hi there

I didn’t grow up in a family where gourmet cooking — or even baking from scratch — was a thing, but when I moved away for college, I quickly became obsessed with experiencing the world of cuisines I’d never had before. Authentic Mexican and Italian, Thai, Mediterranean, Vietnamese, Ethiopian, and eventually, sushi. (What was I waiting for?) After moving into my own apartment, I’d break up the rotation of canned soup and the cheapest pasta I could manage by trying to recreate dishes I liked from various local eateries. I knew I’d become pretty good at it when I’d cook for friends and they’d ask where I got the recipe…then give me grief for not writing it down when I told them I’d made it up. There were still so many new things to try, why would I make the same thing twice?

One summer years later, finally having a house of my own, I had grown tomatoes and herbs, and decided it was the perfect opportunity to try my hand at the incredible Tomato-Basil Soup with Feta that I ordered every time my best friend and I went to our favorite Greek restaurant. It also seemed well past time to accept the challenge of writing it all down, which I did. It was better than its inspiration dish, which I credit fully to home-grown and well-fertilized tomatoes, but that experience unearthed a passion.

Now, I’ve been cooking and baking and developing my own recipes for decades. I’ve thrown countless dinner parties and hosted more holidays with big groups of friends than I can count. I’ve regularly given baked Christmas gifts, made several birthday cakes, and have become the person everyone knows will more than happily bring the dessert.

Despite all of that, I never could have imagined just how the addition of grandkids and one special cookie jar might transform that personal passion into a fanatical quest to carve out enduring memories and establish a legacy. But here we are.

I just said a lot about cooking, but this blog is only about the sweet stuff. (For now.) Suffice to say, I had a similar awakening when I started baking and made the life-changing discoveries that chocolate chip cookies didn’t have to be crunchy and dry, and that all cheesecake isn’t damp and jiggly.

In these pages, you’ll find lots of chocolate recipes – it even has its own menu category – that’s because of Hugh, who doesn’t consider it dessert if it isn’t chocolate. (Yes, he really has called apple pie “the fruit course” a time or two.) You’ll also find lots of cookies – um, that one’s on me. (Who can say no to a cookie?!) The list of vegan and gluten-free recipes continues to grow out of love for a few others who are very special to me. And fun for kids is a little bit because some things don’t fit into the usual categories, and a little bit because grandparents have a certain license when it comes to spoiling grandchildren. You’re likely to see them all make appearances in these pages from time to time, because they’re never far away. This blog is for them. And you. Enjoy!

Lastly, a tiny note of encouragement by way of disclaimer…

I’ve never gone to cooking school or taken a baking class. True, I was always the artsy kid whose elementary school classmates asked for help with their art projects, an ‘early adopter’ of Martha Stewart Living, and an obsessive reader of Cooks’ Illustrated, but I’m not a pro. This blog and every item in it is an expression of joy and love and my need for a creative outlet, not perfectionism. If I can do it, so can you! Enjoy it, and they will too.

Happy baking!