I've had a passion for cooking since owning my first restaurant around age 8. Granted, we served plastic food to imaginary people, but there were guest checks and maybe some yelling involved, mainly, “Order up!” From there, I mastered real cooking in my E-Z Bake Oven, but that yielded minuscule results. At age 10 I was allowed to use the stove and I made my first stir-fry.
From those humble beginnings, the only place to go was up. I observed my grandmothers in the kitchen, they never rushed while cooking, and I adopted my mom’s routine of home-cooked meals on weekdays. I carried these skills through college where I expanded my palate. You see, I was a very picky eater. Certain foods could not touch. The sectioned plate would’ve saved me as a kid. Once I started to experience new flavors, like pesto, or taste a homemade lasagna, or sip a mocha, there was no going back.
When I moved to Los Angeles and worked in television, one of my jobs was to keep sitcom writers hydrated and fed. Since I delivered their meals, I was exposed to new foods such as spinach, butternut squash, guacamole and beans. Who woulda thunk working on a sitcom would make me a better eater? I was even put in charge of planning our Friday night crew meals for 200 people. That’s where I fell in love with menu planning.
Fast forward to when my daughter was born. The moms who came over for playdates loved my homemade snacks so much that they encouraged me to start a personal chef business. What's in the Fridge?, ready-to-heat-and-eat home-cooked meals was born.
After my son was born, I shifted from cooking for others to teaching kids and adults how to cook at my kitchen table. I was even the cooking enrichment teacher for my son’s pre-k class, where I became known as the "veggie whisperer," a title I still brag about today.
When the pandemic hit, the writer in me couldn't resist naming my new online cooking classes, Cuarantine Cooking Camp because who doesn’t love an alliteration? I taught over 150 virtual cooking classes with participants from ages 5 to 80. There were general public classes, private events, birthday parties, corporate team-building sessions, and more grazing boards than I can count. I met people from all over the country and the world that I never would have crossed paths with otherwise.
While my daughter was applying to colleges, I realized that she might not like the food in the dining hall. I created What’s in the Dorm Fridge? with 50 healthy recipes you can make in your dorm room and dorm kitchen. I also wanted her to have a cookbook when she moved off-campus, so I created What’s in the Fridge? a comprehensive guide teaching kitchen basics with tips throughout, as if I'm standing right there with you. The recipes in these cookbooks are designed to use basic ingredients in a delicious way. In addition, I have added recipe packets to my shop that have different themes because who doesn’t love a good theme?
Now you know a little more about me and my new virtual kitchen. Isn’t my wallpaper cute?! I hope you’ll stay and look around. Or come back and see what’s new in my kitchen. Pull up a stool, I’ll always have a story to share!
Happy Cooking,
Jill