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It's hard to pinpoint when my love affair with food began. It could have been when I was introduced to the Bombay Club on a prom date in high school. Or, when I experienced my first powdered sugar-dusted bite of a hot beignet from Café du Monde. Perhaps it was when a friend convinced me to try coconut shrimp after I swore off seafood as a child... And, consequently embraced my Maryland roots' love for the ritual (and indescribable deliciousness) of crab feasts.
Was it when I had a revelation in San Francisco, declaring I didn't want a "fussy dish" and ended up having the most perfect Peruvian rotisserie chicken and ceviche mixto? Or, was it from a short yet impressionable training with a French chef? It also could have been when I started growing my own food and truly investing in the quality of my ingredients...
While I've had a thousand memorable food experiences, I've come to realize it's the ephemeral qualities that inspire my love.
The warmth of a dish
The quality of the company
Flavors that are both nostalgic and new
Creative, cozy spaces
Dressing up...dressing down
The sheer power of food to heal, offer comfort, invite community, excite our palates, and elevate the everyday into a celebration...
That's why I love the act of cooking. It's showing love through food.
