Now truth be told, I was not always a food fanatic! This passion really began during my third year of university when I studied in the south of France. Before moving to Perpignan, sure I loved to eat, but I couldn’t cook to save me (unless it came from a Campbell’s can or a Kraft box, that is)! Embarking half way around the world, I knew that I was going to have to fend for myself, as I didn’t have neither my mom nor nonna’s homemade cooking to count on anymore.... and it sort of began there. Prior to the big move to France, I stayed with my Zia Paula and Zio Valter in Italy for a summer. I remember one night, my crazy aunt was running out to the store and she asked me to sauté some garlic and chillies for a simple olive oil and herb garnish for the pasta...”Whatever you do, April”, she said as she ran out the door, “DON’T BURN THE GARLIC!” Five minutes later, she returned home to find the kitchen up in smoke. I burnt the garlic. Needless to say, she didn’t let me anywhere near the kitchen for the remainder of that summer.
Once settled in Perpignan, I thought “OK kitchen...me...you...round 2!” All those days helping nonna in the kitchen while growing up came flooding back. Minestrone and pepperonatas and polentas, so off I went to the grocery store to stock up on all the goods I would need to get these creative juices flowing. I barrelled down the stairs to Leader Price and picked up the essentials...salt, pepper, olive oil, balsamic, herbes de provence...and the ingredients to make that first pot of minestrone...carrots, zucchini, onion, tomatoes, celery, chicken and of course, bay leaves!
Once settled in Perpignan, I thought “OK kitchen...me...you...round 2!” All those days helping nonna in the kitchen while growing up came flooding back. Minestrone and pepperonatas and polentas, so off I went to the grocery store to stock up on all the goods I would need to get these creative juices flowing. I barrelled down the stairs to Leader Price and picked up the essentials...salt, pepper, olive oil, balsamic, herbes de provence...and the ingredients to make that first pot of minestrone...carrots, zucchini, onion, tomatoes, celery, chicken and of course, bay leaves!
Back at mine, chop, chop, chop and into the pot to simmer for a few hours until the vegetables grew soft, then a dash of rice, et voilà: My first pot of minestrone was done! I will always remember that first pot of soup. Vicky, who lived a few floors up, could smell it brewing from my dorm room. She followed the fragrance down the corridor to my door. We both enjoyed my first pot of soup and it was a big success! And anytime after that, when a pot of minestrone was cooking, Vicky was always the first one to pop her head in to ask when the soup would be ready.
From there on out, the creativity flowed for the remainder of the year. Friends would show up at my door, night after night, with bags of groceries asking me to cook. The experiments began with various vegetables, fish, meats and one that I remember fondly, a citrus chicken.
The following Christmas, once nestled back home in Thorold, my parents gifted me The Joy of Cooking cookbook. From there, French Onion soup and risotto ai funghi and homemade linguini and banana bread came flowing out of our kitchen. Let’s just say the rest is history!
Today, I love to cook. I think I am pretty good at it (so say my beloved friends and family anyway). This passion has brought me all over the world, indulging in local delicacies and trying to replicate them in my own kitchen. I hope to bring you, my darling readers, to all corners of the world with me through this blog and wherever I may be, maybe I will be lucky enough to be able to host you in my very own kitchen one day as well!
From there on out, the creativity flowed for the remainder of the year. Friends would show up at my door, night after night, with bags of groceries asking me to cook. The experiments began with various vegetables, fish, meats and one that I remember fondly, a citrus chicken.
The following Christmas, once nestled back home in Thorold, my parents gifted me The Joy of Cooking cookbook. From there, French Onion soup and risotto ai funghi and homemade linguini and banana bread came flowing out of our kitchen. Let’s just say the rest is history!
Today, I love to cook. I think I am pretty good at it (so say my beloved friends and family anyway). This passion has brought me all over the world, indulging in local delicacies and trying to replicate them in my own kitchen. I hope to bring you, my darling readers, to all corners of the world with me through this blog and wherever I may be, maybe I will be lucky enough to be able to host you in my very own kitchen one day as well!