About

The Short Version

My blog started out as raves and rants about my favorite (and not so favorite) Food Network hosts. It’s evolved into a place where I write about lots of food issues – food television, yes; but also recipes, restaurants and things I’ve learned that I think are amazing and want to share. I’ve been blogging for six years and the best part is the friends I’ve made (in real life and online) and hearing from readers. I answer most comments. If you take the time to write, I’ll try to take the time to answer.

The Long Version
I've been cooking for as long as I can remember, ever since mud pies turned into real pies. My mother always let me do anything I wanted in the kitchen and use (and occasionally abuse) her cooking equipment. My father got me a marble block (from a gravestone place) for pastry when I was 12 and took us to world class restaurants when we were kids...always with the proviso that the chef would commit suicide if we didn't finish everything on our plates. (That was before the crazed chefs of later years really did that.)

I was lucky enough during college to spend a semester in Paris, where the pastries drove me to distraction. After a Masters degree (what's not to love about academia?) in London (where I began my long love affair with Indian food), I spent a year at the London Cordon Bleu. That's where I learned the right way to do things...in the kitchen, anyway. I still believe that the (mostly French) fundamentals are important to know before you shake it all off and do exactly what you want. Actually, you never really shake it all off. All those lessons are still there, nagging at you when you chop an onion the wrong way or don't take the time to brown things in batches...

I spent a couple more years in New York in school and working and then off to Johannesburg with H(usband) where I was lucky enough to work as a food writer for a wonderfully liberal newspaper...in the era of apartheid. Much of it was unbelievable, but so educational. On to Spain, where I found more to love in olive oil, olives and anchovies. The sherry, wine and chorizo were pretty amazing too.

Back to the states, I've taught cooking on and off for over 20 years. A member of the IACP, I also worked for Whole Foods for a stint as In-Store Chef, responsible for all the cooking programs in the store. As much as I love teaching, I also loved sous-chefing for visiting chefs during their classes.

Blogging brings my love of cooking, writing and teaching together in one place. But as much as I hope I've shared, I've learned even more from other bloggers and readers. There's always something new to learn, new to taste. I love to hear about great (and not so great) food experiences, recipes and cooking ideas. I could talk about food, cooking, chefs and food television forever.  My opinions are my own, but I love to be disagreed with and challenged, so bring it on...please.

You can always contact me at FNMusings@Gmail.com