|
 I have always believed that great food and great company are the foundations of a life well lived. In my life, many of my best memories are of family and friends gathering around food, whether it was holidays or birthdays. I remember having simple kids' food at my sixth birthday party with mac and cheese and yellow cake with white frosting. In my child's mind back then I thought food could not possibly taste or look better than that. As I began traveling the world though, great food and great company began to take on new meaning. Through the years, through wonderful places like San Francisco, Singapore, Chiang Mai, Bombay, Mexico City and Sao Paolo, I have met countless numbers of fabulous people. People of all walks of life- restaurant owners, artists, engineers, scientists, lawyers, fisherman and yes, chefs of every possible caliber from street stalls in Bali to executive chefs of five diamond hotels in Tokyo and New York. The one inescapable thing we all shared in common was love of eating- eating with loved ones. From a very young age I had a natural love of cooking and caring for others, but growing up, I realized that I wanted to take things to a different level. Having had the blessing of eating at some of the world's best (i.e. French Laundry, Gary Danko's) and barest (street stalls in Delhi and Jakarta) establishments, I wanted to create dishes that were the best of what I had eaten but with my own unique twists on flavors, healthfulness and presentations. I've tried to keep most of my recipes as simple as possible, though some, inevitably, require greater time and effort than others. On the most part though, I believe that healthful and delicious food does not need to be complex or time consuming. What is absolutely essential to achieve culinary excellence in taste, presentation and healthfulness, is using fresh ingredients. I rarely use ingredients that are canned or bottled. I firmly stand against using artificial ingredients of any kind, especially ones that are known to possibly cause cancer, heart disease or raise cholesterol and high blood pressure. I learned to create great food so I could share it with people I love- to share beautiful moments and many of them throughout a long and healthy life. Whatever culture we come from and wherever we live in this world, nothing will bring people closer together than outstandingly delicious food. Take a little time to cook with and for your loved ones. Take time to nourish your body and spirit. Take joy in sharing a wonderful meal and savor the beauty of a life well lived.
|
