t’s and dot your i’s, she had it down to a science. Summer picnic? You bet her potato salad was required to be there. And if we were at her apartment sitting around the dinner table, her cinnamon apples were worlds better than Cracker Barrel. The only catch is that these things like potato salad and homemade Thanksgiving stuffing don’t have recipes, and the way to tell if you are making it right in our family is by the smell. That’s right…the smell. Naturally, my mom picked up my grandma’s cooking skills and has mastered the stuffing and potato salad. Luckily for me, I’m the daughter that has picked up this passion and love for cooking and as a result has stuck my nose in stuffing to breathe in “the smell” and let it permeate my mind for eternity.


As I’ve ventured into my own world where mom is no longer expected to have a meal ready every night, I’m discovering how much I love to cook and bake for myself and others. There is great accomplishment that comes when I try a recipe and get to savor the fact that it actually made my taste buds bloom. Even better when the people around me love it just as much. All I ask is that if I make something for you, you have to be honest about how it really tastes.

Current ingredient obsessions (in no particular order):
Cajun/Cheyenne/Chili Powder
Espresso
Black Beans
Cilantro/Parsley
Dark Chocolate
Sun-dried Tomatoes