I’ve been making food since before I can remember. The esteemed Easy Bake Oven was the beginning of my fascination, that you can take those pre-measured powders and add some water or oil, put it in a contraption that uses the heat of a lightbulb, and within a few minutes, it becomes chocolate cake! That magic, that fire, still excites me to this day.

I never considered myself as someone who liked to cook until after college. I received my bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Champlain College, and felt like that’s the direction I had to go into; find a job or start a career in marketing or PR. I soon realized it was not the path I wanted for myself. I started reading food blogs, obsessing over Ina Garten and Anthony Bourdain, experimenting in the kitchen, buying ingredients that I had never used before, hosting dinner parties, visiting local farms, orchards, gardens, trying all of the things related to food that I could find.

I fell deep in love with food, and felt that fire that was in me since the beginning. And that’s when I decided to quit my job and start culinary school. I attended the Chef Training Program at the Natural Gourmet Institute in Manhattan. I loved every minute of school and didn’t want it to end. Which is the first time I ever felt that way about anything related to school or learning. I knew then that this was the right path for me.

After culinary school, even though I loved living in New York, I needed Vermont back in my life. There is just something magical about this place, especially when it comes to food. The farmer’s markets, the local grocery stores, where it’s very easy to shop completely local. The ever-changing and pivoting restaurant scene, especially during the pandemic times. And the endless “food nerds” I always seem to connect with. This tiny state always has some surprises in store and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.