My Passion for Cooking

My love of cooking was enforced by both of my grandmothers. My maternal grandmother is a amazing cook and has made our Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter dinners ever since I can first remember. We bake together and she teaches me her techniques. Her cooking influences come from upstate New York. She has a classical outlook on food but she loves to mix it up and produce new and exciting treats. She has traveled to China, Egypt, England, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy. Her cooking is heavily influenced by the foods she tried overseas. Our family is mostly Irish and Scottish, so almost every meal we have with her has some sort of potato dish in it.  

My paternal grandmother is also a amazing cook. However this side of the family is mostly influenced by Southern and Cajun cuisine. I have heard stories about my great grandmothers "Southern Potatoes" and how you had to tilt the pan to only be able to get the potatoes and not the butter that pooled at the bottom of the pan. We have deep fried turkey and traditional mashed potatoes and milk gravy every year at my aunts Thanksgiving feast. 

This is my favorite part of cooking, the bond that is formed when you learn new recipes from your elders. It is a blessing to be able to cook with my grandparents and to learn from their mistakes. I'm passionate about cooking and this has come from my opportunity to cook with my family.