I have always been a cook. From the time my mother felt I was old enough to make family dinner— was I six yet? — I’ve been a curious cook and baker. When I was a kid in Wisconsin, my family owned a dairy and bakery and my mother was adventurous in the kitchen. Cheese, milk, bread, ingenuity and frugality...we cooked.

In lieu of babysitting in high school, I cooked dinners for a neighborhood family of six, experiencing my first microwave and hot pink electric ice cream maker. They were fancy and I had fun.

Starting at the University of Wisconsin and finishing at the Culinary Institute of America I earned my associates degree with an emphasis on art, French and socializing. I could cook, but I was intimidated by industrial sized appliances and the bellowing men commanding them.

Not for long. Trial by fire will make anyone a badass, especially if you are a young women chef-to-be in a sea of shouting men, circa 1900 and something. My training was top notch, mostly French morphing into nouvelle cuisine, then “new American” and eventually into the editorial world of Time-Life Books, creating recipes and styling for photos.

Along the road I have been a teacher, craftsperson, writer, food sculptor, gardener and who can remember what all else. Oh, author of two books – “The Artful Pie” and “You’re the Chef”. Books still rule and I am proud to have a toehold in that world. First and foremost I am a cook and stylist, bringing energy, creativity and verve to anything to which I commit. Translation: “to anything I encounter”.

Clients

McCormick Spice

The Washington Post

California Tortilla

Monticello

National Geographic

Smithsonian Books

Mount Vernon

MacKenzie Ltd

Simply Organic

Sweet Loren’s

Glutino

Popcorners

Baltimore Magazine

The Washingtonian

King and Prince Seafood

Perdue Chicken

Marriott

Cuisine Solutions

Australian Beef and Livestock

US Dairy Export Council