"I prefer to regard a dessert as I would imagine the perfect woman: subtle, a little bittersweet, not blowsy and extrovert. Delicately made up, not highly rouged. Holding back, not exposing everything and, of course, with a flavor that lasts."
-- Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet)

I guess you could say that I "stumbled across" my love of cooking. That said, I always liked to cook and was encouraged at a young age to do so by my mom. I actually recall pretending to have my own cooking show in the kitchen at our cottage, baking something that was supposed to resemble a cake and chatting away to the "camera" for over an hour while I poured, sifted, folded and mixed...

Now the encouragement continues from her in the form of advice, written and unwritten instructions that were passed down to her and developed over time. She also just happens to have the most abundant collection of cookbooks for me to pillage and steal.

So then what? What made me want to cook more seriously all of a sudden? Chance, I guess. I took a break from working as a nurse in October 2003 and was suddenly facing a great deal of time, alone, at home... Not really wanting to lie on the couch eating chocolates and watching soap operas everyday I had to find something to fill my time.

With the Christmas season upon me I had every reason to fill my kitchen and our home with the delightfully redolent souvenirs of domesticity. From there it snowballed, and here I am! Cooking, baking, eating and enjoying food as much as possible. I hope you enjoy it too!