I’m a Minnesota native who grew up fishing, gardening, and hunting with my grandfather and learning from my grandmother how to cook the walleye we gathered from our lake, transform our garden’s vegetables into pickles, fruit into preserves, and our deer and pheasants into charcuterie. I moved to Seattle after graduating from college where foraging, baking, brewing, and cheese making left an indelible mark.
When I moved to New York, the city ignited in me the courage I needed to change careers and pursue what I always knew I wanted to be: a professionally trained cook. I graduated with honors from The Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan and cooked at Jean Georges and Tabla in New York and Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Bray, England.
After working in restaurant kitchens, I finally found a way to put my English degree to good use by serving as the Executive Editor of Art Culinaire Magazine. At the publication, I was responsible for every aspect of production. Chief among my duties were selecting the topics, chefs and culinary personalities to feature, writing all editorial content, supervising photo shoots, and testing and editing all recipes. The dozens of subjects I profiled during my tenure included: Ferran Adriá, Fergus Henderson, Alberto Alessi, Sean Brock, Alain Ducasse, Claude Bosi, Thomas Keller, Tony Maws, Julie Packard, Alex Guarnaschelli, Nathan Myhrvold, and Ted Turner.
Eventually, I decided it was time to pursue the two things I always dreamed of doing: cookbook and freelance writing. Initially it was nerve wracking to strike out on my own… but this anxiety didn’t last long. I am gratified by the freedom my job affords, the inspiring people I am privileged to meet, and the extraordinary places I am able to visit. Every new destination, passionate person, and enriching adventure reinforces for me food’s ability to connect us, no matter how different we might initially think we are from each other. There is no easier way to open a door to a new friendship, understand a new place, or ignite a fresh dream than to share a meal together.
I have written about my experiences for several print and online publications including Food & Wine Magazine, Food Arts, Plate Magazine, Culinary Trends, The Local Palate, Zester Daily, and Food Republic.
My most recent cookbook, Come In, We’re Closed: An Invitation to Staff Meals at the World’s Best Restaurants was published by Running Press in October, 2012. It has been nominated for the James Beard award for cooking from a professional point of view. A few of the featured restaurants include St. John, The Fat Duck, Mugaritz, Ad Hoc, Arzak, Michel Bras , Au Pied de Cochon, McCrady’s, The Slanted Door, and wd-50. The cookbook includes a foreword by chef Ferran Adria. It was featured in the holiday gift guides of The New York Times and Associated Press in addition to several print and online publications including All Things Considered, The Guardian, The London Times, Vogue, Food Network Magazine, Salon, Every Day with Raechel Ray, and The Washington Post.
My travels as both a cook and journalist have inspired future cookbook projects, including an exploration of contemporary Nordic cuisine in Iceland with the chef Gunnar Karl Gislason, with a foreword by Rene Redzepi, to be published by Ten Speed Press in the fall of 2014; a cookbook collaboration with chef Chris Pandel of Balena and The Bristol; as well as projects in India, Senegal, and San Sebastian, Spain.
I am involved in all aspects of cookbook development including writing content, on-site research, photo shoot supervision, and writing and testing recipes. In between writing, I’ve been a moderator at the CIA’s World of Flavors conference and presented at the IACP national conference as well as instructed at culinary schools including Astor Center, The Culinary Institute of America, Bowery Culinary Center, Ger-Nis, Kitchen Window, and Salt Eldhus in Reykjavik, Iceland. I’m also launching a line of artisanal food products in 2014 and have served as a recipe developer and consultant for various entities throughout the country.
This year, I’m launching food-centric tours to Iceland and India. My next trip is scheduled for August, 2013 in Iceland. I‘m a member of the New York chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier and live on the east coast where I enjoy running, gardening, and planning tomorrow’s culinary adventure.
I can also be found on facebook and twitter.
I can be contacted here.
Thank you so much for visiting my site. Wishing you joy and enrichment at your own table and the abiding inspiration that only the culinary world affords!